The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-10-16
WILSON'S CHIEF SPELLBINDER
The Self Degradation of Former Re-
publican President.

publican President.
| If at the time Of the defeat of Bur
goyne any one had foretold that Bene-
dict Arnold four years later would lead
force Of British and Tories to the
massacre of his countrymen at Fort
| Griswold. the prediction would have
been met with the greatest resentment
and indignation.
! If four years ago any one had pre-
dicted that man twice honored by the
Republican party with the highest Of
fee on earth-the presidency of the
United States-would turn on that par
ty and seek to rend 1t because not CIV
en- third term, and would do his best
indirectly to elect the choice and the
representative Of the southern bourbon
democracy, that prediction would have
seemed fully as Incredible as the for
mer.
The third term candidate is the prin-
cipal spellbinder for Woodrow Wilson.
He knows in his heart and soul that
the only success possible for him should
he succeed would be to defeat Taft
and elect Wilson. Every vote for
Roosevelt is indirectly a vote for the
Democratic nominee, whose supporters
at Baltimore made an open appeal for
his nomination on the ground that he
was native Of Virginia, an ex-Confed-
crate state, and not, like his rival,
Champ Clark, native Of Lincoln's
state of Kentucky.
Filled with anger against President
Taft, who has merited by able, faith
full and distinguished service the usu-
al need OF Republican presidents, an
other term In the White House, Roose-
welt parades up and down, here and
there and everywhere, protesting any
principle or lack of principle, from an
archy to oligarchy, that he thinks may
win votes and throwing to the winds
alike consistency. decency and that
reverence which every American
should feel and express for the inst-
tutions of our country.
That the aspirant for q third term
will sink into richly merited oblivion
there can be no doubt whatever. he
the honor, the dignity and the influ-
ence belonging to his position as an
ex-president. He has sacrificed them
all to a Catilinian ambition, and the
calm and deliberate judgment of the
American people will put the stamp OF
condemnation alike on his insatiable
appetite for power and his unscrupu-
lous demagogy.
Even the bourbons who are egging
him on and rejoicing in the hope of
profit from his treachery have only
contempt for his motives and his
course. They are delighted to see him
attempt to destroy the party which
abolished slavery, overthrow secession,
built up American industry and main
tained the financial integrity of the
nation. But they have no stomach for
the malice and the treachery that are
behind his desperate adventure. When
Aaron Burr was self exiled to Europe
after the killing of Hamilton and the
semitreason Of his Mexican eXpedi-
ton an Englishman desiring to visit
the United States asked him for let
ters OF Introduction. II have no
friends in America" answered the
former idol and once popular vice pres
ident. with an expression of abject
loneliness that his visitor could never
forget And so it will be with the per-
petual candidate when his followers
recover from the brief madness that
now possesses them and realize alike
his monstrous egotism and their own
alteration.