The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1912-05-15
THE PARTING OF THE WAYS.


"The Roosevelt people, in present
training for bolt, have hired hall
in Chicago to which their delegates
and would-be delegates may retire
when steam-rollered in the regular
convention beyond what flesh and
blood can BEAR"
OF what consists this steam-rOller
process which flesh and blood could
not bear, is explained in the next SEN
tence.
"Should the regular convention
name Mr.. Taft and reject Mr.. Roose
velt-and the signs and the signal
smokes are all to that effect-a boiling
convention will put a Roosevelt third
ticket in the field with New National
ism for it's war cry and all that such
a shout implies"
The sentences quoted are not from
the Taft buerau, anxious to under
mine an enemy; they are the words
of Alfred Henry Lewis, one of the
appear in an article written by him
for the June number of the Cosmo-
politan magazine. They may there
fore be considered authentic. They
are an outline of the Roosevelt plans
and they show that these plans have
been studied and perfected that "the
hall is already hired" doubtless the
platform is already written and the
candidates already selected.
The words of Mr.. Lewis may well
be considered of more weight than
the announcement of Roosevelt, that
with, the republican convention his
fight would cease, for Roosevelt has
changed his mind before, and the hir-
ing of the hall looks as though his
followers knew what they were about.
What does the writer mean? He
means that Roosevelt is now candi-
date for republican support, but that
he has no intention of abiding by the
decision unless it is favorable to him.
He has thrown his hat into the ring
and his DULLES are at the ringside
ready-with plans laid to mob the
referee if the decision is against
them. 1t is a hold-up-not a fair
fight. 1t is rule of ruin. 1t means
the temporary humiliation of repub-
licanism.
What stalwart republican will feel
under obligation to support Roosevelt
should he successfully sandbag the
convention, knowing that the hall was
hired in advance and that Roosevelt
and his followers had no idea of abid-
ing by the decision of the regular
convention had it been against them
Some weeks ago Taft supporters de-
clared that Roosevelt was planning a
bolt This was denied with that ex-
travagant mendacity with which the
colonel always denies anything which
he chooses to deny. Now the proof
comes-not from the Taft bureau-but
from Alfred Henry Lewis, high in the
councils of the Roosevelt faction.
Republicans of Iowa, if true, what
does all this mean to you?
Firstly, it means the election of a
democratic president. Yes, but what
of that, say you, perhaps the country
would be as we'll off. Second, ii
means the entire disruption of the
republican party, not only nationally
but in the state and in every county
Had you realized that? That the
coming convention means a parting OF
the ways for each individual repub
lican?
What will Cummins do? Will he
follow the flag of New Nationalism, or
will he support the regular nominee
What will Kenyon do? What will
the thousand lesser lights decide up,
on?
To think that there can be two
national parties-a great bolt on the
head of the ticket-and the state and
local tickets be unaffected is absurd.
1t has always worked to the contrary.
With the New Nationalist in the
field Iowa is bound to go democratic.
The heat of the national fight will con-
sumo all the lesser issues. Iowa will
go democratic. The next senator
from Iowa will be a democrat and so
will the successor to Senator Cum
MINIS no1opc nf rocE-rihhad ran,1h-