Half a Slap and Half a Boost

Roosevelt's recent declaration that the Tariff was not an issue in this campaign is ridiculed by George H. Earle, Jr., who in an interview yesterday maintained that the Tariff always was and always would be an issue. He said :

I think one can only be amused by the statement of any citizen or candidate that this, that, or the other thing is not an issue; because, whatever the candidates may wish, or however their interests may lie, those things, and those things alone, became the real issues that the people are interested in and want determined.

Take our own city. A great many people have gone hungry while Tariff tinkering was going on, and if they do not wish to go hungry again the Tariff may become a paramount issue with them and may control their votes.

The Vermont election indicates, as I anticipated it would, that the paramount issue with Republicans is not going to be whether Mr. Roosevelt will be elected or not, for I think that is settled, but simply whether they are going to aid Mr. Roosevelt to destroy the Republican party and elect a Democrat; for that is absolutely all he can accomplish.

If that is what they want, however, it bothers me extremly to know why they don't vote directly for Mr. Wilson, as doing that will be just twice as effective a means of getting rid of the Republican party, and with it the Tariff.

To a man who believes in the principles of the Republican party, and who believes the Tariff is always an issue in American politics, always has been and always will be, there seems to me but one course open, and that is to vote for Mr. Taft. To a man who prefers the kind of times that we have always had when the Tariff was being tinkered with, there seems to me but one logical position, and that is, to vote for Mr. Wilson.

To vote for Mr. Roosevelt is to give Mr. Taft half a slap and Mr. Wilson half a boost, and why a man would want to impale himself on so absurd a dilemma I can't see for the life of me.