New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-14
DIRECT" AND INSTRUCT. 3"


The historic difference 'twfxt tweedledum and
tweedledee must cease to be a symbol Of hair
splitting. The Republican State Convention has
given all those who delight TO bark and bite
over nothings topic suited to their dispositions
in the question whether the platform makers
OF the Empire State put slight upon or showed
q disloyal disposition to President Roosevelt
in directing" the delegates-at-large TO use all
honorable means 10 secure his nomination. in
stead of "instructing" them 10 DO so.
For ourselves we should have thought that II
this was an insult it was "a very light one"
but some Of our contemporaries who are known
to be specially anxious for the Presidents COM
fort and welfare are much concerned over this
matter of phraseology. Perhaps OverwOrk for
the President may have made them a bit hys-
terical. but 1t is certainly touching TO see the
jealous devotion which leads them suspiciously
to scTudnize every word Of the platform for
hint OF treachery TO the President And the
pathos. even the tragedy, of II is that they have
so well diSsembled their love that the average
newspaper reader has been led TO think that the
thing that they most wanted was TO plunge
political knife into Mr.. Roosevelt and turn it
around. Thus one of them, while bursting with
indignation about the failure TO instruct IN
stead Of direct delegates, INDUCES editorially
in reflection on an alleged likeness between the
enthusiasm manifested by the convention for
the President and that OF a small boy for his
spring medicine. But IL is impossible TO Judge
of friendship by words and ii is now seen that
the popularity supposed ''knifers" of the Presi-
dent are only somewhat whimsical friends,
who, though they indulge in much grumbling
themselves. are ready to lick" all the rest Of
the world for failure OF proper devotion in word
and deed.
Yet we think these sincere champions Of the
President are a tribe overwrought Suppose
the platform IS not quite conventional in its
language. Let US be thankful If the platform
writer had the genius TO introduce even one
word out Of the common. That IS rare and pre-
cious IN such document Something must be
allowed to the literary ambition which sought
to vary the document by ever so little from
thousands Of other documents OF the same sort
and earn the writer's pay as a word carpenter.
AS TO the words direct and instruct" we are
unable. after profound study, TO detect any
more difference than between ''order" and 'com-
mand." The dictionaries define instruct as
meaning to direct and direct" as meaning to
instruct, and there you are. Webster, under
direct" says:
To point cut with authority; TO instruct as a
superior; to order; as. he directed them TO go.
III first direct my men what they shall do
(ShakespeaTe
The same photographer says Of instruct:
furnish with directions, TO a0V1Ses TO 0lrect,
to command; as. the judge instructs the jury.
She being before instructed OF her mother said.
Give me here John Baptst's head IN a charger
Take her in, instruct her what she has to do
Shakespeare
Worcester defines direct as ito order; 70
prescribe to; to command" and instruct as
ito direct or inform authoritatively." "The
Century Dictionary" Of direct says: "to or
der; TO instruct" and Of instruct" says: "to
direct or commando If there Is q ghost Of q
shadow Of a shade OF difference IN the I'm
Tressireness Of one over the other, we should
say from the definitions It was IN favor Of ''di-
rect" as the more imperative command as dis
tinguished from the authoritative imparting Of
information as to what should be done. We can
easily see how the writer may have chosen that
word u zeal 20 commit The party with unusual
solemnity, though for our part we do not think
he varied the sense Of the declaration IN the
slightest degree. Backed up by the dictionaries,
therefore, we remain calm, and we hope we
shall not be charged with Indifference or luke
warmness 10 the Presidents interests II we fail
to share the anxiedes OF our neighbors who IN
pure and unmeasured devotion 10 him are so
rudely shocked by this verbal substitution. We
have q notion that the direction" Is as binding
as an instruction" and that, directed or IN
directed. Instructed or unirstructed, the dele
gates viii be found voting for Theodore Roose-
yelt Just the same. And we wonder II our
troubled contemporaries viii then continue to
be his champions for electoral votes, or IL the
sort Of Instructions" they really want concern
ing Theodore Roosevelt are not the sort Of "in-
structions" the daughter Of Herodas had re-
ceived concerning John the Baptist
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