Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1905-02-22

senate, but the talk is suppressed and
anxious. The situation is regarded as
ominous. Both ends of the avenue
are the subjects of vindication in
vective according to the fealings of
the respective disputants. It is al
most universally regretted, among
serious people that the issue has
been sprung at this time and, that it is
so sharply defined. For a born fig liter
the president is the most pacific execu
tive that has ever been in the white
house. The big stick is under his
arm but the olive branch is held aloft
as by no other president. An arbitra-
ton treaty prepared by Mr., Olney and
Sir Julian Paunceforte during Mr..
Cleveland last administration was
voted down by the Senate to the great
disgust it is believed of enlightened
peace loving people of the Anglo-Saxon
race on both sides of the Atlantic and
in all the islands of all the seas, a few
mad celts, of course excepted And in
two years thereafter England had an
opportunity to most conspicuously show
her friendship for the United States
when all Europe was muttering threats
and this country was not unapprecia-
tive Of the something more than moral
backing of the 'smistress of the SEAS"
But now when the Canadian boundry
question has been settled and when
the Clay tonBulwer treaty is no longer
a pebble in the shoe of either country
and another arbitration treaty is at it
were awaiting only the signatures Of
the high contracting parties the diff
ference between the president and the
Senate has put it off Indefinitely.
Secretary Hay has not availed him
self of his right to attend the meetings
of the committee on foreign relations
as many of his predecessors have done
but he is most punctilious in keeping
that committee informed of every step
this government takes lie its foreign
policies. AS result diplomatic
negotiations have proceeded more
promptly and effectively in the pres
ent administration than Is usual Mr..
Hay is not cordial man and private
griefs have made him appear even
more reserved and distant than he
actually is, so that the criticism of lack
of sympathy between the Secretary and
the committee is often heard. 1t is
urged that if he would meet the com
mittee and talk things over it would
be more effective than the presidents
messages but Mr.. Hay is not talka
tive man. On the other hand be has
been more scrupulous than any of his
predecessors. in giving to the commit
tee all the information in our foreign
negotiations and amply furnished the
material for their conferences and de-
bates.
President Roosevelt is avenging
himself for the silence which must
have seemed long indeed to him dur
ing the campaign. Nothing but the
convention or form that the president
should not speak during the campaign
could have imposed upon him the
silence which he maintained so sue
cessfully. Now though the restraint
is removed and the president fits from
dinner to dinner delivering speeches
of such variety and excellence that
one wonders at his versatility and
capacity. Of all the various accusa-
tions that have been brought against
the president, though no one has ever
yet insinuated that his speeches were
written for him. Roosevelt is essent-
tally a man who must speak for him
self and his addresses while covering
the widest range of subjects are with,
out exception original, and character
istic of the man. In the last two days
he has delivered four speeches all
good and one, just made in Little
Hungary, one of the best he has
yet made. Perhaps if be had had
occasion to have made two more day
for the rest of the week he could have
done it with out falling below his
own high standard. In order TO
account for the versatility of the man
it must be remembered that he is a
writer of books and there is no deny
ing that the habit of writing like that
of talking does facilitate the express
sion. The president is able easily,
almost without apparent effort, to die