The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-07-06
A DANGEROUS IDEA.

If there were any doubt left as to the
sions wholly disconnected from poll
ties for the delivery of stump speeches
on behalf of his administration, such
as characterized his appearance as an
orator on Memorial day, his most re-
cent address at the Harvard alumni
dinner would remove any such doubt
completely. The text of that address
was the devotion to high ideals in pub
lie conduct of three of his chief poIit-
ical aids, Secretary Root, Gov. Taft
and Gen. Wood.
These three men, of course occupy,
or have occupied. three of the most
distinguished positions in the national
service to which it was possible to
appoint them. The encomiums heaped
upon them by President Roosevelt
would seem to indicate that American
citizens should bow down in alteration
of these gentlemen for the patriotism
and self-denial which they have mani
tested in the acceptance of their sew
eral positions and in the ordinary dis
charge of the duties of such position.
The one point which seems 20 appeal
with most convincing force to the
president as demonstrating the supe-
rior spiritual qualities of Root and the
others appears to be the fact that
there is no especially princely salary
attached to the offices to which these
men were appointed. Gen. Wood, he
points out, had $60,00O,000 pass
through his hands; yet he came out
Of Office having to draw on his slender
capital lin order that<he might come
out even when he left the island" Root,
he tells the world, gave UP the Iucra-
tive position of being leader of the
New York bar to assume the office of
secretary of war; while Taft is quoted
by the president apparently as making
very plain bid for appointment to.
the office of justice of the supreme
court. Referring to him, the words of
Roosevelt's Harvard dinner address,
are as follows:
He said to me: Mr. President. it has
always been my dream to be in the SUI
preme court, but if you should offer me
a Justlceship now, and at the same time
congress should take off entirely my sal
airy as governor, I should go straight
back to the Philippines, nevertheless. for
thoSe people need me and expect me
pack' and believe l won't desert thern., Z"
The burden of the presidents address
is, in brief, that all these men did an
exceptionally virtuous and hfgf1-nnind-
ed thing in diSro on rf1iy,c +bo ,o-..as1I.
pecuniary advantages that might ac-
crue to them had they not consented
to serve in public office. This is a new
doctrine. 1t is a very serious doctrine
for the president of the United States
to assume the sponsorship of 1t i'm
plies the unquestioned and unuues-
uonable acceptance of the all too prev
alent idea that there is not on earth
a thing that a man should set his
| heart upon save the accession of mon
eyed wealth. Evidently the honor
| which was bestowed upon these sew
eral men in being allowed to serve
their country in civil positions of the
highest possible honor is not to be
considered in estimating the sacrifices
with which they are to be accredited.
| This, as we say, is very serious dog
/ ma to find Endorsement by the presi-
| dent Of the United States as it does.
| These men, as a matter Of fact, have
done no more. but really infinitely less,
than hundreds of thousands, nay, mill
ions of men, who have served their
country before them. There is not
one OF them, unless 1T be Gen. Wood.
who is entitled to 1.-THE of the honor
that is due to the commonest private
soldier who enlisted in the ranks of
the Union in the recent Civil war. or
even the humblest volunteer who en-
listed to fight the battles of the Cuban
people. 1t win be sad day for this