South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-07-12
7. r. Weeps But
SldysP arty Which
Had Faith in Him


editorial thus discusses Col Roose-
velt-s desertion OF his party:
Tenderly but inexorably Mr..
Roosevelt draws his cruel steel along
the throat of the bull moose. He
introduced it 10 the political fauna
Now ne bids it join the dodo The
animal was his For him il must
die He Is the most gregarious of
men. He is unhappy IN a minority.
Eis letter 10 the progressive nation
a, committee might aptly be entitled
Il Must Get Back Into the Repub-
lican Party" To enable him to &C
complish that task. Will the pro-
gressive party which came Ito
stay" disrupt. dissolve. fall upon
the impenitent bosoms OF the
crooks" of 1922 He weeps over
f. before ne knifes it.
Before speaking of anything else.
1 wish 20 express my heartiest and
most unstinted admiration for the
character and services of the men
ard women who made up the pro-
gressive national convention in
1916. The platform put forth in
1912 was much the most important
public document promulgated in
this country since the death Of
Abraham Lincoln
Peoples Covenant Destroyed.
Suppose the republican party
beaten in 1856, had given UP in
1850 its fight against the extension
of slavery? II the platform Of 1912
was the m5st important public doc
ument promulgated in this country
since the death of Abraham Lincoln,
why doesn't Mr. Roosevelt stick 10
il? But where is that platform
now? IL has been thrown into the
ashhear Of history? 1t was for
gotten even by the progressives at.
their Chicago convention. Where is
the recall of judicial decisions?
Where is responsibility 10 the peo-
pie, secured by the initiative, refer
endum, and recall? Away in the
E,vigkeit.
The party made its platform
covenant with the people The
covenant is torn up. The abuses
have not been swept away. 1t is
impossible" SAYS Mr.. Roosevelt in
a delightful passage, for us pro-
gressives to abandon our convic-
tons" He has abandoned them.
His progressive convictions are like
the good intentions OF Mr.. Micaw-
boris youngest son. He never car
ries them out
BlunderS on HypheniSm
Perhaps conscious of the weakness
OF his defense, Mr.. Roosevelt turns
10 the more congenial job Of lamb
skinning Mr.. Wilson, whose admin
istration is ION an even lower level
than the administration OF Blu
chanan." A rehash of a favorite
phrase of his unbiased criticism. He
. the incarnation Of Lincoln. Con-
sequently Mr.. Wilson must be the
avatar OF Old Buck. When Mr.
Roosevelt comes 10 deal with hy-
rhenization he makes a mess Of it.
If many children of the hyphen
support Hughes. il is not because
they love Hughes. but on account
CT their "antagonism 10 me. They
were bound TO defeat me for the
nomination" Yes, and they are
bound to defeat Mr. Wilson because
they despise him. and Mr.. Roosevelt
is going 10 help them.
Tired of Moose Party.
With what ne says about Amer
icanism and the loyalty of the great
body of citizens OF German blood
nobody but the disloyalists will dis
agree: but the country can not for
get that il is exactly Mr. Wilson's
Americanism that has earned him
the hostility of the alien group, the
very men. mainly republicans. who
loathe both Mr.. Wilson and Mr.
Roosevelt.
Mr.. wilson's acts are the ample
proof of his Americanism. Without
doubling Mr.. Hughes. il is hard 70
ste what it gains by being imputed
20 him by Mr. Roosevelt. Take
him on my recommendation, is
what his plea to the progressives
amounts to. But if they are true
20 their principles Of 1912, why
shouldn't they follow them, instead
of following the chief2
Mr.. Roosevelt is thoroughly tired
Of the progressive party. He is a
mighty engaging character. but too
worldly wise for the conscience of
the people" He wants a conscience
that can deliver more votes.