A BITTER FIGHT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 296, 11 June 1912, Page 7

A BITTER FIGHT

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. IMPRESSIONS OP A NEW ZEALANDER. "Writing to a friend in Wellington, Mr. Russell, of the Hansard staff, now in America, gives some interesting ' impressions of the Presidential election/. He says, under date May 9th: ." r f%e 'Presidential election campaign is in "full swing in the United States, an'dj'.s;i%ing conducted with much per-sonal;,-bitterness between the opposing Taft*«nd Roosevelt Republican factions. Champ Clark is in the lead for the Democrats, and his chances are looking bright. Public 1 , interest at present centres in the two Republicans, who a little while ago were friends and allies. Now they are attacking one another very bitterly, the speecljes.i being njainly devoted to personalities. However, this quarrel may result in neither the President nor the ex-President securing election at the October, assuming one secures the' Republican nomination at the Chicago Convention in a few weeks' time.

',THE DEMOCRATS. I , "So'iiie '-writers here hold that the I ma}' have their chanee this ' time'-'with Mr. Bryan, who- may at the finish r be nominated for that party in. p'ltie'e !if■' Champ Clark, -the latter standing down in Bryan's favor. Bryan's hat I is l 6ot"ytt in the ring, but it may get ; as he is the logical choice of the I Democratic party, representing as it does | a'■'•mbrfe -'advanced policy' than that usually; propounded by the Republicans. I <Ttcy' is; a year of political surprises in ! the'lUnitfetl States, and it would not be ) astonishing to find Mr. Bryan and Theodore Roosevelt in the end opposing candidatesi: The lion hunter has not yet haSi;tO!;fAce the redoubtable Nebraskan, arid /though. Bryan has been defeated thrdeltiines for the Presidency the rumor is that he is ready for another trial. , : Wj|t}ri}*<jt]|i!G past month there have been several. Republican 'land-slides' in favor of .Rposeyelt, whose candidature has now j become, so'serious that Taft realises that ! he must fight the fight of his life to prevent, defeat by his former ally in the I Chicago •Convention for the nomination of-a Republican candidate, , . , 1. 4 PERSONAL QUARREL. '•""As to the personal quarrel between the ,two, men, the following comment by a. CanaiiW'.paper (Ontario Free Press, April '29jth). seems to hit off the situation: 'The American Republic does not appear.to advantage in the eyes of the world, jiri the serious disputings between the President of the nation and an exj ErpsLdpnt. Though these two men are I of tna.eame' political party, and were, until recently, close personal friends, going upon the public platform and declaring in words not capabte' pf . misinterpretation that each is given to falsehood and crooked dealing, anil .possessed of attributes which no self-respecting, people could calmly countenariie?l'tresirfe'nt Taft is deserving of all credit paving maintained a silence gr£giir|jjjg ei-President., Roosevelt until for<;e4 .'to- speak. His natural instmdira were opposed to the personal vituperation and discussion which now characterises the contest for the Presidency for the next four years. But so unfair and hurtful were the tactics of his in.pheer self-defence he has been in <sedjtb sp?ak. The result has been to present Roosevelt in the light of a swashbuckler and political demagogue, who stood ready to betray even his most intimate associates in order to achieve personal success. Citizens of the Republic are wont at times to sneer at monarcliial forms of government, but when has England afforded a parallel to the disgraceful controversy now going on in the United States?'"