Norwich bulletin., 1912-11-09
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Theodore Roosevelt.

Mir. Editor: The career of Theodore Roosevelt, ex-president of the United States, is ended in disgrace and dis honor. through his own folly and mad ambition.
 There is a very strikinr -arallel to his case in the history of the children of Israel. It is that of Samson, who judged Isreal for 20 years, which was the highest honor that man could have in that day. Israel because of their Wickedness had been in bondage to the Philistines for 40 years, and it was hard and cruel bondage. At the end of 40 years the angel of the Lord" appeared to the wife of Manoah and informed her that she should become the mother of a son. This son would be an unusual man, genius, and the promise was that He should begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines"
 The child was born, according to the promise, and he was indeed an unusual | man, genius, wonderfully endowed with talents which no other man be- fore him had ever possessed. A great career and opportunity was before him, but he miserably failed. There was a flaw in his character | which he cultivated instead of sup pressed. He early in life developed a | lust for strange women. The law of | the Israelites forbade them to marry | outside of their own nation. Samson saw a Philistine woman and he de- | sired to have her for his wife, con- 1 trary to the law of his people, and he | desired his father and mother to ob- tain her for him. They remonstrated 1 with him. but he was determined, and he secured the strange woman, con- | trary to the law of Moses.
 Very soon he was in trouble through | this strange woman, ard he sought for revenge. Then he took a harlot, who caused him more trouble, and after l that he took for his wife Delilah, an- other Philistine woman. and she com l passed his ruin, and he became pris- 1 oner to the Philistines, who put out his eyes. Then came the time for re- venge. With his great strength he 1 destroyed the building that sheltered him and the people, and with the Philistines he went down to his death. Samson was dead. Thus came Samson to the end of his career, disgraced, dishonored, ruined, dead. The build ing that he destroyed in order to have his revenge could be rebuilt, but Sam son was dead.
 Theodore Roosevelt was born with unusual talents and was an unusual person, a genius. But. like Samson l he had a flaw in his character, and that flaw was personal, selfish ambi- , ton, and it became his destruction, fo1 instead of curbing and controlling it
 he allowed 1t to become his ruling passion
 . Early in life he associated himself
 with the republican party, and they 1 honored him almost continuously, but when he could not have his own way | -f1aJ1 fnvs 11t 7 ment then he would sulk, oppose, ol
 bolt. After he had been offered tho nomination of governor of New Yorl , by the independents, he accepted the nomination from Boss Platt and turn. ed down the independents When Bos. ? Platt desired him to be a candidate for vice president on the ticket witl , Mckinley, he refused. He stated tha
 under no circumstances will I ac. cept a nomination for vice president The boss controlled him. and he ac.
 cepted
 He was honored by his party witl
 the very highest honors that mar
 could have in this nation, or in am
 other, but he was not satisfied. H,
 was ambitious to have what Washing,
 ton, the father of his country, witt
 his clear wisdom, would not take, ant
 which the nation denied to Grant, who
 with Lincoln, was the savior of hi country.
 Alexander conquered the world ant
 wept for more worlds to conquer
 Roosevelt like Alexander, having ha, 1 all the honorS that nation coul
 bestow, desired more. His mad ambi
 tion made him desire to have greate
 power than did Ceasar and blinded hi
 moral perception and caused him t
 separate from his friends of a lifetim ! and choose other associates, and hi
 friends of lifetime were those wh
 were instrumental in giving him th
 high position that he occupied befor
 the world. With a determination fo
 revenge proceeding from his mad am
 bition, and worthy of a better caus,
 he determined to wreck the party tha
 had given him the honorable place i
 the nation and in the world.
 He has, like Samson, succeeded 1
 pulling down the structure, but in do
 ing so he has disastrously and dishon orably ended his career. The buildin . that he has pulled down can be re F built, but the career of Theodor , Roosevelt is ended.
 . In 1887. 75 years ago, Abraham Lin 1 coin, in making a speech in Spring
 field, H., said:
 s 'Is it unreasonable to suspect tn;
 some men possessed of the loftie! | genius, coupled with the ambition
 push it to its utmost stretch. will
 some time spring up amongst us An
 when one does 1t will require the pet I pie to be attached to the governmel q and laws and generally intelligent frustrate his designs"
 Abraham Lincoln was seer and