The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-03-04

The president is not above criticism.
been adopted in this United States
that is the congressional English. The
theory was-"The King can do no
wrong" That prevailed until the time
sof William and Mary. 1t Is not unjust
or in bad taste to say hat President
Roosevelt. when a plain citizen without
frills. was no bliever in Manifest Des-
tiny" Regarding the colonies In his
book he called American Ideas and
Other Essays" he wrote in the follow
ing American n sensible way:
AT best the inhabitants of a colony
are in a cramped n unnatural state.
AT the worst. the establishment OF a
colony prevents any healthy popular
of the South American republics has
been mean and bloody; but there is at
-Je2st a chance that they may develop,
after infinite fluctuations and suffer
ings. into a civilization quite as high
and stable as that Of such a European
power as Portugal. But there Is no
such chance for any tropical American
colony owned by a northern European
race"
that Nh. Roosevelt would not so write
now He has had an illumination and
no longer sees through a glass darkly"
Mr.. William j. Bryan found hat pas
sage in the book named and gives It
to the country at large. The doctrine
is sound and democratic now. but from
the republican standing-point il is
rotten n nj nhorYrI prrE Would .stIN
pose that the president, now the head
of the great, grasping "robber" repub-
lican party, was ever unsoun on that
Rob Roy system of taxation? It looks
so. Mr.. Roosevelt wrote q life of one
of the very greatest men of the south
with one or two exceptions the great
est man yer born in North Carolina
6bOrn two or three miles from Hills
boro in the county of Orange)-Thomas
Hart Benton. In that Life" the nov
president of this United States. and
head of the high protection party, wrote
this'at pages 66 and 81:
"Benton's attitude on the measure
was that OF a good many other men
who, in their public capacity, are OBJ
liged to appear as protectionist5, but
who lack his frankness in stating their
reasons. Political como
mists have pretty generally agreed that
protection is vicious in theory and
harmful in practice. In 1928
the evil was peculiarly ~aggravating."
An essay from the president to trace
his mental processes by which he was
transformed from anti-protectionists
into one of the great gang who are fore
ing the people to "a from % to $50 per
cent more than they would have to pay
under a low tariff would possibly have
q fine intellectual exercise and be really
readible. Democrats believe in the
doctrines set forth in both paragraphs
copied. They are fundamental and
will have a conspicuous place in the
next national campaign. 1t is quite
remarkable that the president should
hold as president of a party principles
entirely opposed to those he held when
a citizen. 1t is no wonder hat people
who are not in office are puzzled to I'M
derstand how Mr.. Roosevelt could calm
Iy. deliberately set forth views and
principles all looking one way and yet
when he gets into the high office he
holds he should bando what he neld
and practically negatives and antago-
nizes all he set forth Mr.. Bryan has
again lone good. serviceable work in
bringing out from Roosevelt's "
writings in books what he professed
to believe and to teach. He is now an
orthodox member of the protection
party in full fellowship and good stand
ing. All men of intelligence who read
and reflect are progressive and learn
more and may change views on impor-
1ant principles and questions. Eut i
when a man changes when he enters
politics or finds office he may be sus-
pected as to soundness and sincerity.
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