The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-02
Roo..x.,t,. Public Acts.

RoOsevelt's Public Acts.
 Now that President Roosevelt has gone to his home at Oystef Bay. on Long Island, N. Y, for thf summer. not a few people are discussing his most recent public acts which will go
 to form very notable incidents of his He came back out or
 the West leaving a trail of enthusias- tic admiration, if the reported plaudtts of the populace along his route count
 for anything. His arrival in Washing
 ton was quiet return. He rode in carriage up the broad space of Penn sylvania Avenue to the White House attended only by a few detectives. It is true he came at night--a few min- utes before 10 o'clock-but many peo- pie were on the streeet, and. although he was recognized in spite of the slouch hat which he brought from his hunting trips, there was no sort Of
 demonstration He went away as he had come The Russian ambassador
 was at the passenger station to see him off but again there was no pop ular demonstration. It is true that so
 accustomed is the population of Wash jngton to the sight of the big men of the country that 1t seldom indulges in display of emotion over the event of their appearance in public: but there have been times when the people here made more fuss over President Roose- welt than they have within the past few weeks
 Looking back over recent events of historic value in which the President enacted the chief role. 1t Is interestin g to contemplate the effect of these eves.s npon the public here at the national capital. Generally skeptical at first. when 1t was seen that he had accom- plished what he had set out to do ni tho grand task of bringing together
 representatives of Russia and Japan with a view to negotiating peace | terms. President Roosevelts name was
 on all tongues In tones of praise. His most obdurate critics admitted that this act alone. even If the warning countries could reach no satisfactory agreement. covered a multitude of
 Roosevelt sins, for 1t was splendidly brave service for humanity and civil
 lzation No dissident note has been heard in this popular acknowledge
 ment of the Presidents great act. All
 the more poignantly regretted there
 fore. are at least two of his recent performances of which the general public enthusiastically does not approve. One of these was. to use the popular characterization of 1t. the "whitewash- ing of Paul Morton" on his retire
 ment from the cabinet as Secretary of y. sal of Minister Bowen and the exalta-
 ticn of Assistant Secretary of State
 Loomis. In the popular estimation. which no statement of the President or any other authority has shaken. Bowen was guilty of only indiscretion
 while his honesty had never been im- peached, and Loomls was continued in the public service with name decid-
 edly smirched; not only retained In
 high government position. but en- trusted with a responsible mission abroad. It all brought back to mind the Presidents defense of General Leonard Wood. the physician warrior and pet friend whom he promoted over the heads of veteran officers who even
 bore the scars of wounds received in
 fighting for the preservation of the Union.
 Another criticism heard IS to the President is that after a recent long absence from Washington he should not have gone away again. especially while the peace negotiations between Japan and Russia are immediately pending. It Is the idea that 1t Is a courtesy due the representatives of those countries that he should be here at hand to lend eneouragement in the work which he