Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-06

| 631, 491. But RooSevelts total includes
| several hundred thousand of populistiI
democratic votes in response to his non
| partisan, radical appeal, and to Tafts
| total should fairly he added several
| hundred thousand anti-Roosevelt re-
publican voters who. hopeless OF Tafts
election. cast their ballots for Wilson
| in order to assure RooSevelt's defeat
| Considerably more than half of Roose-
I velt's plurality over Taft came from
California and South Dakota where
| there was no official Taft ticket to be
| voted for. Either Roosevelt's appeal
to democratic progressives elected only
d contemptuous and humiliating re-
Spouse, or he failed to poll even half OF
the republican party.
In the iight OF these figures il APP
pears that the Taft bolt against third
term and "A constitution asSaiiing can
didacy polled more republican votes
than this candidate polled. It controlled
more votes than Roosevelt's total in
twenty states of the Union. including
such vitality important states as New
York, Ohio. Wisconsin. Massachusetts,.
Missouri Connecticut and kentucky. II
prevented Roosevelt from polling a
popular majority in amy state except
South Dakota, where there was no Taft
ticket in the running. and where the
result of about a thousand ma jority
for Roosevelt was determined not by
his own strength but by bolt to him
from Wilson OF silver eX-republican
group of voters who resented in this
way what they viewed as Clarks be-
travail at Baltimore. III California one
of the most radically progressive states
of the Mon. with its governor appeal
ing t" state pride as vice presidential
candidate on the Roosevelt ticket and
with no Taft official ticket in oppas:-
tion. Roosevelt could only divide the
electoral vote with Wilson choosins
his eleven electors by a beggarly plu-
ralty of 1855. and suffering the humilia
tion Of an anti-Roosevelt majority in
the state of over $4,000
Viewed as boilers Tafts 3.4S6.316 votes
are Just as fatally destructive of Roose-
welt Roosevelt's 4.I17.SI3 We're and are
destructive of TAFT A fail of $40 feet is
as fatal as one of 1000 feet and the po-
Htcal candidate. pushed over the preci-
pice of defeat to his destruction and fall
ing the shorter distance. smashing near
ly every bone in his political bcny. is in
no shape to justify his mourners II; gloat-
ing over the other unfortunate who has
fallen little farther and Is reduced a
little nearer to pulp.
The Taft vs. Roosevelt SCRAP of 1912
was fought to a Kilkenny cat finish, de-
moliShtng both combatants
kooseveltS successful bolt taught that
Il progressive party cannot he led by real
or even suspected reactionaries. Taft $
effective bolt taught that the progressives
to be victorious must not be handicapped
by the candidacy of thfrd-term Presi-
dent, proclaimng the popular recall of
judicial decisions. The net result of both
bolts is to admonish the 16D0.nD repub-
lican voters to get together FOR 1916 on
platform and with candidate that are
neither reactionarE nor unduly radical
and that violate no national tradition.
Taft gracefully accepts as final the adj
Verse decision of 1872. There seems to be
no foundation for an appeal to the future
against the peoples verdict on Roose-
velts part
Progressives Divided Are Impotent
What Is there to bring over to Roose-
Welt in 1915 progressive republicans who
resisted him in 1912? What is there to
encourage the belief that Roosevelt can
ever get more in his Ishmaelitish role of
abusive hostility to all other political
groups than his 4.OOn. 900 voters of 1912?
The indications are that he will never
b" as strong again as in November, 1917
The drift had set in against him even
preceding the election. States carried by
him over Taft in the primaries were lost
by him to Taft at the polls The drift
away from him was checked by the muir
derous assault upon him. Sympathy held
voters to him who were ready to leave
him. Hopefuiness of victory kept thou
sands with him who will never follow
him again in campaign perceived to be
hopeless
Where are the millions necessary to
give Roosevelt a plurality TO come from
Are they to be found among those who
refused to vote for him when his con-
vention primary triumphE We're fresh.
when his personal influence was still very
great, when sympathy for him on the
basis of his claim that ne had been
cheated at Chicago and of the certainty
that he had been murderously assaulted
was at its height? VIII democrats who
failed to come to him under the impulse
of the bitter dissensions of the Baltimore
convention break to him from a demo-
cratic party in power with Bryan as
premier? Will the silent stay-at-home
vote. which responded to his impassion-
ed appeals by keeping away from the
polls in unprecedented percentage, with
the result that the stay-at-home vote
was 7.0O.OOo instead Of the calculated
5,oWOOo, experience a change of heart?
The startling stay-at-home vote in 1912
indicated, of course, general apathy, but
suggests also dissatisfaction with the
candidates especially the republican can
didates. Even the victor in the battle
lost some of the normal democratic vote
his popular vote being less than Bryans
in all three of the latter's unsuccessful
campaigns