Arizona republican., 1912-02-25

lief that his nomination offers the culty, seem to have lost sight en- tirely of one extremely important fact They seem to forget that the republican national convention has not only to nominate a candidate, but to adopt a platform. Now, sup pose the convention does nominate Col Roosevelt. what will it say in the platform? What will it say about the Taft administration? Just one of three things. It must endorse that administration, it must condemn it, or it must remain silent on the sub ject.
 It is hardly conceivable that the contingency last named will be re- sorted to- The republican party is not in the habit of doing anything so cowardly or suicidal as that Also is it conceivable that condemnation Of the present administration will not alienate a large share of the business interests-that is to say, of the men who in any sense can be classed as business men. of the men who have, perhaps. just few dollars laid by or invested in some more er less pro- ductive enterprise?
 Then suppose the convention nom- mates Col. Roosevelt and indorses the Taft administration. What then? what would such action mean? Sim ply this The convention would say in effect: President Taft has given q genuine republican administration. It has been wise and conservative. He has earned q renomination. but in spite of that fact We will not give it to him. We elected him to carry out the platform of 1908 and done it. we are giving the nomina ton to some other man.
 A good many people think Mir. Taft was elected 10 carry out the Roosevelt policies. If Mir Roosevelt is the republican party that propo- sition is correct. But the truth would seem to be that MT Taft was elect ed to carry out the platform of 1908. If he was not. what was that plat form adopted for?
 The principal insurgent objection to Mr. Taft is that he signed the Payne Aldrich tariff law in the face of his declaration that the wool schedule is "indefensible" Now. in all candor. is that criticism just? Here are the facts \ tariff bill was presented to MT. Taft. There was an insistent demand that the tariff be revised The republican platform had pledged itself to revision. The bill passed by republican congress was. with the exception of single schedule. satisfactory to MT. Taft. So. he had the choice of taking bill ninety-nine per cent of which was in line with his party's promises. or rejecting the bill altogether in the face of coming congressional cleo tion. Would any republican presi- dent have done differently from what Mir Taft did? It is hardly conceiv- able that he would.
 Have We forgotten that Mir. Roose- welt fought certain sections of the Hepburn rate bill with all the power of his administration, and yet sign ed the bill with the objectionable features in it? Why did he do that? Because it was the best bill. from his standpoint, it was possible for him to get
 And that is precisely what MT. Taft did with the Payne Aldrich tar iff bill.
 But. reverting to the original ques- ton. the republican convention can nominate Mir Taft and endorse his administration; it can nominate Mr. Roosevelt and say the Taft admin istration was a failure: 1t can en- dorse Mr. Taft's work and repudiate the man who has done the work; or it can reject MT. Taft and say noth- ing at all about his administration. Under all the circumstances, what IS the sensible thing to do?
 There would seem to be mo great difficulty about this matter. At all events the proper course seems per fectlv clear to The Republican, anu this paper is unswervingly and un- reservedly for the re-nomlnatloh anu reelection of William Howard Taft to the office of president or lhe