The St. Louis Republic., 1904-09-20
MIR. RoosEvELT's VIOLATIONS

MR.. ROOSEvELT-S VIOLATIONS
Some questions are easily answered rs asked
and the Philadelphia Inquirers Interrogation is II
that class. The Inquirer quotes i recent editorial
Of The Republic: "Nr. Roosevelt is enough of an
issue. Were there others. He represents anti
constitu'onalism. the Constitution subordnared to
executive whin: and not all his enumeration of
party virtues. real pretended can hide the fact
Of his dangerous personality Then the Inquirer
asks. Where is the proof that the President is
above the Constitution
The proofs that the President holds himself above
restraint by the Constitution IN his record as
to the Panama Canal case the anthracite strike and
pensions order conspicuousy. In the canal case he
arrogared to himself the powers of a dictator and
pursued the means Of despot and IN his letter OF
acceptance he attempts TO justify his action chiefly
on the ground that there would have been trouble
guerrilla warfare" and other disturbances on the
ssthmus had be done otherwise. That he was guild
ed by what seemed to him expediency and that he
ignored the constitutional limitations of his Office in
the chicane and mtarism OF his course most people
grant.
In the anthracite affair he did something un-
precedented, unwarranted and unconstitutional Can
it be claimed that the Constitution authorizes a
President to intermeddle in any Industrial matter
which attracts his fancy. and inrermeddle not as
States?
In the pensions matter Mr.. Roosevelt simply
made Law. giving pensions for age. whereas Con-
gress had designed pensions for men disabled in
service. Incidentally there is good reason 10 be-
lieve that his pensions order was a mere piece Of
politics 1t is stated with some authority that the
order Is only allowed TO affect doubtful States-in
other States the veterans who compreheuded by
Its provisions are ignored: in the doubtful States
they are easily enrolled We refer the Philadelphia
Inquirer to the findings Of the Constitution Club Of
New York upon this pensions question After a
careful review this organization composed Of the
best legal talent in the metropolis has concIusvely
demonstrated the uneonstitutionalty Of the Presi-
dents act. Therein Mr. Roosevelt: violates among
other things the section Of the Constitution which
provides that no money may be drawn from the
treasury without an appropriation by Congress.
Mr. Roosevelt proposes TO draw out several millions
for purposes seemingly political and very much his
own. Unless bis order be in strict pursuance of the
law which it purports to follow It violate this
provision
Ms Rooseveits entire point Of view Is unconsti-
tutional disclosed particularly by his letter of ac
ceptance, which is bellicose document embodyins
a policy wholly foreign to our national institutions
He expressly mentions a personal Interpretation Of
the Constituticn-as II Presidents might properly
subject the instrument TO individual construction
X President might leeislate and in addition con-
strue the Constitution there would be no place for
and other function Of government and that il is the
notion Of Mr.. Roosevelt that such is within his pre-
rogative Il fairly deducible from this as well as
from numerous others Of his writings.
As the New York Herald has so aptIy observed
His conduct In the floating of the Panama Re-
public his ruthless disregard Of public sentiment in
the South. his dictatoral assumption Of authority
in every department Of the public service have suf
feed to show the people that his ideal Of govern
ment is imperialism. that he regards brute force
the equivalent Of right and his will as the eauiya
lent Of legality
Mr.. Roosevelt has never been a great respecter Of
institutions and in general has held a profound
contempt for his predecessors in the presidential
chair. Twelve of our Presidents has be Delayed
with his big epistolary stick, and 1t is his general
criticism Of them that they were small Presidents
After venting a wealth OF Objectionable and undig
nifed epithet upon them he usually winds up with
the statement that they were small Presidents
Mr.. Roosevelt himself would be a Large P-esi-
dent. No man doubts that. He has a large aub,-
tion-nobody doubts that-snd a iov. Of fame
coupled with a violent fancy for big. valorous e1-
ploits- With his own notion Of how the Consiifu-
ton should be Interpreted and his overriding ego
tlsm and Intolerance Of restraint. manifested in
numerous acts some Of which We have specified
Mr.. Roosevelt may be reasonably called ar rreon-
stitutional or supraconstitutional President When
You add his large ambition love Of fame and con-
sumng admiration Of fame, he may fairly be termed
dangerously lawless executive We respectfully
commend the Philadelphia Inquirer to a perusal of
some Of his writings and particularly to a careful
scrutiny Of his record His record-tnerein lie The
painest proofs,