The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-05-25
A Blunder.

More than once the hope Of repub-
1ican success has been democratic blum
dering. The democrats seem disposed
to favor their opponents again in the
same way. A promise Of this is found
in the performance in the house yester-
day Of Charles A. Towne, the chosen
representative Of Tammany, permitted
to go to congress by the favor, of that
most corrupt and corrupting organiza-
ton, known turnout the country as it's
mouthpiece and, just now, not much
else. Mr.. Towne presumes to speak
as ga representative Of the people in
their great representative body' in
yindictive, malicious and angry criti-
cism of the president.
If the democratic leaders had desired
to intensity the confidence of the people
in Mr.. Roosevelt, to strengthen him in
their regard, they could not have done
more wisely than to set Mr.. Towne at
work, with his record behind him, to
criticise a man like Theodore Roose-
welt. The contrast in character and
achievement between the critic and the
criticised is so wide as to emphasize
the supreme folly Of this performance
On the side Of the critic is the most
conspicuous example in public life to-
day Of wasted abilities: Oh the other,
the most splendid illustration of wisely
employed capacity This will suggest
itself at once to everyone acquainted
with recent history. ~ ....
Mr.. tTowne repeats the charges OF
Tillman and Bailey that there was ba6
faith on the part Of the president, but
he goes step farther and a step too fa1
when he declares that there were forty
seven or fifty votes pledged to the pla1
of restricted review. Mother Mr.. Bale,
nor Mr.. Tillman has claimed that an,
definite number Of votes was pledged O.
that any votes were pledged at all. Il
fact the democrats in the senate do no
appear to have ever gotten together o,
THE subject.
Thru the cloud of words envelopin
this incident shines one fact that tn
president is right in his contention tina
he talked with the democratic senator
as he talked with the republican sena
tors who came to him and that h
pledged himself to. nobody's plan NO
sought to pledge anyone to his plan
SUnder the circumstances the presiden
did not consider the talk in the natur
of pourparlers toward treaty. H
believed he had the RI ght to drop tn
subject. He did drop it and hence tn
charges of bad faith. But suppose til
president had notified Tillman that /
had withdrawn. Would he not by thu
act have given Tillman a chance to E
on the floor and say "The president ar
myself were in a treaty. Here is tt
BE: evidence Of it, and then flourish I'll
president 8 communications. 1t wou
have been a Tillmanesque performan'
and would have been far more impre
sive than the Tillman vaporings abo,
bad faith. Instead of running into
trap the president appears to ha,
rather luckily passed by one which W
set and baited for him. !. s
The Towne performance, if it is to
regarded as a beginning Of the dem
cratic campaign (and it is so consider
in Washington), is something up
which the republicans may congratula
themselves. Nothing could be bett
or more surely calculated to strength
the president in the confidence Of t
people and restore relations Of cordia
ty and cooperation between the repr
lican leaders and the chief executi,
Thanks to this blunder, Mr.. Roosev
and republican leaders generally, 8
several degrees closer together tod
than they were yesterday.
John s. Williams cannot imagine a ]
raj member Of congress with the cours
ito vote against free seeds. Yet Villa
Is man who constantly In the ho'