Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1912-06-29
aRKER SCORES
COL. ROOSEVELT
AIIudes to Him as a Modern
Caesar.


1--WE meet while the hills yet echo
to wild cries OF liar. thief and traitor,
and furious walls OF fraud. bribery,
treachery and corruption; and our cars
are weary with the din OF the articu
late shrieking and passionate villiiica
ton OF the most shameful brawl OF our
political history.
"Our candidates. however, are, with.
out exception. men OF such lofty mlen
that we meet immune from the distem
per which seized the Chicago conven
ton and privileged TO discharge a sol
emn public duty calmly, deliberately.
seriously.
"The cause OF government by the
people the world over has been ma.
terinlly checked by the disgraceful
brawl which terminated in the bedlam
of Chicago. Every good citizen has
been put to shame by the brutality
and the abuse which characterized the
wrangle between n president and an
ex-president. Gratitude, friendship,
party loyalty. patriotism and common
decency we're forgotten in the tussle.
1.-THE assault upon the unwritten
prohibition against third term made
In the wild scramble for the Republi
can nomination warns us OF the vital
necessity OF Incorporating In our con
stitution safeguard against repeated
terms.
In the very beginning of our con.
stitution making II was urged by dele
gates participating that safety requir.
ed a constitutional limitation OF the
period OF years one man might hold
the oface of president.
History warned them OF the com
| ing of a man whose Unsuitable lust q
power would be as consuming as Gao
sar's. towering high above his love o
country. The danger seemed. even
the pessimists. TO have passed with I!
| establishment OF a precedent by Wash
| ington. Jefferson and their successors.
| Indeed. where lives the man who has
not either heard or said. that an un.
written law forbids more than two
terms and II any one could be so fool
hardy as TO seek further. he would be
crushed by the wrath of patriotic
and intelligent people.
| The man who split his party at
Chicago once recognized the third
term tradition and acknowledged Its
application TO his situation. On the
eve OF his triumph in 1904 he said:
| The wise custom which limits the
| president to two terms regards the
substance and not the form, and under
no circumstances will be candidate
for, or accept. another nomination
| Wrong In this year of grace. he was
right In that. Peradventure he was
honest with his soul and he may have
confessed 10 II that even president
may be tempted to resort to sordid
devices and shameless opportunities "a
| gain his ambition. II so, he was in
mental condition to realize to the full
the danger TO the republic involved In
setting aside custom constituting
the only bulwark against the assaults
| OF men whose ambition chokes theft
patriotism and whose selfish desire for
personal victory and power throttles
those moral scruples with which they
may once have been endowed.
would the man who threw his hat
In the ring and sought to slug his OPP
ponent over the ropes in his fight
for a third term rest satisfied with its
achievement? Clearly his lust Of
power would have brooded no such
limitation. A third term would but
have whetted his desire for more, and
as the terms slipped away each re
newal would discover greater injury
to our constitution, to the form of gov
| eminent established under II and "a
every legal curb on his imperious will
| This Is the man who menaced rs
| with an increase of federal power by
usurpation OF states rights and with
| out authority OF constitutional amend
ment; the man who took the lsthmus
| OF Panama, and let congress debate
about Il afterwards; the man who
having enough money 10 send the fleet
on It's famous cruise to the Pacific
sent II without sanction of congre IS
leaving II TO appropriate money for the
return when congress deemed that
necessary. This is the man who adyo
Gated federal incorporation for the
increase OF power at Washington and
the tightening OF legal burdens on the
corporations; the man who authorized
the absorption OF the Tennessee Goa
and Iron company by the steel trust.
the man who. by many such drastic
acts. and by unnumbered words has
sought 10 batter down our statutory
and constitutional safeguards.
HE who runs may read the danger
that threatens the country ruled by
such a man. DO we envy Mexico her
thirty years OF welded life. or the wal
the divorce from Diaz precipitated. the
end OF which no man may prophesy?
The way to prevent life series OF
terms Is TO prevent the present at.
tempt to capture the Office for third
term. One OF our opportunities In
this campaign is to lead the fight
against third term. That opportunity
should apneal 10 every drop OF pat ri