Courier Democrat., 1904-11-10

Cannot he said That the President
IL Deceived by His Friends-strange
Moral Obliquity.
The New Orleans Times Democrat,
discussing Mr.. Roosevelt's responsible
ity for Cortelyou. says:
It is the general belief that Mr..
Roosevelt, with all his faults. is man
Of personal integrity. Yet there is no
question that he has compromised him
self seriously by placing ex-Secretary
Cortelyou, but yesterday in charge of
the department of commerce and labor,
In the position he ut present occupies
as chairman Of the Republican nation
al committee. That he put him there
over the wishes Of many politicians is
well known. That his duties consist
in the main in getting campaign con-
ributions from large corporations Is
known equally well. So it follows
quite reasonably that whatever i'm
propriety attaches under the circum-
stances to Mr.. Cortelyou's going up
and down the earth collecting funds
must be laid at the door of the man
whose self advised action made it pos
sible and whose complacency sanctions
its continuance.
"a scandalous, corrupting and TN
speakable business" is the way the So
Der New York Times characteriZes Mr..
Cortelyou's procedure. The epithets
are not too strong. Coming from an
official position which required, if he
discharged his duty, that he make in
vestigation into the conduct of large
corporations, and presumably with i'll
formation as to their private workings
well in mind, he now goes about among
the chiefs of the big railroad systems
and other concerns soliciting contribu-
tions to the presidents campaign fund.
Who so blind as not to see the lever
age which man so furnished forth
with persuasions must have with the
class of men he approaches in his new
capacity? What great combination Of
capital is so absolutely clear of con-
science or careless Of the future as to
deny an appeal backed with such sub
stantial grounds? But Chairman Cor
telyou has still other arrows in his
CULVER. He not only has his past to
aid, but his future to draw reasons
from. It is generally understood that
he will re-enter the cabinet to fill the
vacancy caused by Postmaster Gener-
al Payne's death.
In that new post he will make con-
| tracts for immense sums with common
carriers and other corporations. The
concerns approached are thus furnish
| ed with another reason to be very lib
eral in their treatment of the presi-
dents personal campaign agent.
One naturally asks, How can Roose-
velt recognize his responsibility for
that state Of affairs and still, honest
man that he is thought to be, assent to
Its continuance? The Times has heard
of only one explanation. 1t is that
"Mr. Roosevelt is so completely pos
sessed by the notion that all right and
all honesty, the nations welfare and
the peoples prosperity are summed
up in him, while vice. wrong and ruin
are the exclusive property Of the De-
mocracy; that in his mind no question
is ever raised concerning the means
employed to secure his continuance in
office. Believing himself to be infalli-
BILE, he also believes, as a matter OF
course, that his agents and their meth
DDS are without blame" But this eX-
PLANTATION it finds more alarming than
the theory that the president is con-
sciously STOPPING to connivance with
wrongdoing, for "the incumbent of IL
great office who believes that he can
do no wrong would follow his chosen
paths in any direction without stop or
hindrance." Whatever be the correct
explanation Of this strange obliquity
in a moral man, it certainly cannot be
said in Roosevelt's defense, as in the
case of President Grant, that he is be-
ing deceived by his friends. He un-
derstands exactly what is going on, his
act alone made it possible, and his
countenance is all that holsters up this
brazen breach of ordinary propriety.
RESPECT AND TRUST.