Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1912-05-22
WEDNESDAY w, MAY 20, 1912.
THE ROOSEVELT ENIGMA.

THE ROOSEVELT ENIGMA.
n What will Roosevelt do at Chica-
go? This question is uppermost IN
the minds Of the American people at
the present time.
With a million dollar campaign
4 fund at his finger ends, he looms up
ON the political horizon like an erupt- |
ing volcano. His claims are so ex-
travagant that many believe that he
Isl preparing to bolt the action of the
Irrational convention unless everything
goes according to his wishes.
For considerable time the old
party a1lignments have been insists,
5ss and sooner or later they must disln-
\ tegrate The republican party can
not long continue one part progress
a sive5 and the other part standpat. And And
the party name can not long hold
certain class Of conservatives, who
4 are democratic only in name. In the
4 smashup Of party lines, which seems
\. inevitable, the democrats have less
I'll to lose than the republicans, largely
because they have been adopting pro
gressive platforms for the past six
teen years, and, to use banking lls1E e *:
nression have been charging off their
reactionaries during all OF that time.
II Compared with their chief political
rival they are carrying comparative
few Of that class.
sst But what is Roosevelt going to do?
That is the question that rises above
I all others in the political field.
Twenty-three men, through inter.
locking boards Of directors, control
aone-third Of the wealth of~this coun-
try. This confederated wealth has
58s preyed for years upon the industries 'aE
s and producing masses of America
with little regard for the laws OF the
3& land and without any regard for the
moral laws Of justice and right. This
lawlessness and injustice has produc
ed a condition in this country SINH.
lar to that which preceded the
70 French revolution Of 1889. The bur.
\ dens Of the federal government are
rested largely upon the laboring and
consuming masses, and the rich are
exempt, and that is only one OF the
smallest items in the list Of griey'
}# ances. ,s
The times are ripe for radica.
changes in the politics Of this coun'
try and Roosevelt is trying to force
himself to the front Of the revolt.
Were it not for his past record
and present financial hackers Roose
welt wouldb e in position to dictate
87 his own terms to the republican
bosses. But his record and his sup,
II porters disavow his present conten
lions.
II the masses are to Judge the fu
ture by the past what hope have they
for relief in four or eight more years
Z OF Roosevelt?
During Roosevelt's nearly two
terms in office did not predatory
wealth prey upon the public without
bar or hindrance?
At the present tine are not the
trust managers, Perkins and McCor
mick and others, at the head and
front Of the Roosevelt campaign?
What relief can the people hope
u for should such an aggregation sue
coed? 4. r.
But If Roosevelt is beaten at Chi
cago, as he will be If he loses Ohio,
what will he do? In our judgment he
5 will claim that he was beaten by
fraud and he will bolt. And many
fear that. that is not the end Of his
program. Many believe that Roose'
welt had just as soon disregard the
result Of the general election, If at
all close, as he would roll call OF
the republican national convention.