Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-10-16
%. The FoIIies of 1912
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN

WASHINGTON, d. Chose who are
character of national politics this year,
and who are inclined to fear that we
never will have another good rousing
presidential campaign. should consider
recent history.
The presidential show of 1903 was just
such a fizzle from the dramatic and spec
tacular standpoint as tho present one
seems to be- but how nobly did 1912 re-
deem the reputation Of the American
politicians for staging a first-class show.
Several salient characteristics of our
national political game were illustrated
in the 1912 campaign. One OF them Is
that a hot campaign is not made hot By
burning issues, but rather by burning
personal animosities.
LIKE GOLIATH OF OLD,
II. r.. DESTROYS G. o. II. TEMPLE.
So 1t was in 1912. The thing which
made the campaign interesting, which
split the Republican party wide open,
elected Woodrow Wilson and stirred the
country to its depths. WAS temperament
tai difference between Mr.. Taft and Mr..
Roosevelt
From the viewpoint OF political ex-
pedlency, Roosevelt was undoubtedly
right. The temper of the country was
relatively radical In 1912. II had had
four years OF conservative government
and il wanted a change The way 10
elect a President was to be at least os-
tensibly radical. And Roosevelt was as
radical by temperament as Taft was con-
sentative. In the specific measures which
they were prepared to advocate they did
not differ substantially. A current Dem
ocratic cartoon shows them as couple
Of street brawlers hauled up before a
justice OF the peace. who Is trying I'm
vain to nud ont what they are lighting
about
Nobody could answer that question
with any clarity, but how they ala
scrap Mrs Roosevelt leaped into the
ring with both fists going. His talent
for personal invectiye was never dis
played to better advantage. Mr.. Taft,
distressed and outraged by such nnman-
nerly tactics, at FIRST stuck in a dignifed
manner to his favorite subject OF the
Constitution OF the United States. But
finally, realizing that one cannot be o
perfect gentleman and a competent pol
itician at the same time, he turned pom
derously upon his opponent with the in
spring remark that even. a rat VIII fight
Of himself too, and the result would not
have been so certain had not an excited
mental defective pumped bullet
through the Colonel's shoulder at the
crucial point In the campaign. That, to-
gether with Arms geddon and the sing
ing OF Onward Christian Soldiers in
sured sufficient split IN the Republican
vote to make Democratic victory a dead
certainty.
A DRAMATIC CONVENTION AND
RISE OF TIE BULL MOOSE.
The dramatic quality Of the 1912 events
began with the conventions and ended
only with the announcement of the hnunl
result The Republican convention with
It's hght over contested delegates was one
of the bitterest in the history Of the
country. One excited leader declared that
il a personal collision should occur on
the floor a hundred men would be killed
before order could be restored. He was
so confident OF this carnage that he re-
fused to allow his wife to attend the CON
vention on the first day. The event was
much less exciting than that. In fact,
nobody so much as slapped anybody's
else's face; but the contests were hotly
contested and Taft won over two hun
bred OF them while Roosevelt won abcut
nineteen. Then Mr.. Roosevelt bolted.
Came then the Bull Moose meeting In
Chicago with its Marathon cheers, It's
complete harmony, and Its crusading
spirit, marred only by the question in