The Coconino sun., 1912-10-11
ROOSEVELT FAILED TO GAIN VOTES FOR HIMSELF IN
 WESTERN STATES.
TAFT SENTIMENT INCREASING
Weakness of Third Term Candidate Has been Emphasized by Ills Tour, While Favorable Feeling Toward Taft Manifested Everywhere.

Oswald F. Schuette, staff correspond ent of the Chicago Inter Ocean, has just completed two weeks tour of the Pacific coast and 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. Mir. 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 g 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. IT 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 a 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 dds heartening in their coolness. This &C., 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.
 Sd'Heu No SOHScEts.
 What cheering and applause has greeted the colonel on his present tour has come from men already c m- mitted to his cause. In no city visit ed on his course has there been re- port of new converts gained. In al. most every instance the reports were unanimous that he had hurt himself ard lis ccuse either by his dictatorial manner toward his audiences, h.s angry treatment of the men around him and the hosts who tried to show him hospitality. his theatrical stage tricks, or his kaleidoscopic changes of opinion concerning the issues.
 Weakness of Roosevelt Emphasized
 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 coloners trail At each stop they made they were told by Repub- licans that the Roosevelt meetings had been anything but the rousing sue cesses they had been expected, and the colonel's visit had not won him a vote.
 It was the same story throughout the trip--in Idaho. Oregon, Utah. Nevada, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colo rado and Nebraska. Everywhere the Roosevelt leaders appeared disgrunt- led, the Taft leaders were jubilant and the Wilson forces fearful of the fact that the campaign was turning against their own candidate.