The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-07

iesslon and of the recantation to which
lhcse organs and champions. In self
respect and common honesty, have
peen compelled, by the Colonels re-
SANITATION. reneglng and shameless vlo-
'"tlon or his iterated and reiterated
PiedSes Asked by q reader and adj
, mfrer Of The Colonel. who now pcrnaps
"ishcs he hadn't been SO inouieitivc.
"h! the Tribune, having long been
one or Colonel Rcosevelt's strong sup
Porters. is now Attacking him." our
contemporary denies having attacked
hlin' but justiies its support of MIR.
A"it on the strength OF the Coloncls
euiogE OF the latter, and commitment
AGAINST seeking the nomination again.
The Tribune let's Itself down easily.
as is natural. SO far as words go. but.
by implication and between the lines.
ii condemns the Coloners breach of
faith and unreliability and new poll
cies uneauivocably.
The New York Times. in paving i,s
respects TO the Colonel. Inincos neither
matters nor worus. After IL biting
allusion to the many times the
Colonel. with various degrees of
solemnity." has declared that he would
not Dc a candidate for a third term. |
IL quotes. as clinching these dcclara-
''ohs, the closing passage In the Van
'"'Aehours letter, and in summing up, |
says:
ANY man can change his Intentions !
'hh tihie TO time, but this letter, like |
ct
VI MS erection in 1904, was u definite |
refusal TO enter the contest this ycnr
and ihliN justified the friends to whom |
ne mad impaired his resolve in ,boir
private beliefs and more or less n,,b-
nc assurances that he would not put |
nlihseir forward or permit himself TO /
nc put forward against President Tnft |
as rival candidate for the nominn
tion 1t goes far to justify. further
more those who, after STUDYING care
Iuiiy ana with growing amazemont Mr..
HooseVelts recent behavior, have with
great regret reached the conclusion
.h"t III matters that concern his own
pians and ambitions he does not know
wrong"
The Hartford. Conn. Courant. IN dis
cussing how "relentlessly" the colo,e,
is being pursued by his own words"
with fine irony draws attention 10 his
efforts to establish a difference be-
tween twecdledum ana twcedledoe
and, continuing, observes: Ut ia
pitiful that man who has been presi-
dent of the United States should have
reduced himself TO the necessity of
such crude and futile quibbling'
The Springfield. Mass Republican.
IN an equally caustic, ronical and
rcrsifiagic win. remarks, touching the
Van Vakcnburg letter:
Here was tho complete, the rounded
thought in his mind, with no roserva-
tions or qualifications whatcvef But
Why should person Of voting ago
assume that the Colonel meant what
no saiu Oh course. he meant some
thihg entirely different When last
Juno he wrote that he would not he
q candidate he was really saying tina,
ne would not be an active. head on
COLLISION candidate, with his hat in
me ring. And in saying that he had
no intention of taking part In the
for or against any cnnd-
mad no present Intention"
Next, passing from say 10 grave
from mockery TO carnestness. from
inc ridiculous 10 the serious and moral
aspect of the case, the Republican
imprcsses the fact that:
The man who wrote the pledge OF
1904 not TO accept another nomination. n
ana also the letter Of June, 1911. an
bouncing that he would not be n can
dioate In 1912. nor oppose any other
man was the sworn
zoe OF deception in whatever form, and
the only liars club known I'm history
was formed under his Inspiration In
order that he might emphasize his
hatred Of people who deviated from
the straight line OF truth and candor."
And SO the symposium sweeps over
the land. gathering fresh volume and
new voice of mingled satire scorn and
contempt S It goes.
How arc the mighty fallen,"