"But the whole body," writes Mr. Thayer, "judged without
prejudice, probably contained the largest number of disinterested,
public-spirited, and devoted persons, who had ever met for a
national and political object since the group which formed the
Republican Party in 1854."
All the new measures which they proposed, although denounced by
the two old parties, were in use in other democratic countries;
many of them have since been adopted here. Roosevelt foresaw the
radical wave which was later to sweep over the country and was
trying to make our government more liberal, so as to meet the new
spirit of things. The more radical of Socialists always hated him
as their worst enemy, for they knew that his reasonable reforms
would make it impossible for them to succeed in their extreme
proposals.
The jokes made about the new party were often most amusing and
added a great deal of interest to an exciting campaign. The Bull
Moosers were very much in earnest, and had a camp-meeting fervor,
which laid them open to a good deal of ridicule. But they could
stand it, for they knew that as between themselves and the
Republicans, the last laugh would be theirs. The Republicans had
nominated Mr. Taft by means of delegates from rock-ribbed
Democratic States like Alabama, Florida and Georgia, let them now
see if they could elect him by such means!
One phase of the campaign was a shame and a disgrace.
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