1912 - Day By Day In The Campaign

One hundred years ago, Monday, 29 July 1912, The Evening Standard, out of Ogden city, Utah, had the frontpage cartoon concerning the "Day By Day In the Campaign."

The cartoon was divided into four squares. The upper left square shows the Taft campaign having an advisory committee with the head title of "special privilege" ruling over lame ducks (Penrose, Tawney, Crane, Mulvane, Barnes, Vorys and Chairman Hilles) seated around a table. Chairman Hilles was just a small, tiny caricature with Special privilege ruling the committee.

The upper right square shows Bull Moose taking over Oyster Bay and chasing off trusts, bosses and drab press.

The lower left shows the mysterious disappearance of Governor Wilson, who has hidden himself in the "little whitehouse" from job hunters, reporters and politicians to write his speech of acceptance.

The lower right shows a bulletin board with "Progressive convention called at Chicago Aug.5th" while common people are happily dancing around.

The Evening Standard promoted itself as a fearless, independent, progressive newspaper of the times.

Also on the frontage was another article, "Will Fight To Finish," concerning President Taft giving views on Kansas electoral cases. President Taft was telling callers that the first information he had of the plan to have the Kansas electoral cases heard by the supreme court came from Chairman Hilles of the Republican national committee. The move to carry the cases to the supreme court originated in Kansas and the White House had nothing to do with it is what President Taft was saying.

Representative marlin Olmstead of Pennsylvania, who had charge of the cases for the Taft forces, called at the White House and consulted with the president. Hilles, Olmstead and Republican leaders in Kansas, the president was told, had proceeded so far as to make preparations for an appeal to Justice Pitney, who was in New Jersey, or Justice Vandervanter, who was spending the summer in New York.

Olmstead was understood to have told the president that he had asked Justice Pitney ro a hearing and that Governor Stubbs of Kansas had asked for a hearing in behalf of the Roosevelt faction. President Taft said he would not interfere and told friends all along that he does not intend to make his campaign personal, but would rely on his managers. President Taft told visitors that he believed the Kansas case was worth fighting to a finish. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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