Delaware gazette and state journal., 1902-11-20
ROOSEVELT WITH ADDICKS.
New York Evening Post. Nov. 18th.

the decent people of Delaware, we
secuted tho rumor. and branded it as
an insult to President Roosevelt But
with great shock of mingled sorrow
and anger we are compelled to accept
the evidence-which is tantamount to
an official notice-that Theodore Roose-
velt has decided to recognize" Ad-
dicks. That is, he intends to give that
political ruifian share az least of the
Federal patronage, and so help him in
his attempted rape of Delaware.
The first step is already taken. Mr..
Roosevelt has appointed an Addicks
man United States district attorney.
To do it, he had to pass over the name
of the temporary incumbent of the
office, Mr.. j. p. Nields, who was en-
dorsed for the position by nearly every
lawyer in the State, irrespective of
party, by both of the Federal judges
and by the entire judiciary of Della
ware. The Addicks tool named by the
President, Mr. W. NJ. Byrne, was
man whose appointment is conspiou-
ously unfit, quite apart from his politi-
cal affiliations. During his first term
in the otfice-which he resigned at the
word of command from Addicks--he
had notorious record for inefficiency.
He had to undergo the humiliation of
being rebuked in open court by Judge
Bradford, for having neglected his duty.
1t would be shame to appoint such
man, even if his political sponsor were
a saint. To take. him at the behest of
Addicks is an unspeakable degradation.
His confirmation ought to be fought
ana defeated. We sincerely hope that
the judiciary committee of the Senate,
..+.kL nt s4ttlI
show more scrupulous regard for the
honor and purity of Federal Justice
than the President of the United
States has displayed in this case.
But even if Byrne were Story and
Webster rolled into one, his appoint
ment ought not to be thought of 80
long as it could be of the slightest aid
to Addicks in the commission of his
political high crimes and misde-
meanors. The Postmaster-G General ex-
plains the Presidents position, just as
our Washington correspondent states
| it, aud just as we know from other
sources that Mr.. Roosevelt himself puts
| it. "Why," he says, the election re-
| turns show that Addicks has u, 600
votes behind him., while his Republi-
can opponents have but 5000. How
then can / deny him recognition?'
When, however, did the moral law
begin to depend upon sum in arith-
metic? Can we not speak our mind
| about the outrages of notorious politi-
| cal criminal until We have worked out
problem in proportion? We under
stand, of course, that the President at
| tempts to throw the whole thing back
| upon the electorats of Delaware. He
cannot, he maintains, interfere in a
factionai quarrel within the party. He
| Is forced to make rule that he will
deal with any leader whom the majority
| of the party voters send to him, and
therefore he will recognize -Addicks
just as he has recognized Platt and
Quay.
Now, saying nothing, for the moment,
of the expediency or morality of a
"rule' which compeis an honest Presi-
dent to embrace brigands, when they
come to him with party label on their
backs, we have to point out that even
the Presidents rule does not excuse
him for striking hands with Addicks.
That colossal corruptor Of the suffrage
is not yet Senator. He is not. like
Quay, successful pirate, in charge Of
the captured ship; he is still fighting,
and the beleaguered crew is still hoping
to beat him off. But Mr.. Roosevelt,
observing that the piratical assailant:
outnumber the crew in danger of mas
sacre by ~ to 8, decides to aid the
buccaneer! A party President may be
compelled in some strange way to aid g
man who has actually broken his way
into the Senate, like Platt, but how
can he be bound to go to the assistance
of a man who has not yet completed his
l i 1ly9 tr hAr
Roosevelt is, in effect: "See, / have
sandbagged the policemen on the beat,
/ have gagged the night watchman,
have got my jimmy, my drills and my
dynamite all ready, and il you will
only help me up to that window i car
break in and make good haul" Anc
Theodore Roosevelt offers his broad
back to help the burglar up!
We are informed that the President
is impatient that something be done
in Delaware. He tells the anti -Addicks
Republicans that their policy is one o.
pure ''negation. I" They deadlock tht
Legislature. and prevent Addicks fro n
being elected. but they are able tc
elect no one themselves. He think;
that an intolerable kind of inefficiency.
The same might be said, however, of q
woman struggling to prevent her honol
from being violated. That, too, is {
policy of ''negation. All she can dc
is to fight to the limit of her physioa
strength, and the fact that she is veal
is not usually adduced by bystandei
as reason for going to the aid of the
rayisher, who is strong.
The loathing which the honest people
not only of Delaware, but of the whole
country, have come to havs for Ad.
dicks, in both his private and hi!
public character, cannot be unknown
to President Roosevelt. The facts arr
beyond dispute. A political highway
man is trying to rob sovereign State
and now boasts that he is getting aiC
and comfort from the Chief Executive
The situation is one that calls fol
strong words-and We do not know
where to find stronger ones than in th'
writings of Theodore Roosevelt. He
out of office, is the author of the fol
lowing sentiments, and he canno
blame us if we hold him to them il
office:
'aThere must be no compromise will
official corruption.
1--WE cannot trust those base being
who treat politics only as game ou
of which to wiring a s0iled livelihood. >
1.-THE real and dangerous foe is tn
corrupt politician. =
mo man who is corrupt, no mai
who condones corruption in others, cal
! possibly do his duty by the com
munity.n
Is Mr.. Roosevelt going to eat al
! these and the other burning words o
his in which he has expressed hi
hatred of the men of whom Addicks i
the perfect type? Is he going to invit
: by recognition" of the greatest politi
cal malefactor of the age, such com
ment upon his administration as wa
made by the Roman historian upon tn
7 reign of Nero-namsly, that by his act