Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 106, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 May 1912 — Favors Compromise Candidate; Many Take Marne View Now. [ARTICLE]

Favors Compromise Candidate; Many Take Marne View Now.

The Indianapolis Star, whose editor is a loyal Taft man, advocates the nomination of a compromise candidate for president and prints the following editorial in support of.such’ actions— The Star has been and still is.the loyal supporter of President Taft as a man and an executive; but it can not view this drawn battle in Massachusetts in any other light than as casting grave doubt upon either the wisdom or the propriety of his renomination. The antagonism to Mr. Roosevelt is intense; yet republicans are so moved with hostility to the President that they turn to Mr. Roosevelt instead. Whatever the source of his apathy toward Mr. Taft, its existence in so many important states must denote a weakness that could hardly fail to assert itself at the No- 1 vember poles. „ The Star has always been and still is a loyal supporter of Theodore Roosevelt. With him as with President Taft is has often differed and there are acts and utterances of both men which these columns have 1 sharply criticized and deeply deplored. Yet they have been great presidents and are still very great Americans. Their enemies are for the most part enemies of the righteous policies (or which both stand. But if Mr. Taft’s nomination would be unwise, sa would that of Mr. Roose--velt. The colonel’s acts and words, since he threw himself into this controversy, however effacious they may have been in demonstrating an absence of confidence in President Taft, have also served to arouse intense and widespread antagonisms toward

himself. The war between the two men the last two weeks has been as pitiful as unnecessary and discreditable v to both. Its virulence and especially Its indecisiveness can not fail to impress thinking men most profoundly with the impropriety of naming either one of them to lead the party in this campaign.

Nobody knows how many republicans there are, of proved capacity, high attainments and lofty character, any one of whom could be elected president - over Woodrow Wilson, Champ- Clark, W. Jr Bryan, Oscar Underwood, Governor Harmon or any other democrat who might be named. The party has all sections, all professions, all walks of life to draw from. It is not confined to these two men whose personal differences have so divided its membership. Let the delegates already selected for Chicago get together and name the man to be elected in November.