Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-25
STANDS ON REC0RD|PARIY' FACING CRISIS
President Taft Tells What He Responsibility of Republican
Is Trying to Do. National Committee
TARIFF ETOES EXPLAINED CONTESTS OF DELEGATES
Director Mckinley Hints at Efforts
tfealy and Recklessy to Decisions.
TO KEEP UP FIGHT FOR PEACE TEST MORAL STAMINA
Trying Excite
Cazteif t UpJ Passion n to
Recall a Chicago
Responsibility of Republican
National Committee.
CONTESTS OF DELEGATES
Director Mckinley Hints at Efforts
to Coerce Decisions.
TEST OF MORAL STAMINA
Asserts Roosevelt Is Trying to Excite
Popular Passions in Ozder to
Win at Chicago.

Declaring that 1.-The time has come when
! the moral stamina of the leaders of the
republican party is to be tested as il has
not been tested since the civil war; Di-
/ rector William B. Mckinley of the. ma
/ tional Taft bureau has given out the
/ following statement:
| According to newspaper reports. Theo-
4 dore Roosevelt would like to institute the
| recall upon the republican national COM
/ mittee with view to his own renomina-
I ton. Here is ample evidence not only
of what the recall means to Mr.. Roose-
velt-namely. the removal from ONCE OF
all who disagree with him-but also of
the fact that Mr.. Roosevelt knows he
| has not enough delegates in the Chicago
convention to bring about his renomna-
| ton for third term, and that he is de-
| termined. with defeat staring him square
| ly in the face. to vrest the nomination
for the presidency from the republican
national convention by any means. fair
or foul. OF course. there is no known
means by which the recall can be ap
| piled to the present national committee,
but the mere fact that the recall 5ys-
| tenn has been suggested as a means or
giving Mr.. Roosevelt control of that body
! indicates the limit to which he Vou,i
like to go and will so, if possible, 20 at
tain his present ends.
Tactics Predicted of Roosevelt.
The principle involved in this sugges-
ton is one over which the Amer can peo-
pie would do we'll to ponder. MIR. Roose-
welt wants those national committeeman
who are opposed to him recalled because
they are opposed to him and because
| they may not agree with him on the con-
tests before that body. Whether they
| can be recalled or not, il must be en-
| pected that those national committeeman
whose consoienceS may force them to dis
| agree tn MIR. Roosevelt will be openly
| denounced by him and the whole commit
| tee will be misre presented and viliaed,
| collectively and individually by Mr..
Roosevelt. exactly as he has misrepre-
| scented and denounced those who have
hitherto disagreed with him during mis-
public career. Then. If President Taft
shall control the convention. ne has
every right to expect he will do on the
has of delegates elected to date, Mr..
Roosevelt may again be expected, backed
by a string of newspapers, whose owners
have personal interest in the outcome.
to attack the national committee and to
attempt to bully the convention itself.
That he and his followers will resort to
every known means to terrorize the Chi
cago convent. on is a fact which grows
more apparent day by day.
Z REOFtuH&lety TOT MT. ROOSEVELT there
will be no democrats nor socialists in the
Chicago convention or on the national
committee, before which his contests
will be laid. His attacks upon the re-
publican party. its principles. its Presi-
dent and its leaders generally will avail
him nothing before. the. quasi judicial
body which decides, those contests un-
less the republican national committee
Is the kind 2f a. body Mr.; Roosevelt
Tbondnpn ic 70 At
his own party face to- face. and he will
be called upon to abide by his party s d.
cision or bolt 1t. There Will be no other
alternative for Theodore Roosevelt At
Chicago.
Test of Moral Stamina.
That the time has come when the
moral stamina of the leaders of the re-
publican party is to be tested as it has
not been tested since the civil war is GER
tain. The republican national committee
itself made the rules under which dele
gates have Deen. elected to the national
convention, and its sole duty is to see that
these rules have been obeyed TO the letter
The mere fact that one candidate. Theo-
dore Roosevelt, has seen fit to bring 95
per cent Of the contests before that body
does not alter the issue involved. This
issue cannot be lodged. it cannot be COM
promised-a square stand-up fight for
principle is the only issue before the COM
mittee.
1T is within the power OF the ma
tional committee to make or break the
republican party for many years to come.
The party Is strong enough to withstand
the shock of any attack, within or with
out. but no party can survive a COM
promise with principle or an abandon
ment of all principle. The life of the
republican party. the traditions of the
party and the principles of the party are
at stake. and the question whether all
these shall live or die. survive or perish,
is a question which must be settled by
the republican party alone-arst by its
representative controlling body. the re-
publican national committee, and lastly.
by the republican national convention
Itself. Certainly a no more solemn duty
to perfoTm was ever laid at the door of
either the committee or the party.
Confidence in Committee. i.
The friends OF President Taft believe
that the republican national committee
as now constituted is representative of
the republican party, and that ii will do
It's full duty by the party at Chicago. The
friends Of the President will not try their
cases of contested delegates before the
country until the national committee
meets. They have no sympathy what
ever In Mr.. RoOSeveitS en0edVofS 10
bring influence to bear upon the party
tribunal-the national committee-before
the ev .dence is heard. They believe they
are justly and ieagaiiy entitled to every
delegate which they claim for President
Taft n the present contest, and they will
do their utmost. fairly. honestly ana
honorably. 10 put the republican national
committee in possession Of such sworn
facts as will enable that body to reach
right conclusions on each and every con-
test.
ITO the country at large. however, the
friends of the President protest against
the tactics now being employed by Theo-
dore Roosevelt in an endeavor to excite
popular passion against the members OF
the controlling body of the republican
party long before an iota of evidence In
the contests 10 be decided mas been laid
before that body. That MI. Roosevelt needs
his 'contesting delegates to bring about his
nominat ton. nobody will deny. Instead Of
recalling judges and recalling decisions
before they are rendered, Mr.. Roosevelt
should be satisfied TO wait until the high
est tribunal Of the republican party. to
which he looks for a denomination. can
give proper consideration to all mis-
rlairux''