The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-06
WHAT ELECTED ROOSEVELTp
Was IL the Omen shop ?


dented since 1924. OF so 43-1oo per cent OF tn,
entire popular vote for President. lcavini
only 81 57-lOO per cent, to Parker and pc
cent. 70 all the other candidates. as you
correspondent "Querist" has shown
The popular vote was less by over hal
million. than four years before when Mckin
ley Ind 81 26-iO0 per cent. of the whole vote
Bryan had 45 22-ioo per cent, (some pei
cent. more than Parker in 1904 and all th'
other candidates some az per cent. jackson
had. next to Roosevelt the largest percentage
since the Presidential popular vote has beer
asccrtainahle. He had IS 07-iOO per cent. IN
1928. and per cent less four years attcrward
Grant. with IS 03-iOo in 1872, came next t.
Jackson: Lincoln had So G-i00 in 1854. and
Tilden had so 94-l0O in 1875
The great peroonta ges of Jackson. Lincoln
and Grant arc now easily explainablo. and II
Is believed that the results were forescen
in cach case long before the November voting
days: but who foresaw Roosevelts astounding
percentage. or now has. or behaves IA II he
had. a hypothesis OF what elected Roose-
velt- that includes all verinable facts. OK
oludcs none. contradlcts none9 What prin-
ciple. or doctrine. or policy. or anything else,
was thereby aiJudged. and for four years
determined. excepting Rooseyelts presence
in the White House during that period II his
life be sparcd7
AllfT inc DotnOCTuLC uDOtANHl OF 1873
which elected jackson the kind OF Congress
sional control which had previously existed
disappeared In the hands OF n rosolute and
fearless President, the constitutional pro-
negatives OF initiating legislation, the veto,
and the bestownl of Offices now make him tho
Government chief until interference by
party organization composed In about
equal parts OF shrewd party workers, OF rich
men and corporations supplying pecuniary
al. and - iii
such unpopular Presidents by accident
as John Tyler and Andrew johnson drove
Congress 10 its wits end.
But what gave Roosevelt 80 43-Ioo per cent
OF the peoples votes?
How account for not merely an unincreased
vote. but a diminished vote, concurrent with
an electorate greater than that OF 1900 and yet
an unanticipated majority over the Dcmoo-
racy7 What hypothesis explains the un-
foreseen Roosevelt percentage? Was there
an issue not platformcd. nor debated. nor
contested in newspapers. or elsewhere. but
which the mass OF tho voters recognized and
felt as II by telepathy? To II were Repub-
lican and Democratic spellbnders alike
Cabinet officers and unofficial orators blind
and deaf?
clue N an answer 10 the foregoing and
similar Inquiries Is more or less distinctly
indicated. IL may be. by a recent paper in
Hdrper's Magazine for March, by President
Eliot. referred to In THR SUN Tuesday last and
by long letter signed -Amerlcanus- pub
lished in the London Times few weeks ago.
The last explains the significance OF Dr.
Eliots course by its reference TO three mas
terly addresses by him early last summer
at Sanders Theatre. Cambridge, on The
Industrial Conditions of Public Happiness. :
which closed with the unexpected declaration
by tho president OF tho university that he
should vote for Roosevelt electors.
The letter In the Times indicated tho
hypothesis that Roosevelt -staked his all
squarey- on the open shop and tho work
mans right to refuse 10 strike 1t ended
with this sentence:
Thus It be;ell tina, equality in American citizen
ship. which renders innocuous tne achieved, eI
isteni absolute, popular control OF every nstru-
ment and all the powrns OF Government IN tho
United States. which makes socisllstic propaganda
there fuiility. rrelcvance. anaehronsm all In one
got extraordinary emphasis In the uncontrived
course Of events issuing in the election o, President
Roosevelt
The letter to the Times indicates by It's
alluston to the strike unirersqie in Italy last
summer that II was written chiefly for Eu
ropean readers II emphasized for such
readers the anthracite coal strike In Penn
sylvania. the Colorado strike and the build
ing strikes in New York city. "a testlfying to
the willingness OF trade unions 10 deny that
human equality" vindicated by Roosevelt's
unequivocal approval OF the final report OF
the Anthracite Coal Strike Commission which
upheld non-unIon men. wherein he said:
heartily approve Of this award and judgment
OF the commission appointed by me. which Itself
included a member OF labor union. This COM
mission was dealing with labor organizations work
ing for private employers II Is OF course mere
elementary decency 20 require all the Government
the principles thus clearly and fearessly enunciated
The trade unions were unprepared TO face
the ssuel Parker and the Democrats let IL 90
by default. Perhaps the latter did not see
that the right OF a single workman TO labor
IA equal to the right OF all others TO go on a
strike
The open shop hypothesis is 80 novel that
the elimination by "Americanus" OF all other
facts, as only concomltauts OF every American
Presidential election. Is worth reproduction
as showing them plainly insufficient TO ac-
count for Roosevelt's unexampled and thun-
dering majority. Americans" wrote to
the Times:
No account comes 10 explain the election Of Prcsi-
dent Roosevelt Numberlcss corporations which
al nrsI opposed his nomination. then 1licd his cam
paign chest. then swokc 70 md all superiuous-
their money hurnt"-of course are silent. explain
Ing nothing, The Congress, too. gathering In
sthdlou makes no pfttfucc OF knowing Whht
elected President Roosevelt. The post-clecton
bulletins OF eK Chief Judge Parker and his predeces
sor In defeat. Mr.. Bryan. both lack an indication
OF what elected President Roosevelt. oldest OF ALL
President Roosevelt himself since Nov. g. by his
own two sermons eoran popAo on Frederick the
Great and on THE Simple Lite" and by his annual
message 10 Congress thirteen columns long,. as by
bis last outburst the eve Of election. has made Il
quite plain that. rs little ~ any ono above named.
does even he know what elected President
Small blame to him Whlrllng crowd
are the last spot for discerning what tho
Invisible dozen million ballot bearers may be think
Ing
The hero worship theory Of the election has no
basis for In Truth the President IS disked by many
In respect 70 some OF his acts, rs he certainly Is
liked by large numbers despite them. Cash" ex-
plains nothing; capitalists may sometimes com
pass small majority. but all the wealth Of all Of
them united could never reverse. could never pro.
duce, majority so variousy conditioned. wide
spread aud so large The Philippine issue has
not been alive since Mr.. Bryan put forth the whole
bulk OF his sAgacity 10 harvest military glory by
rnllstng for the Spanish war and diplomatic glory
by advocating ratification OF our Paris treaty with
Spain. In short. tho election Of President Roose-
welt, such a. II and luexpllcabe as II has re.
manned. Is a phenomenon so ysriously conditioned.
besides being so huge in majority and plurality,
Is TO become fatal 10 false explanations. and the
iue Interpretation will need no argument.
What puEzies politicians OF both parties seeking