New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1916-07-08
KILLING A GREAT PARTY.

deeds and words that dull tn
moral sense of the people, " wher
shall we find more Of them thai
in the letter in which Theodor
Roosevelt undertakes to surrende
his party to the Old Guard?
\ Every syllable here uttered il
justification of the Progressiv,
movement bellies his argument il
favor Of the dissolution of tina
organization and his support o.
Mr.. Hughes. The very men wh<
ruled the Republican Party il
1912. when Mr.. Roosevelt de-
nounced it as "boss-ridden anc
privilege-controlled," are it's mas
ters to-day, with the same aims
and the same methods, and they
are all applauding him.
1t is not possible to read this
capitalization without loss of re-
spect for the author. 1t is the
final act in what must be regarded
as the deliberate betrayal of a
party and a cause. 1t shows that
so far as Mr.. Roosevelt is con-
cerned he had four years ago no
inspiration higher than the mean
est Of revenges upon Mr.. Taft, and
that he has no impulse to-day but
envy and hatred of Mr.. Wilson.
His abuse Of Democrats now is no
harsher than his abuse of Repub-
leans then.
The Progressive Party has been
put to the base end Of serving a
disappointed mans personal
grudges. Its recent convention
was permitted to name a candi-
date who never intended to run
except as the nominee of the reg
ulars, and it was forced to ad-
journ without naming a candidate
OF it's own who would run 1t was
stupefied with untruths and prom
ises, trapped in it's own household
and delivered to it's enemies. ac-
cording to programme. By a vote
Of two to one last evening it's Ma
tional Committee ratified the
Aside from proof of his politi-
cal faithlessness and his malice
toward the President, Mr.. Roose-
velt's letter is blank except for
MS mania for war. Having
abandoned every "principle" on
which he made his assault upon
Mr.. Taft. he offers nothing now |
n his assault upon Mr.. Wilson but !
he impudent assumption that Mr..
hughes would be a war-making
resident. Whether Mr.. Hughes
grees to this classific alton or not.
certainly is implied in the de-
lunciation Of Mr.. Wilson as
weak and vacillating" for keep
ng the peace under crushing diff
ulties and the praise of Mr..
[ughes as a man of "vigor and
orce" who would have acted diff |;
erently.
On this point the candidate is
atitled to be heard for himself. |,
fairness he must not be held :
'sponsible for the rawlings of de- !
'ated ambition unless he shall =
AXE them his own. Should it j
opear that as the price of Oyster +
ay favor Mr.. Hughes has &C. $
'pted Mr.. Roosevelt's idea that | !;
ar with Germany, war with Tur- h
y, war with Mexico. war with ic
'ybody and everybody, is the
lly way in which this Nation can
ind its soul, +" several millions of
nericans will insist upon know
z the exact terms Of a very COM
omising agreement.
Political parties sometimes dis
I've or make alliances of their
N motion, but even so, the de-
ion Of their representatives
1ds nobody who is unwilling. "A =
litical party that is wrecked by
sc lights and false leaders loses :
power of cohesion and is re- s
ced to its original elements.
obably there never was a great
delusion than the belief that
;. Roosevelt in retirement or a :,
mp committee sitting in secret =. ?.
lid deliver the true Progress - ="
es Of the country to a hide =, -
md party Of privilege and ~ ~
ed from which they long. ago IN i,
'arated for cause. No matter he
at Mr.. Roosevelt says or dis he
dited committee does, the quar- m
begun yesterday in Chicago "a
be settled only at the polls vi
November. where Democrats th
Progressives will meet Re- rr
)lican reactiOnaries as IN former II,