The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-12
THE PARTY OF RLUNDERs


 If there has ever been a political con- test in this country that could properly be called "A Campaign of Blunders." the Republicans have been and are still nified and pernicious efforts of Roose- welt to enforce the nomination of a man of his own sort as the party candidate for the Presidency. Mir. Taft was not the man a majority of his party want ed, but they had no choice but take him, for the President had so ordered and must be obeyed. He had both the will and the power to reward those who obeyed his commands and to punish those who refused. The methods he used were undignihed, improper and injudicious, and did not go down very well with many of the best men of his party. but they submitted because there was nothing else to do.
 Another blunder was the nomination of Sherman for Vice-President. So far as the public Is informed there is noth- ing in his record or fin the man him. self that justified his selection. If it was based on the necessity of securing the electoral vote of New York, it was a poor policy. for we know of nothing in his history or achievements that can help the ticket in his own State. while the possibility that if the ticket is elected he might at some time become President through the death of Taft is not pleasant to contemplate by the higher class of citizens. That possi- bility alone causes many of them to feel indifferent, if not actually hostile, towards the head of the ticket.
 And Roosevelt has never ceased to add to the list of blunders. His campaign letters, which in the main consisted of the most shameless and unjustifiable charges against MT. Bryan and other prominent public men, have disgusted even his most ardent supporters. That they have succeeded in bottling him up may be true, but not until his course had made him almost an object of contempt among the best people of the country. It was plain to all intel ligent people that he was determined, l if possible, to force his candidate on the country and some of the methods he has used would be indefensible in a private citizen, while in a President they were discreditable in the extreme. Though through some means he has been silenced for the time being, 1t is not to be supposed that he will remain quiet until the campaign closes. It is not In his nature to refrain from but ting in, and his inordinate self -conceit leads him to think that his orders and may expect him to break out at any time. and we are not sure that we shouldn't be glad of 1t, for his ebulli- tions are calculated to help the cause of Democracy.
 And then there comes Son-in-Law Longworth to make one of the most assinine blunders in the entire list Prominent Republicans all over the country have become heartily tired and disgusted with Rooseveltism. and hope to see it ended, and to be told by one supposed to speak with authority that the country is to have another term of him after eight years of Taft Is putting | 1t on a little thicker than self-respect- ing Americans can stomach It Is use less for Longworth to deny having said it. for it has been proven conclusively on him, and to try to get out of 1t by saying he was only joking doesn't help matters much. If 1t was a joke. 1t was | of the boomerang order.
 And so we might go on instanclng blunder after blunder on the part of President Roosevelt and party. but what's the use? We have recited enough to swamp any ticket not con trolIed or supported by the blind. and if these fall to convince there's little need Co specify others. though we could | easily do so. If such palpable and l monstrous ones as we have set forth l do not convince the American people ! that RepubIicanism means continual