Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-10-18
Mr.. Theodore Roosevelt S
SLidlngs and BackSLidingS
NO. 4.


every platform that of extreme Repub-
hcan the platform upon which he seeks Office
which is much nearer the Socialism of Debs than the
Repub1icanism President Harrison, who first
appointed him to federal Office After his elevation
to the presidency, when the lamented Mckinley was
assassnated, e so far towards Democratic
principles that very good Democrats were fond
of calling themselves roosevelt Democrats But 10
did not long there; presently he adopted most or
the principles Of POpulism he is more nearly a.
Socialist than anything else.
There seems to be but consistent and per-
sistent thing about him. namely, his consistent and
persistent personal ambition, which does not STICK az
the abandonment of principle the denunciation OF
friend in the pursuit of its selfish and INSCRIPTIONS
aims.
1t may be interesting to note of his past
positions public questions in comparison with the
principles which he processes to believe.
In the September number Of the Review Of Res
views for the year 1896 he printed article under
the caption Of 1.-THE Vice President and the Campaign
of 1896" While purporting to be calm discussion
of the Importance of the vice presidency in our
system government, the article was an artful carr
paign document designed weaken the candidacy OF
Mr.. Bryan who was supported by both Democrats ara
Populists. the former supporting Bryan and Sewaip
and the latter Bryan and watson
the that article he .tcsSs2 occas1nrxsto
discuss the attitude of the followers
the judiciary the country exps~-~z s. 4
platforms and public utterances Among other thlnas
said THE who object to what they style gov
eminent by injunction are regards the esseneiaI
principles of government in hearty sympathy with
their skn-clad ancestors who lived in caves
fought one another with stone-headed axes and ate
the mammoth and wooly rhinoceros They are ln-el
esting as representing geological survival but they
dangerous whenever there is the least chance OF
their making principles of this ages-buried pasu
living factors in present life. They are not I'M
sympathy with men of good minds and sound CIVIC
morality" Again, he went to say: Furthermore.
the Chicago convention attacked the supreme court
Again represents species or ataVlsn-that 10
recurrence way of thought OF remote parDaTlA
ancestors. Savages do not like an Independent an
upright judiciary. They want the judge to decide
md he not
him. The Populists experience much the sans
emotions when they realize that the judiciary STANDS
between them and the plumber ,
Now, his proposals to recall JUDGES anu 70 80
even judicial decisions. he has gone so far oeyonu
what he then condemned that his revolutionary pia.
form alarms the most radical OF PopuAsts' +1e
has sd and backslid most astonishngly-or his SID
ing and backslidng would astonish u.s. II we oi0 no'
know him we'll.
The comparatively mild protests Of Democrats and
Populists 1896 against government by Injunction
he characterized retrogression to the Of
primeval man; but his proposals. which go much
farther back calls progressive" and insists that
their enuncation buge call to Armageddon, the
battle through which the millennium is to be brought
in The man has around in circle until he has
overtaken his own hindparts and it has made him So
dizzy he cannot now distinguish between the state OF
savage mobocracy and Paradise Regained"
These views of the third termer concerning the
judiciary are not be explained by the statement
that hev were printed in hurried contribution TO
the pages of popular magazine and that they dlo
not truly represent his second sober thought. he
g.
cerning the essential principles of government nnd
then reprinted them in the enduring form OF a Oook
entitled american Ideals. when he oeolcateo W ~
friend Henry Cabot Lodge
He now seems to have grown cold both the
principles which he held and his friend Lodge
whom he then sought to honor Well, it must be
ar boTd To remain warm toward sober minded mem
and settled principles of government wnhe one
develops such ardor 'the colonel' now SHOWS Ior
every foolish notion in politics and every crazy
theorizer in the land The third ternier especially
could not do otherwise for he is like one OF tne
newfangled hreless cooker, in which 1t Is claimed
turkey may be roasted and ice cream frozen at No
sorna time. he can freeze old and worthy frlenu
while he bazes with devotion to new ana unworthy
associates.
Another instance Of his backsliding from sound
principle to pursue bad is his utter chalge
of front on the question of the third term. He
announced on own motion, when he was elected 10
the presidency, that he would not again be a cand-
date He was understood as holding the wisdom
of our hGnored American tradition on that subject
and evidently he intended to be so understood NO
body constrained him make any such announce
ment. or, indeed any announcement whatsoever upon
the subject entirely voluntary upon his part
But he begs for third term with the persstene
of ward-heeler vote-hunter, bitterly assails ms
friend Taft in order Secure third term. and IL
duces his rich friends of the Harvester trust and
other trust connections to spend hundreds OF thou
sands of dollars to help him get it
He has always professed cat least in recent years.
the most bitter opposition to political contributions
from what he calls "the interests put PROOF mas
brought forth the investigating committee CT
which senator Clapp is the chairman that shows him
proAting by contributions from the Standard on
rnapnafes and begging aid Of Mr.. Hartman just as
Hartman said he did when the third ternler 1s
nounced the railroad mans statement as false.
Alas! how pitiable isl the plight OF this once non
ored whose vauting ambition mas leu Nm mi
renounce shamelessly both friends and principles ~
order 10 crafty his greed for position ana power
The story his slidings and Oacksholngs II lui,y
told would present daily inhdelity to prlnclp
every time he public utterance-
His fame would have been fairer if he had died.
when he finished his last term as president 1t would
have been better for him to have been devoured of
wild beasts in African jungle than to have lived
to be consumed by his fierce ambition. If mel
had persisted by deadly African fever, he would
have been generally lamented; but with his BRAIN
frenzied and his fouled by the fever Of