Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-07-05
KILLING A GREAT PARTY

Speaking Of weasel words that
eat each other" and words that are
not translated into deeds" and word
that dull the neral sense of the peo-
ple," where shall we find more OF
them than in the letter in Which
Theodore Roosevelt undertakes to sur
render his party to the Old Guard?
Every syllable here uttered in justl'
fication of the Progressive movement
bellies his argument in favor of the
dissolution of that Organization and
his support Of Mr.. Hughes. The very
men who ruled the Republican Party
in 1912.when Mr.Roosevelt denounced
| it as ''boss ridden and priyllege-con-
trolled," are it's masters to-day, win
the same aims and the same methods
and they are all applauding him.
1t is not possible 20 read this capit-
ulation without loss of respect for
the author. 1t is the final act in
what must be regarded as the dellb-
crate betrayal Of party and a cause
1t shows that SO far as. Mr.. Roosevelt
is concerned 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 en-
w and hatred of Mr.. wilson HIS
abuse of Democrats now is no harsher
than his abuse of Republicans then.
The Progressive Party has been
put to the base end of serving a as
appointed mans personal grudges.
It's recent convention was permitted
to name a candidate who never in.
tended to run except as the nominee
Of the regulars, and it was forced to
adjourn without naming a candidate
of It's own who would run.s II was
;stupefied with untruths and promises
trapped in it's own household and de-
-livered to its enemies, according to
programme. By a vote of two to
one last evening its National Commit.
tee ratified the perfidy.
Aside from proof Of his political
faithlessness and his malice toward
the President, Mr.. Roosevelt's letter
is blank except for his mania for
war. Having abandoned every
principle" on which he made his
assault upon Mr.. Taft he offers moth
ing now in his assault upon Mr.. VIII
son but the impudent assumption that
Mr.. Hughes would be war-makhg
President Whether Mr.. Hughes
agrees to this classification or not,
it certainly is implied in the denun-
citation of Mr.. Wilson as weak and
for keeping the peace un'
der crushing difficulties and the praise
of Mr.. Hughes as man of"vigor and
force who would have acted differ
emily.
On this point the candidate is en-
titled to be heard for himself. In
fairness he must not be held respon-
sible for the rawlings of defeated am
bition unless he shall make them his
own. Should it appear that as The
price Of Oyster Bay favor Mr.. Hughes
has accepted Mr.. Roosevelt's idea tina
war with Germany, war with Turkey,
war with Mexico, war with Japan,
war with anybody and everybody, Is
the only way in which this Nation can
find it's SOUL" several millions OF
Americans will insist upon knowing
the exact terms of very compromls-
ing agreement. /
Political parties sometimes dissolve
or make alliances of their own motion
but even so, the decision of their rep
resentatives binds nobody who is un-
willing. A political party that is
wrecked by false lights and
false leaders loses all pow
er OF cohesion and is reduced to Its
original elements. Probably there
never was greater delusion than
the belief that Mr.. Roosevelt in re-
tirement or rump committee sitting
in secret could deliver the true Pro-
gressives of the country to hide
bound party of privilege and greed
from which they long ago separated
for cause. No matter what Mr.. Roose-
welt says or a discredited committee
does, the quarrels begun yesterday
in Chicago will be Settled only at the
polls in November, where Democrats
and Progressives will meet Republi-
can reactionaries as in former days,
all without disguise.