The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-05-09
The People Have Been Deceived.

Some historian wrote OF queen
Elizabeth that she could lie like a
trooper. If any body may be ex-
cused for lying surely Queen Eliza
beth may be excused. She had to be
an adroit liar in order to be match
for the lying diplomats and states
men of Europe.
Roosevelt spoke one of the baldest
and most unjustifable of lies when
he said that he would not again be
Candidate for another term of the
presidency. The people believed that
he meant what he said and did not
believe that he said it with any men
tai reservations. The bald, bare fact
is that the people have been deceiv-
ed, and if he is nominated for the
presidency l shall be much mistaken
if they do not show their resentment
in November.
The republican party seems to be
in the grasp of two eminent archi-
tects of ruin. The present executive
was blind as bat when he signed
the Payne-Aldrich tariff law which
he himself declared contained pro-
visions which were indefensible.
What shall we think of an executive
who writes a fulsome letter to his
predecessor thanking him for his
gift of the presidency?
What shall we think of man who
has been president more than three
years. calling himself man of
straw, and could not get himself in
fighting mood until after he had re-
ceived several kicks and cuffs from
the man who, some little time ago,
was pretending to be his best friend?
Between the weakness Il will not
say imbecility) of Taft on the one
hand and the demagogical strength
and activity of Roosevelt on the
other, the republican party seems to
be in a bad way at the present time
do not believe there is statesman
ship enough in the party to save it
from defeat at the next general cleo
ton. Let us hope that the party
will hereafter choose for it's candi-
themselves and who are not merely
the echoes of some body else.
And let us hope that it will choose
men who are not so greedy of promi-
hence and power as to violate re-
peated promises and lead him to mis-
take the voice of seven or eight fool
governors for the voice of the peo-
pie.
McCauley says that, when at the
battle of Lake Regillus, Terminus
and Macmillius met in mortal fray
there was a general pause of battle
elsewhere. So now there seems to
be something of hush in the politi-
cal field, until it is known which of
the two leading republican rivals for
the nomination comes out ahead in
June.
1t will be noted that the Roman
and the Tusculan killed each other.
"Side by side those chiefs of pride,
Together fell down Dead
Is history to be repeated? 1t may
be so. l had almost said MAY it be
So" The party leaders for many
years have needed lesson. They
seemed to forget that nearly every
man in this country of proper age
and sound mind has vote, and that
good many of these voters are
watching with jealous eyes the
things that are done in Washington.
The people may make mistakes,
but history shows that when mis-
takes are made the people correct
them.
1t is to the everlasting discredit of
the republican party that only re-
publican presidents have ever en-
gagged in a scramble for a third
term of the presidency The other
men who had two terms retired with
dignity at the end of the second
term, and lived afterward with the
respect, and some of them with the
affection of the people to the end of
their lives
Let us hope that third-termism
may come to it's final ending in Chi
cago in June, and failing that. that
it may come to it's Waterloo in No.
vember. We will not go so far as to
hope that it's defeated exponent may
have to "eat his heart away" like
the Corsican, on some rocky isle.
An Old Republican of Decatur Co.