The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-29
TIME TO srop.

I
 Is not the present national campaign l fast becoming a humiiiating and re- ally disgusting performance? Instead of being a discussion of national af- fairs between statesmen it has degen- erated into an interchange of person. l alities. Instead of discussing politics in the highest sense of the term the campaign has become little more than an interchange of charges and coun- tercharses affecting the characters of men now most in the public eye. But what else could be expected when we consider the example set by the man who holds the highest office in the Government? Dfscarding all sense of propriety, laying aside all the dignity that should attach to his po- sition. and ignoring all considerations that should prevent a President of the United States from descending to the low level of the common scold. Roose- welt himself took the initiative and set the example which others could do nothing else but follow. If the cam paign has become practically a con- test at mud-slinsing. of personal abuse, viiiiflcation. and reciprocal de- famation. the primary blame and guilt must rest on Theodore Roosevelt. for he initiated 1t.
 What is to be the end of this sick ering political innovation? Is there no way by which men in prominent posi- tions may be made to see the harm they are doing7 Has Roosevelt no friend with influence enough to make him see and realize that he has brought discredit-not on himself, for that would be dificuIt-but on the high ofice he holds? Cannot MT Bryan. be brought to see the impropriety of the course he Is pursuing when he lets himself into war of words with man like Roosevelt? If is high time he should see that nothing is to be gained, but much to be lost for himself and his cause by bandying epithets with a man who has shown himself a past master in the art of abuse and. villification.
 As for the Forakers, the HaskeIIs and others who have been put out of the fight we do not know that they should be noticed. Let them snarl and snap and backbite to their hearts con tent as their feelings lead them. for we do not believe they can do much harm any way. They are discredited and may be considered out of the fight, but with MT. Bryan 1t is differ ent. He represents the Democracy of the country, and should see that he is doing 1t an injury by keeping up such an interchange of personalities. As for Roosevelt. let him snap and snarI as his instincts lead him. If he bites himself and poisons himself with his own venom 1t need surprise no one, but we protest against Mir. Bryan irn- itating him or essaying to beat him in the use of his ewn choice weapons.
 If this thing goes on there can be no telling where it will end. That an- cient Latin motto. "Facifisest. decensus Averni," applies in politics as we'll as in some other things. A quarrel of personalities like stone rolling down hill becomes more and more resistless until 1t reaches the bottom. So far as Democratic leaders and representative men are concerned this degrading con troversy should stop. We do not be- lieve that Democracy or the Demo- cratic cause can be hurt by abuse. vil- lification and misrepresentation from such men as Roosevelt, Hearst and their allies. but the party and the cause can be seriously hurt by the acts or arguments of those whose duty it is to hold it above the mud and mire of personal politics. If 1t goes on it is bound to get worse until it discour- ages and disgusts the best men of the party and causes them to lose all in- terest in party or candidate. Has 1t not gone far enough?