The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-04-10
ILUNGlNG TO HIS DOOM
Coi. KoOscvclt's Course Makes Di..
trcssing Spectacle.

| 1t IS becoming difficult to remem-
Der that Mr.. Roosevelt Welded onIv
10 an overwhelming call of the reo-
pie when he informed the seven gov
erhors that he would accept nomi-
nation if it were rendered to him. The
| transformation has been Appalling.
1t has also been pitiful. This weeks
primaries and conventions have gone
So uniformly against the third-term
candlaate that compassion for one
whose past services should never be
forgotten dominates the mind that
contemplates the tragical wreck of
his campaign.
There is, Of course, nothing but
bluster in Mr.. Roosevelts cries of
farce and fraud" and outrage"
as these stunning blows are dealt him
by the voters of his own party. The
pity Of it is that he should be storm
ing about the land denouncing the
victOrs in the contest he courted
as scoundrels and almost no.
where accepting the verdict rem
dered as more than an expression OF
an Infamous conspiracy against pop
ular government. What ails the man?
Sober-minded observers can see
clearly enough that the signs of col
lapse Of his candidacy are conclusive.
New York. Indiana, North Dakota and
Colorado have lately spoken as with
one voice in rejecting him. Not one
Of these four States will have him.
Yet they are all States that Mr..
Roosevelt carried by enormous plur-
alities in 1904. They represent nearly
all sections Of TIE country, outside Of
the South.
If one wishes to enter into details.
there is precious little comfort the
supporters of Mr.. Roosevelt can ex-
tract from the results so far recorded.
If the theory was sound upon which
his candidacy was based, there should
have been a frantic rush Of the voters
to sustain it in such primaries as
have been held. Yet La Toilette
squarely defeated him in North Da-
gotta. In New York county out Of
$4,000 Republican votes but $1,000
were cast for Mr.. Roosevelt. True.
| To- 70 IT,,
and there were voters who had no
opportunity to reach the polls. But
the conditions were as fair for one
side as for the other, and the i'm
portant fact to observe is that no.
where, whether in New York city or
up the State, did the predicted pop
ular uprising FOR the Colonel materi-
alze. Wherever a contest outside
New York county was made in behalf
of the third-term claimant, as in
Dutchess, Orange, Putnam and Herki-
mer counties. his followers were over
whelmingly beaten.
New York is Mr.. Roosevelt's home
State. He should be the favorite son.
Two years ago, after his return from
Africa, the regular Republican organ
iZation crumpled up before him, and
he triumphantly dominated the
State convention. Few dared oppose
him. for he was believed to be in
vincible. This weeks test Of Mr..
Roosevelts political strength in his
own State, in popular primaries to
which his friends has as much access
as other people, reveals him with not
enough potency in his own party to
elect a corporal's guard of delegates
to the national convention.
Col. Roosevelt actually developed
more strength in Indiana than in New
York, thanks largely to the active
work for his cause done by the Bever-
idge faction, but his ideal in the
Hoosier State convention, in spite Of
the fraud cry and the demonstration
Of bolters. was decisive. The Colo
RADIO showing of the Roosevelt can
didacy only adds to the confusion to
which it has been reduced. In Colo
rado the Colonel has had adoring
friends. He once carried the state
by more than 100000 plurality. Yes
terday his forces were defeated more
than to l in the contest for the con-
troll OF the Colorado Republican State
convention.
| Mr.. Roosevelt, however. has gone
West electiOneering for his third
crop OF coffee and denouncing
'treacherous political methods " all
the way from New York to Chicago.