The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-06-22
SATURDAY. JUNE %, 1912.
THE BITTER lNT."

The BiIEh hi.
There is a certain elemental juRttee In the
trapping OF a trapper. When the trickster Is
tricked, the Shylock cheated. the intriguer
made the victim of ch.cane, we are apt to lose
night Of the immortality OF sae deception In con-
graduation over the catastrophe that has be-
fallen the man who invites It
Roosevelt, after plotting for two years, very
evidently went TO sleep at Chicago.
When be woke from his nap. those arch
-reAet4eaaE4es, has very astuie politicians Crane
and Penrose. had left him noundering like
whale whose appetite has led him TO rush over
! sandbar into shallow water. Gone was his
chance for nomination. Gone was his oppor-
tunity 70 dlsrups the Republican convention.
Gone were his thick and thin supporters ready
FOR battle and sudden death. By the time the
Rouxh Rider war done rubbing his eyes. he
saw himseif tied bound. enmeshed, become q
stray kitten who had been q raging lionl
Long will the victory of Crane and Penrose
umph OF strategy and ambush The knot that
they had 70 unite was perpIexing one. The
Colonel was technically beaten. bur he had the
strength to tear down what hs could not con-
troll His minority was like army with ban
nsrs Having lost the field. ne yet dictated
dc situation. But the solution was as simple
~ the guile OF Deltlah. Before the startled
eyes OF Hsdiey. and Kellogg and Cumm.ns and
Borah, the inspired workers from the Taft
headquarters flashed the mirage OF oosnpro-
mise on a third candidate. La Toilette and
Cwmmins had their dream, also. In rumor
that began with whisper and grew into a
compelling volume OF sound went the story of
Tafts retirement Flattered fiustered and san
xnine, tho Roosevelt supporters forgot in an
instant al rebellion in the elusive hope of be-
coming the Moses 20 Lead the faithful out of
the wilderness. After ell. were they not there
Tor principle instead OF mani Might II not
- that the Progressive that smiled back
llum the mirror the hope Of the country?
Should they. then. not sign up with the old
party ana redeem it for good and silT AZ a
hnmely woman believes most In that man who
most braxerly tells Der OF her beauty. SO the
Roosevelt nrs-eaters fell for the adroit sngges-
ton OF themselves. instead OF another. in the
seats OF the mighty,
Just then Roosevelt woke up-~bnt II was too
hate! He fnmed. and threatened and eaJored.
but the damage was done. The appearance
cf Hadley was the signal for vigorous action
OH the part OF the Taft cIaqae. His bushes
ran around the world Then Hadley and the
rest woke up.--hut Penrose Was licking his
enops, and Crane was smiling silently In four
teen different Languages
Remembering La Toilette. cannot grieve
over this tragedy with the proper fervor. OF
course. the trick was cruel,-but did the Col
onel think II cruel 10 whet the ambition OF the
man from Wisconsin 10 the point where for
more than six months he worked for eighteen
hours day creating Il sentiment which Roose-
velt promptly took to himself when the mo-
nent seemed right or coarses-tAere was de-
serton.---but did the Colonel and Clifford Pin
chot think IL treachery when they supplied La
Toilette with the funds for his campaign only
to leave him In the lurch when they got ready
IL appropriate the fruits of his lahors? OF
course It was disengen uous,--but was the Col
onel thinking Of candor when he appealed
throughout the land for the Rule OF the peo-
pie" and made compacts in Wall Street with
Perkins and the Steel Trnsts
With the passing of the talk OF third can
didate.' passed the last chance OF saving even
the face OF the Rough Rider in his strenuous
effort to take the Republican party by the
throat. With the stacking Of the cards. passed
away the last counters OF his stake. The deal
was crooked" beyond peradventure, hut both
tie dealer and the man who was bucking the
bank were common gamblers on the equality
o. the fraternity On a question of whose
hand Is the smoothest and whose eye the
sharpest. the honest and legitimate public has
little to do and no sides TO take In fact. II
II have preference. II Is for the trimming OF
-the party to the transaction who most loudly
seeks to reinforce sh.fty method with procla-
nation of integrity. The cute little drama
resolves itself into case OF the bitter bit"
md II " Of small concern whether the hook
caught him In the lip or the gtzzard.