The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-09-24
BY A. Mourice Low
Washington Correspondent for Har.
per's Weekly

w achhh6toh SVthOcpOhuOht iOi Aiot
per's Weekly
Mr.. Theodore Roosevelt, perpetual
candidate for the Presidency, who
in the most solemn terms pledged
himself never again to be candidate
and never again to accept another
nomination, who employed methods to
secure the nomination such as no 9th.
er man has ever used, and Is now
resorting to every trick and device to
gain the object Of his insensate ambi.
ton, has always been an adept at
drawing a red herring across the trail.
Time and time again during the last
ten years when cornered he has dis.
tracted public attention by lodging the
issue and giving the public something
more interesting for the moment to
talk about. The average man and
woman, like the child, is capable Of
only one thought at time Mr.. Roose-
welt knows that. Every one will recall
the flve.million dollar conspiracy that
filled q great many columns OF the
newspapers during Mr.. Roosevelt's s
first term. Mr.. Roosevelt, in his GUS
tOmary reckless fashion of bringing
charges against the business world
which he was unable to sustain and
which were unsupported by any evi.
dence, found himself In tight place,
and II was necessary to extricate him
self with as little delay as possible so
that he might be able to persuade the
public that he was the victim and not
the villain. Mr. Roosevelt sent for the
Washington newspaper correspond
ents. and with much detail and circum.
stance although, of course, in secre-
cy and under the pledge of confidence,
so that he could not be held RESPONSE
BILE for anything the newspapers might
say-tOld them that a great plot of the
interests" had been discovered and
that they had agreed to subscribe a
fund of $5,000,O00 to prevent his re-
nomination. Five million dollars is a
nice round sum, and IL rolls well un-
der the tongue, and there were people
foolish enough to believe that the story
must be true because the wicked in.
terests were the plotters and Mr..
Roosevelt was the lamb marked for
slaughter II was hardly a nine days
sensation, for It's very preposterous.
ness showed its absurdity. but by the
time the public saw that 1t had been
pulled Into the side tent and had paid
its money to see fake the greatest
Snowman on earth had produced some
thing new. and n fresh audience with
mouth agape thought II had been given
its moneys worth.
What between one thing and anoth.
or, Mr.. Roosevelt has been able to oh.
scure the real issue of the present cam
paign. and that issue Is the third term.
Compared with that everything else Is
of minor consequence. The Importance
Of the tariff need not be underestimate
ed, the Importance of the enactment
OF just and judicious laws need not
be minimized, the Importance OF the
economical administration of the gov
ernment need not be regarded lightly,
but all these things and many others
on which patriotic men are agreed, cy.
on II they may disgrace AZ to the meth.
ODDS to be followed to bring about re.
forms the necessity for which Is not
denied, are triiiing compared with the
issue pressing for settle.
ment The American people stand at
the parting of the ways. On the one
along which they have travelled for
more than IA hundred years. its path
made plain by the beacon-light of the
constitution; It's beams hope. inspira-
ion. encouragement On the other Is |
he road that leads to the land of Vain.
glory. to reach which the weary pll. |
grim must wade through the slough OF
iespond, and when he comes to his
ourney's end he finds that Il brings |
lin to anarchy, confusion, aud autoc.
'acy. Mr., Roosevelt has thrown the |
Republic into the scale to be balanced |
~ his personal and irresponsible rule.
\gainst the Constitution he measures
,is own unbrdled and unrcstrained |
ust for power
A third term Is in Itself dangerous.
The wisdom Of the fathers who set |
heir faces like flint against the con.
In the chair OF the chief mag.
stracy Of any man for more than eight
ears no one can challenge II the
erm is not limited by the unwritten
aw OF the force OF public opinion. the
Presidency becomes not IA delegated
rust held at the favor OF the people,
nj grant In perpetuity that the peO-
lie are powerlcss TO revoke. That is
n utter perversion OF the principle on
ihich the American form of govern.
nent In founded II IL the first and
asy step that leads to monarchy--not
limited monarchy, or constitutional
lonarchy. or the form of monarchy