Los Angeles herald., 1906-06-05

Mr.. Towne is an orator. Now, the
orator is not always bound to be either
logical or statistical or Just. Nothing
must stand between him and his hear
ers, or his point. Whatever else he is,
he must be rhetorical. TO entertain, to
amuse to arouse is his business. and,
In proportion as he has the dramatic
faculty, the presence and the voice, will
his success be measured.
The ex-senator from Minnesota, the
existent New York member OF the
, house, commands these essentials, giV-
ing even his masterfu colleague,
Bourke Cochran, run for his fame
when It comes to assailing the con-
gressional think works and carrying an
audience by storm, as 1t we're: which,
indeed, he seems to have done, I'm what
Mr.. Stealey, i'm his letter Of Thursday
night describes as "the speech Of the
session."
Much of what Mr. Towne said of the
president should be taken with a GER
tain allowance. The president is a very
shining mark. Both his personality
and his performances belong to the
domain of the phenomenal and prob
lematic. Whether the position In which
recent events, have placed him be that
of a far-seeing statesman doing the
best he can for the people, whilst do
Ing the best he can for his party-in
each Instance an unsehsh and patri-
otto man not afraid of danger--the fu-
ture alone can tell.
Mr.. Towne falls in with the more su-
perficial view of the enemies of the
president, and, of course, he handles
the fruitful theme skilfully losing
none of the opportunities 1t affords for
his sarcasm and invective. In one re-
spect he follows the lead of the Cou-
rier-Journal's editorial of week ago.
Speaking of the impossibility of a Re-
publican president accomplishing what
Is in conflict with the fundamental
principles and characteristics of his
party he declared that Roosevelt
seemed for time to be, and might
have been, and continued to be. above
the trammel of mere party allegiance,
with the power to direct his own party,
through his ability to command a Dem
ocratic alliance, but this power he had
thrown away as an essential conse-
quence of his party environment and
the inability of one man to resist the
power of the party which has placed
him in authority.
This is in line with our suggestion
but Mr. Towne did not couple it with
the ferther intmation that MIR. Roose-
u
and that, being a Republican and not
Democrat. he is seeking to avoid the
rocks on which Mr.. Cleveland wrecked
both his party and his administra-
ton.
Yet Mr.. Towne made a strong point
when he declared that, in consequence
of the amazing popular vote by which
the president was elected he seemed to
regard himself as vested by a sort of
plebiscte as the immediate and SUI
preme representative Of the people,
nearer to them than even the repre-
sentatives in the house, command
ing attitude which allowed him to
choose his allies from either party and
to hold the Republican machine in
check by the power to secure Demo-
cratic support. This" and here enters
the orator, this unique position of
power he seemed at first to realize and
might have indefinitely preserved, if he
had possessed the qualities he is sup
posed to possess. But at the critical
moment he deserted his allies, both
Democrats and Republicans, including
his own attorney general, without no.
tice, and surrendered unconditionally to
the chief manipulation of the Republican
senate, so that now he walks bound
and submissive to his chains, by the
wheels of the imperial chariot of his
irsolent conqueror, the duke of Rhode
Island"
OF course this is mere rhetoric. How
far Aldrich got away with Roosevelt
or Roosevelt with Adrch, remains to
be seen. We are yet in the vestibule
and already the president is swiping
the rebate winnings off the table.
Everybody lies but Roosevelt may be
a good song about Washington, but it
is not the song the people are general
ly singing.
The truth is that, until the coun-
try is better advised than it seems to
be of the presidents real intentions
1t is impossible to cast balance sheet
particularly on the debit side of the
account-and consequently critics, like
Mr.. Towne. will merely reach their
own conclusions either for or against
him.
Our advices from Washington are to
the effect that the whole undercurrent
of opinion there inclines to the belief
that the presidents objective point has
been from the beginning the creation
of such a situation as will compel the