The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-01-16
PRESIDENTS CHANGE OF FRONT

In deciding to appoint no more
southern negroes to Office President
Roosevelt makes a significant confes.
sion OF error, and he Is to be con.
graduated upon finally coming TO an
understanding OF the racial conditions
in the south.
And yet his present attitude Is not
altogether creditable for It Is an.
nounced tina, ne intends to give ne
groes preferment in doubtful states
wher ether votes will count for his
party In future elections. Either he
is yielding to southern sentiment Mt
the sacrifice of his convictions or he
IS playing a low sort Of party politics
n he is yielding his convictions he
exhibits an unstable mind. for at the
time Of the Crum appointment he was
most insistont upon the point OF hold.
ing open the door Of hope to the ne.
gro, and such positive and militant
conviction ought not to be yielded II
it is sound. If it may be yielded at
the behest of southern sentiment It
may be yielded at the behest of
northern sentiment and the conclusion
is reasonable that other convictions
may be surrendered for the sake of
party expediency.
This Is not the first time the pres
ident has yielded to circumstances.
and we apprehend that It will not be
the last The railway rate question is
the next question of contest. and no
body need be surprised If the presi
dents final surrender Of this his last
ana most conspicuous contention.
All history proves that statesman
ship is largely a matter of compro-
mise, and no lawmaker or initiative
executive is ever able to get quite
the measure he desires Wise men in
| public life understand this fact and
are content to secure the best that is
possible under all the circumstances.
But Mr.. Roosevelt always starts out
with a Cocksure programme and an
nounces that there will be no compro-
mise. Hence, when he Is compelled
to compromise his yielding takes the
form OF n defeat or creates the suspi.
cion OF a sacrifice of principle.
President Roosevelt has done much
but he has promised and threatened
very much more. A great deal OF
what he has done and what he stil
proposes is quite beyond the consti'
tutionai limitations of his office. That
which he promises beyond his Office
is more than apt to fail, and SOM
| of the things he has done are apt "a
be undone. Now he stands In srert
danger of failing to do much that ~
proposes within his official func ion
and when he begins to ackGowled,;
error as he has done in he policy OF
appointing southern negroes he ma
terially weakens the force of his pres
tige. Those who oppose his IDEAS fer
any reason will take courage and
oppose all the harder.
with this weakening in declared
purpose and change of front in dis
tinctive policies there is also a per.
ceptible waning of personal populari'
ty which further encourages opposi
tion.
Altogether it appears possible if
not probable that the mighty Roose
welt is Fastening to his fall as mas
ter statesman and a popular idol.
II will not be surprising, though the
Record will regret to see II come 20
pass. for however much it has dis
sented from many of the president
views, it has roioiced to believe that
his election gave him an eXtraordi
nary opportunity to accomplish vast
amount of good for the people,-Rec
ord.