The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-07-08

our great naLlOnal Conventions. LIS I
four years from now will
be made by different method. UNI
doubtedly. The convention system
has been in the main, adequate. but
some evils have always inferred in it.
Those. evils were magniied this year,
because there was a man with po-
tent voice among the defeated. Four
years ago the same things existed,
differing, perhaps, somewhat in de-
gree only, and Taft was engineered
in by Colonel Roosevelt over men like
Hughes, who We're given no look-in In
the southern states.
The thing for the Republicans of
Iowa to do is to save their party,
weakened though it has been. 1t has
produced good results in Iowa. The
party has clean lot Of nominees in
Svolved in the elections this year,
nominees who were made in a popular
primary. In Senator Kenyon they
have candidate for the senate who
is worth saving. for he is man who
has future before him.
To start something on Wednes-
day may mean great party disaster
Things that have been done can not
be undone with iImpunity. To start
even a mild fight on Taft will be the
signal for other fghts-neither side,
If we still have sides, can afford to
start any fires. whether back fires or
other fires. There is dynamite lying
all around on the political ground and
Iif there is one explosion there may be
many
OF course, no convention can bind
the consciences OF men. Those who
do not want to vote for Mr.. Taft can
scratch the head of the ticket and
vote for either Wilson or a third man.
whether it is Debs or Roosevelt. If
! they want to protest anything. they
can do it without destroying the par
tty which has achieved so much in
| Iowa.
| We have no quarrel with any Re-
publican who wants to vote for Will
son. If a Republican wants to take
his chances with Wilson and the tariff
for revenue for four years, that is his
right as an individual voter when he
stands in the ballot booth. He can
mark his own ticket
And II there are enough OF them
we will enter on another four years
A experiment 1t may be the best thing
for the excited peopleAfor, undoubted-
ly, Wilson In Office will be able to
i prove to the excited people that he
4 can not make taxes less or less GER
tain and that he can not by a presi-
Dental proclamation reduce the high
cost of living" about which we have
/ heard SO much. We have reached a
i point of discomfort where some oracu-
4 lar demonstration, and actual, not
Il yicarious sacrifice, seems to be need.
I. ed to quiet the people For ourselves
we will have no fear OF the final YER
dict. But it may take four years
} In the meantime from our way OF
thinking, we would better keep the
. once grand old party in working con.
dition and we can spend the four
years of our eclipse in purifying the
, organization. if we think 1t needs that
and in Strengthening the faith. The
country will again need the Republic
| can party. 1t needs it now. but we
are rent with discussions, to the sor
row of all good men and true patriots
: But let US keep the form--the shell
8 at least, and let us proceed to refill Il
(. with good materials and good doc
"A trines. Let not the coming state con
: vention break even the shell. W.
! think we have quarrels with each 9th
! err but after we have I, liked it al
! lover, we may find that our differences
are. after all, not SO great and not sc
( vital