Bisbee daily review., 1906-01-10
HAS ROOSEVELT
 POLITICAL COURAGE?

Political courage is a something greater than physical or moral cour- age. It is the great courage possessed by great leaders of men-a courage combining physical and moral cour- age and intellectual independence and moreover infused with faith. It is sublime strength touched with inspiration ......r
 In the minds of many men, thed question, though phrased differently, occurs. Has MT. Roosevelt political courage2 The president undoubted- ly has several kinds of courage. .. No
 man questions his possession of the
 sort commonly termed moral" His physical courage is proved, not mere ! ly by his experience in war, but in many incidents of his life all along
 the path. He is a man of personal
 vigor, muscular, robust, with all the ! characteristics of bodily strength. This bravery is interestingly illus. trated by MT. Henry Beech Need. l III d CnI AAoeoaNhsiC
 who relates admiringly an episode in Roosevelt's career as young rancher.
 A big brawler, desiring to bully the ! "foar-eyed tenderfoot," cursed him
 ruundly and, pointing two revolvers
 at him, ordered him to buy the drinks.
 Roosevelt, perfectly composed, made
 as if to comply with the request. But
 as he got within reach of his tormen- tor, with a rush born of his clever
 ness in boxing, he delivered blow
 on the mans jaw that stretched him
 full length on the floor. Meantime
 the pistols had gone of. penetrating
 the ceiling and doing no harm to any body. When the brawler opened his eyes he was ready to surrender his guns and to cry for quarter. Where fore" observes MT. Needham, be il
 said that, true to his later-day preach ment, Roosevelt was never spelling , for fight, but would not suffer an in suit"
 r Physically and morally brave, in + tellectualIy strong and active, anC v even politically aggressive, Mir. Roose 9 welt nevertheless has not yet meas 2 ured up to the height and power O f great man. The explanation ma! ? lie in the fact that he has not ye - acquired sufficient conviction. Whil' g holding to political ideas and desiring I reforms inimical to the conservatism D and practical politics of his party, h. '- nevertheless subordinates his purpos' ! to the party purpose. He is essen n tially a party man, and he has il every instance of his career been dom $ mated by the party. There has neve T been an issue, prior to the rate re
 striction issue, between him and tn B iparty powers in which he has not ul timately yielded. It remains to b ' compliance with his present measure MT Roosevelt has frequently con promised or capitulated. Tn som ' cases he has appeared to-yield with
 out a struggle.
 The opportunity is manifestly pre-
 scented to the president to become great leader in the actual, to join tn roster of really great Americal . statemen, if he possesses the requis . ite political courage to risk his al | in a fight with his party, the disre r gard of sentiment, tradition and COT g vention, the willingness to wreck pai a ty organization and even invite ,polit a ical disaster for the sake of convic D ton. In order to secure the reform h for which he stands he will have t l, threaten the machine with ruin; to