Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-06-20
ROOSEVELT 4 PUBLIC BENEFAC
TOR.

Regard him otherwise as We may,
We cannot all but feel that at this
especial junctuIe Roosevelt is a public
benefactor.
The rotten old Republican party,
that has lived on graft for so MANY
years as the handmaiden of corruption
and extravaganza in government OF
alliance with predatory interests AMI
as the beneficiary of illegal and unpa-
/ triotic contributions from selfish cor
PIo1ations, is being broken up through
the efforts of the ex-president Its
fangs are being drawn, its past power
divided and the opportunities for fur
Their wrongdoing at the expense of the
nation taken away from it, probably
forever. Divided in councils, split in
TO discordant elements, bitterly antas-
onistic in its factions, there seems no.
the remotest possibility that it can
hope to retain control of the govern
ment or to ever draw its parts o.
gether again into harmonious work
ing force.
For accomplishing this Roosevelt IS
certainly entitled to the thanks of the
long suffering people of the United
States. He has let a food light in on
the methods by which the party has
been handled by a clique of pol
Iiticians, working hand in glove with
trusts and other illegal business
combinations. His exposure has been
adequate, even were the party not REM
IN twain by opposing candidates, to
turn the mass of the voters against il
next November.
A party whose leaders on both sides
are found at such a crisis as this but
tonholding ignorant and vicious negro
politicians from the South in their ma
tional convention, pleading with them,
catering to them, buying them, and
then re-buying them for fear the other
fellow has advanced the price, whose
men of highest prominence are de-
rouncing each other as demagogues
and thieves, as sandbaggers and cor
, ruptionists, as traitors to the COM
monalty and unworthy of public trust,
cannot expect to hold the respect and
support of men of sanity, of decency,
of ordinary honor and patriotism. That
this class of voters will flock by the
thousands and tens of thousands To
the support of the Democratic ticket
must be apparent to all.
Roosevelt may have been actuated i'll
all he has done by vain personal
egotism, by an ambition that has
vaulted beyond the realm of true devo-
ton to the country's interests, an
uverweening belief in his own import
ance in tine general scheme of the ma
tional destiny, but, even 50, there is
no gainsaying that he has done 7
treat nubic sedvice. But for what h
has done Taft would have been nomi-
rated, his alliance with the interests
that have so long dominated legisla
ton and the administration of tn,
government would now have been Sc
apparent as to unshackle the mass O.
his party, and the Democracy woulc
have had a more difficult fight on it,
Y hands to save the land from another
four years of misrule. Roosevelt
though, has pictured things as they
f are, exaggerated no doubt, distorted il
some degree, but still close enough t,
the truth to let the people realize thl
a danger that lies in a continuance O
] the control of the country by the olt
egime. He may be an unconsciou!
latriot in all this, but he is entitled K
the credit of so disintegrating hi,
party as to preclude any possibl,
hopes of its returning with a new
lease of power The man who has ac
!, tomplished that deserves some kline
thoughts, even though much that HI
has done is entitled to and will re
ceive the condemnation of the cool
3 headed.