The Detroit times., 1916-05-25
You've Got to COncede
That 1t Was a LOw-DOwn,
Measly Trick, So 1t Was!

Me8Sly lrlCk, % IL w DIS.
It was low-down, measly trick; that's
what it was.
There they went and got the Free
Press to join in accepting Teddy
Roosevelt's invitation to Detroit to in
Vite him here to make those speeches,
4 md then the committee on invitations
went out and formed itself into "Roose-
yelt for president club, which might
give the general public to understand
that the Free Press is part of that, too.
And the Free Press is kicking, and we
don't blame the Free Press one bit, be-
cause we know that the Free Press would
throw out beer and whisky ads. and quit
taking advertising copy that is against
he law for it to print before it would
ever be part of anything like "Roose-
velt for president, or anything else" club.
The Free Press, we might say, is what
you'd call peeved.
Witness from the editorial page of
that greatly wronged newspaper yester-
~ morning, under the caption, "A
\ PROSTITUTION of Patriotism"
u Ppor taste and bad Judgment have been dis
c1nyed BY the Detroit men who have sought to
Gnnltnlixo the remarkable enthusiasm OF Amer
tan day into political asset for Mr.. Roose-
ut By organizing here the so-calied Roosevelt
y D1Dnblican league.
fhs attempt to exploit for partisan advantage
WAT WAS wholly non-partisan movement Is un-
III % those who signed the invitation to the
S71bf61td6nt with the highest sentiments and
40 subCrdinated their own feelings to the pub
III GDod they believed might arise out OF
1nro6rous cooperation In behalf Of patriotism.
IS e q peculiarly unfair to the Detroit Demo
utD who joined in the invitation. and who as
tUrodly are not advocates Of Mr.. Roosevelt's
1ection ~ president.
whose names were signed to the invitation and
mo had then and have now no sympathy with
~ effort being made to name Mr.. Roosevelt as
the party's candidate.
- thousands who crowded the city streets last
friday TO demonstrate their sentiments Of
q mexicanism and who had no thought that their
1nthusiasm for the flag Of their country and
tho1r applause for one whom we all hail as
true American would be distorted into political
M Al partisan plan the founding of the Roose-
yelt Republican league here In these circum
stances II OF dubious expediency, for II Is Ques
t1Ouable whether the appearance Of thickness
Involved In Il will not ALLEVIATE more people than
VIII be attracted. This is perhaps matter for
re leagues promoters to decide for themselves.
8 II 10 not their matter, however, that our peo-
gp1e should be led to believe that patriotism Is a
thing for barter and trading. that the flag can
- used for personal or partisan ends, that our
strong appeals for loftier devotion to our coun-
Try are but covert endeavors to forward the in
terests Of individuals. At that point. the mat
I'm becomes one for all Americans. and all
Americans have right to protest against the
SPECIFICATION Of noble sentiments for individual
advantage.
Have the men who organized the Roosevelt
Republican league in Detroit considered what
view Of their action will be held by the aliens
among US whom We were less than week ago
nrgins to American ideals and who now find find
That what was really wanted votes for a
political candidate?
Speaking Of low-down, measly tricks
Just look at the situation, will you?
4 The idea is this:
Patriotism is all right in its way, and
20 Is preparedness, according to the most
Of those who accepted the invitation from
the Colonel to invite the Colonel here to
speak.
But the game of patriotism, when
there is party. and particularly party
Of Old Guard leaders, to be considered,
must be played with limit.
What was the object of the Free Press
helping kick Roosevelt out of the Bay
City convention, first, four years ago,
and then out of the Chicago convention?
What was it, we would like to know, and
the Free Press would like to know.
WASN'T it low-down measly trick.
getting the Free Press patriotism all
4 vorked up and then breaking the news
MY to the public that the idea of
\ lxn6rican day was Just patriotic enough
Z - ut that nomination for Teddy" if it
- b. soti
When W were warning the public
800 boine o1alln- at the tinoe we didn't