Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 241, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 October 1912 — Preacher Would Like to See Roosevelt Made King. [ARTICLE]

Preacher Would Like to See Roosevelt Made King.

The bull moose meeting and concert was liberally attended Thursday night. Ten automobile loads from neighboring towns were here to swell the crowd. Hon. Fred Landis was not here as advertised. Rev. A L. Martin said that he would rather see Theodore Roosevelt crowned king of the United States during his life than to see either of the old parties in power. Clifford Jackman spoke for about an hour and a half and put up some good arguments. Both speakers were very abusive of the republican and democratic parties. The above is taken from the Burnettsville News, a paper published in White county. Rev. Martin is the pastor of the Christian church at Monticello and the progressive candidate for representative of White and Jasper counties. He was elected to defend the character of Albert J. Beveridge at the meeting held here two weeks ago. He has been making speeches throughout White and Jasper counties and his enthusiasm has evidently overcome his judgment. We scarcely think that there are a dozen people in the district who would concur in the minister’s preference to see Roosevelt king rather than see either of the old parties in power. That is carrying hero worship entirely too far. Even the immortal Lincoln, in whom the people learned to have unbounded confidence, would hardly have received much support if he had been an aspirant as a king. And even as we know Lincoln’s work today, we would not be willing to crown him king if he were to come back to us with all the added glory of a half century in heaven. Rev. Martin is evidently so blind in his enthusiasm for Roosevelt that he would make his work as a minister of the Gospel second to his promulgation of the Roosevelt doctrine.