Palisadian., 1916-01-22
"Ammi'' On Roosevelt
Modern "Junius''
Turns On Teddy

A recent writer in the New York
Sun, who is styled Modern tJunius'
by that paper, has called Mr.. Roose-
welt some very serious names After
berating the Democrats for their
"spineless" attitude he says:
Passionately, furiously, the oracle
of Oyster Bay strives to pull down
and destroy the structure reared by
his own political treason.
For every check to American prog
ress, for every humiliation and wrong
resulting from mismanagemento of ma
tional affairs by the Wilson Admins
: tration, Theodore Roosevelt is alone
responsible. Democratic supremacy
is of his own making.
His friends, his party, the public,
honored and trusted him, and politi-
cally he betrayed them all. And the
penalty is isolation. Is it not so?
Where are the applauding millions
of yesterday?
Where are the multitudes who
warmed his heart, with praise and ap-
probation a few short years ago?
Then he was surrounded with great
leaders in American life, whose friend
ship and support sustained and hon.
ored him.
Then even his political enemies
were glad to award him credit and
to do him honor.
Where are these eminent friends
and admirers Of yesterday?
Gone-gone with the applauding
millions.
Political duplicity means more than
political death.
The way of the political dictator
is full of woe.
Mr.. Roosevelt has impaled himself
upon the sword of public opinion.
A national defense policy is now
popular. Mr.. Roosevelt therefore un-
dertakes to monopolize it, Herewith
to ride back into popular favor.
His clamorous appeal to the public
to listen and to follow his leadership
is pitiful. The voice which once held
tae attention of the entire world now
roars in vain. His words blow away
with the wind, and the multitude
heeds them not.
Even an efficient servant may fool
the public once too often.
He broke faith with the American
people when he violated his word on
the third term question.
He fooled the people about the
illegally selected delegates" who
voted for Taft at the Chicago Con-
vention. If they had switched to
Roosevelt he would have sung their
praises as strenuously as he de-
nounced them for refusing to be
driven by him.
He took these same negro votes four
years before and was glad to get
them.
Swollen with pride and egotism, OBJ
Z gessed with the notion that all politi-
cal wisdom and virtue had finally set
tied in him, he dashed fearlessly over
the breastworks and undertook to
capture both of the great parties
single handed.
He spurned the wisdom and leader
ship of such advisers as Root, Taft,
Lodge, Fairbanks, Cannon, Hughes,
Depew and Sherman, and substituted
statesmen of the caliber of Pinchot,
Lindsey, Finn and Jane Adams.
Personal friendships were appar
! emily broken along with political ties.
We never hear of his meeting the
eminent men who for so many years
were his intimate associates and
counsellors.
There are few distinguished Ameri-
cans who have not felt the sting of
his imperial displeasure. His arbi-
trary, dictatorial manner, his eccen-
trio habits Of mind, his fierce likes
and dislikes, and finally his disloyalty,
account for the fact that the grass
has overgrown the trail to Oyster
Bay.
History is bound to record his good
works, and will deal justly with them
But unfortunately it will also record
that insufferable conceit and unrea-
soning ambition seized him and rob-
bed him of his well won place in the
affections of his countrymen.
He defeated the Republican party
but could not wreck it because its
principles are fundamental and eter-
nal. The voters he misled have re-
turned to their old home, and he is
evidently eager to do the same.
He should be received as a private,
not as leader. There should be no
bells, no fatted calf-just nice, COM
Portable place in the ranks.
The way of the trangressor is not
SO easy, Theodore-even in politics.
Ammi Wright.
New York, January 13.