The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1912-10-25
ROOSEVELT FAILED TO GAIN
VOTES FOR HIMSELF IN
WESTERN STATED
TAFT SENTIMENT INCREASING
Weakness of Third Term Candidate
Has been Emphasized by His Tour,
While Favorable Feeling Toward
Taft Manifested Everywhere.


ent Of the Chicago Inter Ocean, has
just completed two weeks tour oil
the Pacific coast AMI western states
with J. Adam Bede, former congress
man from Minnesota, and John M
Harlan of Chicago. These speakers
were sent out by the national Repub
lican committee to trail Colonel Roose-
welt in his tour of the west. The Taft
meetings were held on the nights fol-
lowing the Bull Moose rallies. Mr.
Schuette was commissioned to make a
critical study of political conditions
and report the facts as he found them,
BY OSWALD F. scHUETTE.
The Roosevelt sentiment in the
states west of the Mississippi river is
waning fast. The Taft strength is
growing, although weakness in the or
ganization in many states has pre-
vented the Republicans from taking
full advantage of the situation. The
Wilson forces are still confident Of
victory, but the fading of the Roose-
welt strength has turned the brunt of
the fight against the Democrats, and
fear of free trade and Democratic
hard times is turning the tide to Presi-
dent Taft.
This is the present situation, as
viewed from a careful personal inves-
tigation of the political conditions that
prevail in the wake of Theodore Roose-
velt's tour of the west It can be sum-
med up also in another sentence
Roosevelt has scarcely won vote at
any point on his trip. He has had
large audiences, but none of them has
been as large as he had on either
of his last two trips through these
states. Compared to last springs pri-
mary campaign, or his tours of other
years, the meetings have been dis
heartening in their GOODNESS. This ac-
counts for the reports of angry inter-
ludes that have been frequent accom-
paniments of his speeches. This rep
resents a great change in the sit
uation since the middle of August.
Gained No Converts.
What cheering and applause has
greeted the colonel on his present
tour has come from men already COM
mitted to his cause. In no city visit
ed on his course has there been a re-
port of new converts gained. In al
most every instance the reports were
unanimous that he had hurt himself
and his cause either by his dictatorial
toward his audiences, his
angry treatment of the men around
him and the hosts who tried to shcv
him hospitality, his theatrical sta
tricks, OF his kaleidoscope changes
opinion concerning the issues.
Of Roosevelt Emphasize
The weakness of the Roosevelt
cause was emphasized by the meet
lngs which greeted John Maynard Ha-
Ian and j. Adam Bede, who are still
on the colonel's trail At each stop
they made they were told by Repub.
leans that the Roosevelt meetings had
been anything but the rousing sue
oesses they had been expected, and
The colonel's visit had not won him
4 vote.
1t was the same story throughout the
trip-in Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Nevada,
Arizona, New Mexico, Colo
RADIO and Nebraska. Everywhere the
Roosevelt leaders appeared disgrunt-
led, the Taft leaders were jubilant and
The Wilson forces fearful of the fact
hat the campaign was turning against
heir own candidate.