The Washington times., 1901-09-21
The pemocrncy and the PRESIDENT.

| Some of our Republican contempo-
raries profess to find muchinconsistency
| between the tone of the Democratic
press toward President Roosevelt and
| that which prevailed before he reached
| his present exalted station. There Is
| difference very marked one, and
there ought to be. But there is no in
| consistency in it. for it simply recog-
| nizes the change of conditions that mas
taken place Before he became Presi-
dent, and particularly before he was
elected Vice President, there was much
in Mr. Roosevelt's actions and express
sions that merited adverse criticism,
and il was freely bestowed To what
extent it will be continued, and whether
it will be directed at him personally or
merely at the policy which he pursues,
will depend very largely upon himself.
Mir. Roosevelt is now the Chief Ex-
ecutive of the nation-the President of
the entire country, and not merely OF a
political party. In his present position
men of all shades of political opinion
should be prepared to extend to him the
full measure of courtesy and respect
due to the high office which he fills.
All should be willing to let bygones be
bygones, so far as his past acts and
utterances are concerned, and here
after judge him in a spirit of fairness
on the record which he makes as Pres
ident.
Nor must the mistake be made of as
suming that because Democrats have
greeted the new President kindly and
promised him fair treatment there is
the slightest proba bility of their endors-
ing his course in its entirety. He has
announced a purpose of continuing the
policy of his predecessor. If he does so,
his course. in some of its features, will
commend itself to a great many Deme-
Gratis. 1t will l-not make them Republi-
cans, to be sure. because from the DEM
ocratic point of view the major part of
President Mckinley's policy was wrong,
although there was portion of 1t
which was straight in line with sound
Democratic doctrine. This is true of his
insular policy so far as it was confined
to expansion in contradistinction to i'm
peralism, and equally true with refer
ence to reciprocity.
differences have developed within the
Republican party itself. Earnestly as
Mr.. Mckinley favored reciprocity.
many treaties intended to secure it
were hung up in the Senate, and. as is
well known. large numbers of Repub-
licans are opposed to tie government Of
the new territories upon imperialistic
principles. If Mr.. Roosevelt adheres
to the late Presidents policy of reci-
procity, on that point he will have a
Democratic support more nearly unan-
imous than he will find within the
ranks of his own party; but that will
not prevent Democrats from opposing
him in other matters concerning which
they believe him to be wrong.
Mr.. Rooseyelt's statement that he will
adhere to his predecessors policy is. it
must be remembered altogether gen
eral in its character. AS The Times has
heretofore observed, the new President
viii no doubt place his own interpreta-
ton on that policy, and there really is
much room for Interpretation Mr.. Nc
Kinley was far in advance of his party
upon the tariff question. He showed
this by the negotiation of numerous
reciprocity treaties which the Senate
has thus far refused to ratify, and he
showed it in his last great speech. In
his address at Buffalo his only specific
recommendation regarding the tariff
was for reciprocity: but his argument
went much further, and, closely ana
lyzed, 1t struck at the very founda-
tions of the whole protective system.
By this we do not mean that he indi-
Gated a desire or a Willingness to at
once throw down the tariff wall, but
merely that the arguments by which he
enforced his recommendation were in
cluded among the basic contentious Of
the free traders. How far Mr.. Roose-
velt's mind has travelled along the same
line in the same direction remains to
be seen. AS he proceeds with his pol
icy what Is believed to be good in it will
be approved, and what is regarded as
wrong will be condemned. This The
Times believes will be the attitude Of
Democrats generally. There surely can
be no Inconsistency in treating the
President of the United States with
fairness and respect