The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-09-26
MR. ROOsENELT's POLICY.

Mr.. Roosevelt is to be given credit for
entire sincerity in; his declarations of
purpose to pursue unbroAsn the policy
of his predecessor.
He could not prove his sincerity bet.
ter than he has done by inviting the
entire cabinet to remain with him to
the end of his administration, HE
could IN no other wawat the threshold
of his chief magistraoy so, Sally assure
the eoNntry that it has, nothing to fear
from that aggressive temper which is
populesly supposed to, be- enc of his
nlssrked characteristics,
1t is we'll to bear in mind,. however,
that the individuality Of the man is Ii.
able to- assert Itself in: spite OF his most
sincere desire and earnest effort to fol-
low strictly in the footsteps, of prede-
cessor- And we need not be surprised
at SUCH self-assertion' in, view of the
strong character Of the. indiviuual i'm
the present case.
We should not forget. either, that 1T
is FOR the president alone. to decide what
Mr.. Mchinley's policy would have been
under given conditions, or that when
conditions demanding, the exercise of
Judgment arise the president is more
likely to consider his responsibility and
to be g@iaed by his own lights than by
what he may suppose the judgment of
another would have been, under these
conditions.
When Andrew Johnson became presi.
dent after the assassination of Mr. Lin
coin bis utterances caused it to be un-
derstood that any deviation by him
from the policy Of his predecessor would
be in the direction of greater severity
in dealing with the southern leaders.
He made no changes in the cabinet for
a considerable time. He pursued a re-
construction policy which he always
claimed was substantially that which
MIR. Lincoln had outlined, and he was
supported in so claiming by Secretary
Seward.
But it was not long before he was en-
gagged in a violent contest as to that
very policy with republican congress
and with the republican party-a quar-
rel so bitter that it ended in an almost
successful attempt to GUST MIR. johnson
from office by impeachment proceed
ings.
We may learn from this not to ex-
pect too much from q vice president
who sets out to follow in the footsteps
of his predecessor. We may learn that
president coming to the office in that
way cannot hope to succeed as the man
who was elected to the office as the real
leader of his party could have done in
carrying out a new policy against the
inclinations of powerful leaders in the
party.
But there are reasons enough why
Mr.. Roosevelt should seek earnestly to
carry out the policy of his predecessors
so far as that policy was clearly defined
and recognized by his party, and that
to that end he should retain the Nc
Kinley cabinet entire and be largely
guided by it.
One is that in this way, perhaps bet.
ter than in any other, anarchists and
all others who may be disposed to at.
tempt to make political charges by
means of murder can be made to under
stand tina the bullet of an assassin can.
not effect political revolution. 1t will
assure them that the ballot not the
bullet, is the instrumentallty through
which political changes must be brought
about.
Another reason is personal to Mr..
Roosevelt. Hei is known to be ambi-
tious to hold the presidential office by
election. 1t would be good policy for
him, therefore, to pursue the policy of
MIR. Mckinley to the utmost. He
could in this way in some measure
evade responsibility In case of unfavora.
BILE results, and he could say to critics
in his own party that they must bear
with him to the end of this term, and
%ait until the next term for the ex.
erutiou Of their more Iaggressive pur-
poses.
| Mr.. Roosevelt therefore has Il strong
| persona. AS we'll as public motive to in,-
pei him along the path marked out by
MIR. Mckinley with us little deviation
as possible. Whether these motives
will suffice to restrain him when the
temptation to launch forth upon an az.
gresstve policy presents itself time alone
can Chicago Chronicle.
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