Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-11-16

ported Hughes after he WaS n0mtnateo
The TACT that while Mr.. Hughes was
non -commital he evidently had pow
erfnl hacking. Why so many N ,gro
delegates, delegates from hopelessly
non republican states. from Hawaii
and other remote possessions were for
Hughes rs many Of such delegates In
all previous conventions have been
rated It's "purchasable" 1t was sener-
ally understood that the Gernlan-
Americans were very active for Mr..
Hughes and also that ex-President
Taft's brother felt bitter and was In
favor Of anybody to beat Roosevelt
and anybody to beat Roosevelt"
meant. In the last analysis. only
Hughes. immediately after the NOM
nation, Taft with characteristic cheek
telegraphed Roosevelt TO support
After the miserable mess made at
Chicago we appear foolish when We
talk of Wilson's middle in Mexico. Did
the results Of 1912 mean anything to
the republican leaders? II SO why SO
much Difference shown the stand-pat
triumvirate Harding. Hills and
Hitchcock which placed an initial
handicap on the candidacy Of Hughes
to the extent of at least three million
votes and which alone. had it not been
for the strenuous and heroic efforts of
Roosevelt, would have insured the
worst. defeat in the history Of the re-
publican party, Are the republican
leaders too old or too stupid to learn?
What did Uncle Joe" and other lead
ers mean when they said repeatedly
that the republican party is bigger
than any man? Did they mean it was
bigger than Lincoln in 1860 or Roose-
Welt in 1912 or that Roosevelt if he de-
cided to run independently could not
get far more votes in 1916 than any
man the republican party could pit
against him? II the the republican party
Is so big that 1t can be Indifferent as to
the kind of man it selects for its stand
ard bearer why did we rob the supreme
court of its best judge when Barnes
was available and would not have to
give up any office to be filled by q
democrat2 -
Stupid Politics.
Mr.. Wilson's first election was due to
the stupid if not fraudulent action of
the 1919 delegates and to the fact that
Mr. Taft wanted and was willing to
take the nomination regardless Of
whether the people wanted him or not
Mr.. Wilson'S second election was due
to the stupid and spiteful action of the
1916 delegates and to the fact that Mr..
Hughes lost his great opportunity in
failing to send telegram to the con-
vention withdrawing his name when he
saw that everybody wanted Roosevelt
except small reactionary element In
the republican party and the disciples
of Cannon. Smoot, Harding and Barnes
who dominated the convention.
Mr. Roosevelt's course during the
two last campaigns has been consist
ent, honorable and above criticism. For
about two decades there has been de-
cided political tendency towards those
things that are generally and rather
indefinitely termed Progressive" Taft
owed his election to the fact that he
posed as progressive and that Roose-
welt vouched for him as such. Taft
utterly failed to carry out the Roose-
welt or progressive program and there
fore the republicans lost the house of
representatives. However. as Taft lost
in reputation and popularity he seemed
to gain in nerve and sought renonina-
ton and endorsement at the hands of
the republicans altho everybody but
those who were as blind as bats saw
that his nomination meant certain de-
feat
Salvation in Roosevelt.
The nomination of Roosevelt was the
only salvation for the party, but the
party machinery was dominated by a
a. A,n
was denied him with the result that
Taft carried but two small states. Now
Wilson, by nature, by education and by
environment Ii no more progressive
than Taft. but IL a smarter man. Taft's
failure to enact popular progressive
legislation furnished Wilson his golden
opportunity to popularize his admins
tsation even tho his foreign policies
were foolish and futile. Why was TAFT
so stupid as to leave. for instance.
child labor and banking legislation,
both of which were at that time
strongly advocated, for the Wilson adj
ministratioha The conclusion il,
therefore, unmistakable and unrefutA-
bic that the failure of Taft was the
direct cause OF Wilson's reelection
last Tuesday.
From 1912 to 1916 the progressive
ideas continued to gain altho the pro-
gressiye party became disorganized
and somewhat disintegrated. This was
entirely due. and quite naturally, to the
fact that both the republican and dem
ocratic parties became more progress
sive. Just as the prohibition party
would quickly disappear if the two old
parties were to adopt prohibition
planks.
Admitting that Hlccess In 1916 de-
pended upon a reunited party and
adoption of a progressive platform
why did the delegates scoff at the sug-
gestion of having real reunion by in
viting the delegates to the progressive
convention to meet on equal terms
with the delegates to the republican
convention at the Coliseum? Had this
been done Roosevelt would have been
nominated, he would have addressed
the convention and the campaign
would have started of with whoop
hurrah and unparalleled enthusiasm
and we would today be figuring his
popular plurality by the millions and
his ma jority in the electoral college by
the score.
The republican party in 1912 disre-
garded the will 81 the great majority
of the voters and. according to the gen
erd opinion, fraudulently nominated
Mr.. Taft. The 1916 convention no,
only refused to recognize this blundel
and rectify the wrong, but the dele.
gates actually applauded vigorously
when Taft's name was mentioned.
The questions before you now are:
/. Can or should the republican