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Show TAFT IS NOT POPULAR. ' A The position of "Wm. Taft in the political firmament, his magnitude mag-nitude as a stellar light in the presidential contest', is in part presented pre-sented by the Literary Digest. When Mr. Taft reaches the West, remarks a' leading Democratic; Demo-cratic; journal, lie will find that he is not upon a tour, but a warpath. war-path. Indeed, as the New York Evening Post (Ind.) points, ont, the President's itinerary was published just as the evidence was made complete "that many Western Republicans hope to make 'of this new political tonr of his a Via Dolorosa." Strong and detailed statements of hostility have been made by Senators Cummins. Bris-tow, Bris-tow, Plapp. Bourne, and Crawford, and the Evening Ppst, noting the defection of the Chicago Tribune, thinks that if the attitude of the Chicago Republican press is' at all an index of sentiment in Illinois, that state, hitherto counted as "non-progre&sivc," may well be reckoned anti-Taft territory. Furthermore, though Secretary Wilson affirms his belief that Mi Taft will surely be renominated and reeleeted,the Indianapolis NVws (Ind.) thinksthat a surer index of feeling in-the Middle West is to be found in the stand taken by a Des Moines1 farming journal, The Iowa Homestead. This paper urges Rcpublica'n farmers to work for La Follette, and to drop Taft "who ignores their existence, exist-ence, who pays no hoed to their. welfare," and "who betrays thcrh to the entrenched interests." "The twelve insurgent stales represented by liirteen insurgent senators will have ninety-nine votes in the Electoral College next yoar"; and the New York World (Dem.) asks Mr;. Taft if he can afford to jeopardize, by his general attack uponjth'e. Progressives, "ninety-nine electoral votes, with Ohio doubtful, with Indiana doubtful, doubt-ful, with Illinois doubtful, and with .Missouri ceufamlo swing back into the Democratic column." President Tuft maybe, "by every essential, vital test," a "progressive thinker and progressive statesman," as the Chicago Record-Herald. (Ind.) calls him, and his friends point to noteworthy accomplishments in progressive legislation during his three 3 cars of office, but tho Insurgents have, apparently, decided definitely that he is a "standpatter." and Senator Cummins brings forward in proof a list of what-he considers wrongful positions taken by the President. Whifc "the twelve sins of Taft" fjnl to impress such Republican journals as the New York Globe and, Tribune. St. Louis Globe-Democrat, Milwaukee Sentinel, and Indianapolis Star, in other quarters this, attack is deemed ominous. Most of the Democratic editors seem to agree with the Columbia State (Djem.) that it is "a substantial indication that -La Follette wjR have a following to be reckoned with in the (Republican convention of 1912." |
