The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-04-24
That doesn't help a presidential can,

| istry about "a second electoral term"
could disabuse the minds of the people
that it was, in fact, the first effort in
American history made to brush aside
the patriotic and salutary rule laid
down by George Washington and fol
! lowed by every president to the pres
ent time that no man should serve
| more than two terms in the White
House A prudent politician in Mr..
Roosevelts place-and he is a politi-
clan even if he is not prudent-would
set aside any immediate ambition, re-
tire for awhile, select not overstrong
candidate for the nomination in his
stead, look with philosophy upon the
defeat of his party In this year and
four years hence seek to come back as
its savior.
There are many people about the
capital who think that this will be the
Rooseveltian programme.
Oklahoma to the Front.
The two Democratic senators from
Oklahoma are proving themselves fight
ing champions Of true Democracy. Sen
ator Gore, known as the blind senator,
succeeded in getting into the Congress
SIGNAL Record the famous letter writ
ten by President, Roosevelt to E. II.
Hartman, in which the president de-
clared they were both practical men
and should meet as practical men to
discuss the state Of the nation. Of
course history records that the meeting
was held and that Mr.. Hartman raised
$245,OO0 for use Ia the state Of New
York for Mr. Roosevelts political ad-
vantage.
A lot of the somewhat old maidenly
persons in the senate expressed much
horror and modification that a United
States senator should have inserted
such letter in the Record. But it
seems to me that Senator Gore met the
criticism conclusively when he said
that he would rather be responsible for
having had that letter read In the SEN
ate than to be responsible for having
written it. 1t is peculiarly inept to
describe letter OF Mr.. Roosevelt's rs
confidential. He neither writes nor talks
conidentially. 1t is his practice when
any one goes to the White House with
question, to wave the inquirer away
and answer with shout that attracts
the attention Of everybody in the exec
utive Offices. Mr.. Roosevelt himself
should be the last to assert that let
ter from him to e. 81. Hartman, rail-
road magnate and plutocratic politician,
was confidential and privileged.
The other senator from Oklahoma,
Robert L. Owen, attended the recent
dinner given by the so called National
Democratic club Of New York and
there had an opportunity to preach
some Democratic doctrine which the
officers of that club did not desire to
have Mr.. Bryan expnund before them.
This paragraph gives fair example
Of the general tone of his address. The
National Democratic club, which fear
ed to have Mr.. Bryan speak before 1t,
must have found that the gentleman
from the southwest whom they select
ed was an equally vigorous exponent
Of the principles Of the new and the
progressive Democracy:
It is also true that some men who are
so religious that they will not shave on
Sunday find no conscientious scruples
against shaving other men for the bal
ance of the week. but among the captains
of Pharaoh there are also many men or
great intelligence and OF great oeneVo-
lence and of great patriotism who DO not
realize the effect Of monopoly on the
weaker laboring elements OF the nation.
Their benevolence Is shown by such enor-
nous contributions to education ana 10
the public service, such as the benetac-
tions Of John D. Rockefeller. OF Andrew
Carnegie and other very rich, men. They
are entitled 10 personal credit for their
good works and to discredit for their bad
works. Their good works. however. show
that the men who have conducted sue
cessful monopolies. under the shelter OF
law and IN spite Of law have the same
generous impulses which God has planted
in the hearts Of the great majority OF
men. It would, however, be asking too
much Of human nature to expect tnose
who have been or are successful IN the
manipulation Of business and In the es-
tablishment of monopoly, by which their
ambition fol power and for property ac-
cumulation is gratihed, to contribute to
the control of monopoly by law. This
duty is imposed upon the patriotic sons
of America Of both parties-of both those
who have always adhered to the original
Democratic party ,or to that branch OIL
the Democratic party that arose under
the new name Of Republican party
The Democratic Conventions.
Up to the present time every state
convention held by the Democratic
party. and there have been ten, has
Instructed for Mr.. Bryan, with the ex-
ception of Rhode Island, in which sew
en- out of the eight delegates are pro-
nounced Bryan men, though not OIL
cially Instructed for him. The half
dozen delegates from Delaware have
been instructed for Judge George
Gray, as they have been for some con-
ventions heretofore. New York will
also send an uninstructed delegation,
which has been its practice almost i'm
memorially; so, too, will Pennsylvania.
Colonel James NJ. Guffey, who has long
been the dominant factor in that state,
says cheerfully that as Pennsylvania
never will give any electoral votes to
the Democratic candidates he thinks
that its delegates should go to the con-
vention untrammelcd and able to give
their votes there to the candidate
whom they think will be most accept
able TO the voters of other states.