Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1912-03-03
SPLIT IN REPUBLICAN 24 pt , cal. POLITICAL WRITER SAYS IF ROOSEVELT CAPTURES NOMINA- TION HE WILL BE DEFEATED ANYHOW-FORMER SPEAKER CANNON SAYS, sI AM A REPUB- LICAN, NOT A POLULIST.'
(By Winfield Jones.)


 casted in these letters last week for mer President Roosevelt has defin itely entered the lists against Pre- sident Taft for the Republican nomi- nation for president The issue is now sharply drawn between the two men, between the standpat and the radical wings of the Republican par ty, and the battle will be fought to a finish before the Chicago conven tion.
 Nothing more favorable for Demo- cratic success at the polls neNt No vember could have happened. Roose- velt's That ill the ring" absolutely assures the election of Democra- tic president.
 The Republican Party is now split wide open, and is between the devil and the sea. The situation is this: If Taft wins the nomination he will have to run on an old line, pTotec tive tariff, standpat platform. The radicals in the party will then either stay away from the polls, or vote the Democratic ticket. It Roosevelt captures the nomination the old line Republicans will take 10 interest ill the election ill November. Any way it is figured the Republi- cans are in worse situation than hefcwe the Rough Rider announced his candidacy. Neither Republican candidate will be satisfactory to the great independent vote. Roosevelt is, according to his Columbus speech, more radical than a Socialist. The peolpe don't want that kind of a man in the White House. Taft, own- ed by the protected tariff interests, is more conservative than any Pre- sident in many years. The people have already turned down their thumbs for Taft. The two factions are at daggers drawn. This is shown by the laconic statement of former Speaker Cannon, who said on being told of Roosevelt's announcement: q am a Republican, not Populist." :" Cannon is one of the chief packers of the Taft campaign.
 Should Roosevelt, by stampede in the Chicago convention, succeed ;u capturing the nomination, he will be doomed to worse defeat at the polls than even Taft. The people of this country don't want "man on horse back They don't want any third term presidents. There is no doubt that Roosevelt, such is his insane an- bition, would, if he could, occupy the White House for life. He wants 6 third term. After that he would want fourth term. A little reflect ion will convince anybody that Roose- welt is the most dangerous man in the United States. He would become king if such thing were possible. The people know this, and if he :s the Republican nominee they intend to administer a severe rebuke in the national election to the former Pre- sidemt's boundless egotism, and to retire him where he belongs, to po- litical oblivion.
 Roosevelts entire course ill regard to third term has been marked by duplici;y and deception. Says Re- presentatives Kahn, of California, "Col. Roosevelt said, and reiterated, that he would not be candidate again, and his coming out would in- dicate to me that he is the real pre- sident of the Ananias Club"
 Roosevelt has simply reversed him. self, life, the oppo-tunist he has al ways been Promises are mere sounding words with him. He wants to be president again, and what is a mere promise to a political aero bat. F. Of course the former President wants the nomination decided through the direct primary system of choosing delegates to the nation al convention, but not for any love he bears for the system. He wants that because he believes he will have a better change to obtain delegates than by the convention system, and particularly so because Taft already has the Southern delegates bound hand and foot to his wagon through the Federal office holders in the South.
 All this has given cheer to the Democrats. Before Roosevelt's an nouncement they felt reasonably sure of winning in the November election no ma.er who will be the candidate chosen at the Baltimore Convention Now They feel certain of victory.
 The managers for the four candi- dates for the Democratic nomination are redoubling their efforts because they see victory for the Democratic