The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-05
A SQUARE BACK DOWN.

AS the esteemed Hartford Times looks at it President Roosevelt was quick to perceive the apparent slight he had put upon General Horace Porter. our late ambassador to France. in making Assistant Secretary of State Loomis . special ambassador to receive the remains of John Paul Jones in France"
 How quick was he. and what quick ened him7 From the best information at our command we take 1t that he did not see 1t until the best continent fof the country, finding expression through the newspapers, both Democratic and Re- publican. made him see that Is ap- potntment of Loomis was an outrage on decency much more than it was a slight on General Porter. The slight on Porter could have been overlooked, for Roosevelt is somewhat givcn to such performances, but tho best and most conservative clements of the country could not and would not over look the outrage of sending such a man as Loomis to represent the United States on an important mission.
 The plain truth is that the course of the President in the Loomis affair has been outrageous. If the medical experts can find such a disease as Loomis- phobia they should treat him for 1t at once. To retain ard advance him and kick Bowen out in disgrace
 hn has doubtless learned. if he reads the papers. Then. immediately on the heels of that. the naming such badly smirched individual to head an impor- tant mission was the last straw. Im- previous as Roosevelts cuticle is known to be 1t was not proof against the shafts fired at him by :he strongest and most conservative newspapers "f his own party, and so he has backed water. as he has So often done when he found that he had made a move lis party wouldn't endorse.
 Tho impropriety to say the least O: 1t, of the Presidents course in this matter is utterly incomprehensiblc, and would have been considered impossible in any other President. General Per- ter stands high, as far as we know, in official circles. and we know of no charges agains- him as Minister to France. He has been to a great deal of trouble and expe lse in finding and identifying the remains O. Paul Jones. for we are inform.d tha: he has paid all the charges. $5.o0c or more. from his own funds, to say nothing of the time spent in the search.
 Considering all the circumstances any intelligent n.an would have thought that the President would not have given the matter a second thought but would have placed Porter at tile head of the commission to receive and escnr: the remains to America. But that was not the Roosevelt way Loomis was under fire, with grave charges against him. and LoOuis was nic friend, there. fore he must show his contempt fur public opinion and defy all considera- tions of propriety by giving LOomis the appointment and also pcatowing on him the title of special ambassador. for which there is DO constitutional war rant Then. when he finds public sem timent aroused against him he backs down and makes Porter Special em- bassador" and I.oomis "assist9nt spe- cial ambassador 7..+
 Was there ever such farcical pro- ceeding by President? It was had enough, in all conscience. to uphold Loomis as he has done, but 1t would have shown courage and consistency if he had stuck to it, As it is he tacftly admits that ae made a ped break and that he retreats u.,d"r fire. He has not shown a proper regard for cffioi propriety nos add d 10 his character for courage.