Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1912-08-22
ii. F. DENTON, Editor.
THURSDAY. AUGUST u. 1912.
LOGIC FOR SOUTH DAKOTA

At last reports the republican execu-
tive committee was still searching for
'.some means at once dignified and effec-
tive" as Gov. Wilson might say, by
which South Dakota republicans may
stay republican while co operating with
the third party experiment. The boys
may just as well give up their bootless
endeavor. They are attempting the
impossible. They are tackling a propo-
sition that cannot be demonstrated.
The logic of the present situation was
summed up in a few sentences away
back in 1884 by an authority that every
Roosevelt follower will recognize as
adequate. In that year James G. Blaine
was the republican nominee for presi-
dent, and a number of prominent repub-
licans were dissatisfied both with the
nominee and the methods by which he
secured the nomination. They were dis
posed to bolt and did bolt, and carried a
large following with them. At that
time the proposition of "'bolting Blaine"
and still remaining republican was put
up to a man who had sympathized with
the anti Blaine element before the nom
ination was made. He decided TO stay
regular, and defended his course tersely,
thus:
"a man cannot act within and with
out the party. He can do either, but he
cannot possibly do both. Each course
has its advantages and disadvantages,
and one cannot take the advantages and
disadvantages separately"
These words of political wisdom fell
from the lips of Theodore Roosevelt,
when he was confronted by just such a
choice as has been put up to the repub-
iicans of South Dakota in his interest
today. The colonel has reversed the
decision that he made in 1884, when he
decided to stay regular, but he mas not
reversed the principle upon which the
decision was made. He still sticks to
the logic of his old declaration that a
man cannot act within and without the
party. Therefore the colonel has form
ally taken himself out of the old party
and has established a new party with
which he a fight consistently for what
he wants to attain in politics. Now,
there Is nothing more plain than that
republicans who sympathize with Roose-
welt in his aims and in the can jidacy
intended to promote them, and who
have confidence in his political leader
ship, should follow him into the third
party. Republicans who are not ready
to do this are by Roosevelt's own logic
obliged to stay with the old party and
support it's nominees. As Roosevelt
pointed out in 1884. there must be disad-
vantages and advantages with either
course, but it is impracticabIe to take
be advantages and disadvantages sep
arately.
Boss Finn wanted to do in Pennsyl-
wanna what the republican bosses in
South Dakota are trying to do, namely,
to u the republican party as the Roose-
welt party. Roosevelt was well enough
acquainted with the Pennsylvania situa-
tion and closely enough in touch with it
to veto the Finn plan and compel a
straight third party movement there.
Col Roosevelt has not felt competent TO
interfere in South Dakota, but has left
the solution Of the problem there to the
local leaders. Everybody knows that
Roosevelt would be best pleased to see
them accept the logic he has pointed out
n Pennsylvania and elsewhere.
There is no reason why a single vote
for Roosevelt should be lost by placing
at the head of a third ticket and
filing out the ticket with this names Of
nll the state and other candidates Of the
party who are willing to
affiliate with the new party. The chief
advantage Of this course from a theo-
standpoint is that it would be
morally honest, which the attempt to
switch all republicans. willing or unwill-
ing, to Roosevelt is not. And from a
practical standpoint the advantage would
b that IN case Of victory for the Roose-
welt ticket the third party would be in
The field fully organized for the next
campaign. II the third party is not
started now as q separate entity q Roose-
welt victory would leave the third party
still Q ~nonentity in South Dakota
Sioux City Journal.