The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-08-31
"HARLEQUIN AT CHICAGO.-
Aaise Henry" Has His Say About
The Bull Moose.

| longer dangerous, that the third term
menace has been quite lifted. that he
appears at Chicago rather as Barnum,
the snowman, than as Diaz. the man.
| on-horseback, thoughtful Americans
may look with equanimity upon his
performances.
Ihey may regard him as sane or
insane. They may question his pur-
pose and his method. But thew will
| nave from now onward no reason to
| fear him.
His genius for constructive melo-
drama is indisputabIe. The Bull
! Moose recalls the Wholly Horse only
to discredit the earlier conceit. We
are told that the Wicked City bv the
Lakeside has been turned into a veri-
table camp ground, with an old-fash-
Toned revival in progress. We may
we'll believe it. There is a community
or interest between emotional religion
and hysterical politics. In both song
| becomes the outburst Of the soul.
Armageddon is taking TRADEMARKS.
The sword Of the Lord beats the big
Suck as an emblem. Trust Teddy
for knowing how to work the Bible
into his advertising.
Trust is curiously intermingled with
falsehood. Beneath the fuss and fus-
tian appear some transparent facts.
Thou shalt not steal' would seem to
general sign visual, so that Safe n
rebuking sin" might better describe
the Bull Moose leaders and the more
appropriately decorate their coat Of
arms, because what is the yawp about
bosses and bossism but the outcry Of
set?
Theer may be few politicians. so
called. here and there who are in
politics for the love of it, but 8 out of
10 OF them are after the loaves and
fishes Office is their objective point.
AS rule they choose the label that
promises most votes. Their loyalty to
party is chiefly hope OF preferment.
The Bull Moose movement is obvi-
ously an array OF the "outs" against
the "ins." Scratch a Bull Moose and
you will find disappointed Republi-
can office-seeker or some disgruntled
Republican turned out of Office. The
claimants grew too many for the
party.
The honor which is said to exist
among thieves will be sought in vain
among the professional politicians.
They know not the bond of fellowship |
called by the French esprit de corps |
They recognize not gratitude binding |
friendship nor resentment restraining
ambition. Time was when a man
might not go back upon his brother
and live in the good repute of his
neighbors. That time has passed. We
nave seen men openly breaking life
long ties to make alliances with what
appeared implacable enmities to get
offlce, and yet no uprising of public |
opinion in rebuke. We ahre seeking
daily liaisOns between the purist in
politics and the blackleg of business
to secure votes for the one and money |
for the other; and no aroused popular |
sentiment.
If there be corrupt government any |
where, the people themselves are pri- |
marily responsible. With their eyes
wide open, they are constantly and |
everywhere giving their support, |
sometimes actively and sometimes !
passively, to proved takers and faker- |
ism. Everything that the Bull Moose |
leaders ere saying about the Unequal |
tiles and fraudulencies of Government |
is true enough, only it does not lie in |
their mouths to say it, because every |
mothers son Of them is tarred by the |
brush they are singing so boisterously |
and applying so savagely to the OBJ |
jects of their disaffection in the Re- |
publican party and of their animad- |
version in the Democratic party. 1t is |
the case Of the poker calling the pot |
and kettle black. |
1t is easier to found a new religion |
than new party. 1t used to be said |
that we had SO religions and only one |
soup We have not had as many |
parties as religions. Yet we have had |
a few parties.
There were the Anti-MaSOns. There |
were the NOthings. Federalism |
evolved into Whigism and Whigism |
deNOlVed into RepubliCaniSm Demo-