Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-05-31
Unusual Features of
The 1912 Campaign
Results In Some OF the States
Were Surprises--The De-
feat OF Bourne.

| OF thc3r lives
The Nebraska primary was interest
ing to both parties-to the Repub-
deans because OF the way the colonel
again ran away from everything IN
sight and to the Democrats because
the other colonel, otherwise known as
the Peerless, was the center of the NJ.
fair. Well. il was good day for
colonies. and W. ]. b. also won. al
though not with the dizzy speed OF
T. Il. Bryan was candidate for del
egate at large and was also fighting
Judson Harmon. He was elected del
egate. and Harmon was held down TO
one or two districts As In Illinois,
the dog that .'you gotta quit klckin'
aroun'r beat NIL corners.
The Passing Of Bourne.
On the same day that Nebraska was
boosting the two colonies Oregon was
heard from. Now Oregon Is the moth
er OF the preferential presidential pri.
mary. as she Is OF several kindred re-
forms She Is an old hand at the
game and did not go at it with the
bwild abandon observed In some other
states. She had majoriiies, 1t Is true.
but they were nice, gentlemanly major
iiies In four figures and not sections
Of real estate and scenery piled on the
heads OF the defeated In this pri-
| mary Senator Jonathan Bourne, the
man who has said more In favor OF
0regon's initiative. referendum. recall
and other new departures than any
other man. was defeated.
Massachusetts had a sensation of an
entirely different kind. Into the state
President Taft and his predecessor en-
tered in person. This was the first
time anything of that kind had ever
happened In American politics Nine
teen-twelve is sure smasher of prec-
adents. Over the state in every dlrec-
ton the two asplrants flew, sometimes
only a few hours apart, The lid was
or. and the things these two said about
each other made Boston culture gasp
once or twice and then yell with de
light. That surely was fight OF flying
rear platforms.
The result was mixup that will not
be Strengthened out until the Repub-
llcan national convention tackles the
job and possibly not then. The Taft
people turned down one man that
wanted to run for delegate at large,
and he proceeded to run anyway That
made nine candidates whore there
should have been but eight. The re
suit was that some 1900 Intelligent
voters married. their ballots for nine
men when they were plainly instructed
to vote for eight. and as result their
ballots were thrown out. md as fur
Their. result the Roosevelt candidates
for delegates at large were elected. al.
though Mr.. Taft carried the state.
Roosevelt Releases His Delegates.
/, When he heard OF this anomalous
outcome Colonel Roosevelt magnnni.
mousiy advised his delegates AT large
10 vote for Taft. which they promptly
refused TO do. This incident gave the
foes of direct primaries chance 10
poke fun at the new method, an oppor-
tunity they did not neglect, but really
| II
was an accident, that might have hap
pened under almost any sort of an
election law. Those voters will know
better next time.
The Hon. Champ Clark also ran In
Massachusetts, and won. although most
Of the delegates were instructed for
Governor Foss. They were promptly
released by the governor. For unusual
results the Massachusetts, primary was
wonder.
In Maryland the same sort of a
whirlwind campaign was made as In
the Bay State and somewhat the same
anomalous conditions followed, except
that the tables were turned. Here
Colonel Roosevelt had slight plural
ity In the popular vote. although ma
iority Of the delegates to the state con-
ventIon were for Taft A compromise
was reached by electing an equal num-
Der of Taft and Roosevelt men to the
national convention and lnstructing
them for Roosevelt in accordance With
the state law. Speaker Clark won Ma
ryland as he had Massachusetts,.
The feature Of the California prima-
ries was the large participation Of the
women. How they voted nobody
knows for sure, though it Is evident
from Roosevelts lead that a majority
Of them must have supported him.
Probably the percentage was about the
same as that of the men. 1t Is reason
able TO suppose that many of the ladies'
also supported La Toilette as the Wis
consin senator is an ardent advocate
OF woman suffrage. as is his wife. who
assisted in his campaign.
The houn' dawg hit up quite as swift
4 pace on the west coast as he had on
the other. That canine Is certainly de-
veloping speed.
The Fight In Ohio.
II the Taft Roosevelt fight was stir
In Massachusetts and Maryland, how
ever. 1t was only mild prelude to that