The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-05-18

can party.
The crises was at hand. The last
hope of the democrats was fast sink
ing; the foundation upon which they
had hoped TO build a campaign issue
was slipping into the sea.
Ansered by the defeat the leaders
turned Il stream of vindictive charges
and personal abuse upon the president.
They charged that he had deserted
his original ideas of rate legislation
and was willing to accept what the
party was willing to grant. They
even charged him with selling out to
the corporate interests of the country.
Consider for Il moment the facts.
The presidents power over legislation
is limited by the constitution to recon-
mendations to congress. jackson was
the first executive who attempted to
force congress to put his wishes into
law. Mr.. Cleveland once made the
memorable statement that he had COLI
sress on his hands. But other presi-
dents have been content to rely upon
the confidence which congress had in
them to secure whatever legislation
they believed the country needed.
President Roosevelt is no exception.
He believed the time was opportune
for rate legislation and he recommend
ed the same to congress.
The democrats ever ready to accept
anything which Offered hope of
success, announced their purpose of
supporting the legislation asked by the
president. They were led to do this
probably because they had repeated the
charge that the republican party would
not favor rate legislation so often that
they had come to believe it themselves.
The president recommended certain
legislation, but when it came to be
carefully and intelligently considered
in the senate and the various phases
of the law subjected to critical examin-
alton and measured by the rules of
law and reason. many weak places
were found and many places needed
modification. The result at this time
is law, as was printed in these
columns recently, more rigid even than
it was when it reached the senate from
the house.
To these changes the president has
willingly acceded because he was in
telligent and patriotic enough to
recognize the strength of the amend
ments that were proposed
Thereupon the charge of deserving
the democrats was made and Bailey
and Tillman declared that the presi-
dent had broken his word in accept
ing the Allison amendment.
All this does not concern the public
for it would take better testimony than
has SO far been offered to convince
the nation that President Roosevelt had
broken his word.
1t does prove that the democratic
party is not able to rise above the
most selfish partisanship and that it
would rather manufacture material for
political harangues and to make I'M
founded charges of corruption against
parties and public men than to give
the country a single line of needed
legislation.
This policy is in sacred keeping,
however,with its history. 1t has been
party of obstruction since it
abandoned the doctrine that human
souls were chattels. 1t has opposed
every important legislation proposed
in the last quarter of century and has
predicted that the nation would fall
in pieces If many of the best laws now
on the statute books were enacted
Yet it is the party which the false
prophets who are masquerading under
the guise Of republicans are seeking
to place in power All the enmity Of
these disruptionists is directed against
the men who have assisted in making
the republican party strong and power
full.
These disruptionists argue that when
the republican party becomes strong
in any state it becomes a danger to
the liberties of the people. That only
by frequent change in parties can the
foundation Of government be kept pure.
That is because unworthy men have
been repudiated lest they betray their
trust, the power of government should
be placed in the care of a party which
has never been able to rise above per-
sonalities.
II the policies of these disruption
lists could be enforced there would be
no rate law enacted. Yet this Is the
party which is to be supported by
those who have trailed the banner of
republicanism in the dust and who
are willing to assist in placing its
allies in power in both state and ma