Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-06-21
THE PRESIDENTS POPULARITY.

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In the light Of the recognized wisdom
of the suggestiou made by Robert Burns
in his Lines to IL LOUISE that 1t is well
sometimes to see ourselves as others see
us, the recent Observations of Mr.. A.
Maurice Low, the English correspondent
at Washington II the London National
unpopularity Of President Roosevelt, in
whom We all claim property, have a
timely interest. Mr.. Low remarks that
when Mr.. Rooseoelt entered on his first
term as elected President there was no
man in all the wide world perhaps to he
quite SO envied as he. In the prime of
his mental and physical vigor. a dazzling
personality, who appealed as strongly to
the imaginatioN of Europe as he did to
hat Of his own countrymen, The choice
not only of his party but also of a large
section of the party nominally opposed
to him: his triumph was made doubly
great by a popular majority ~unexampled.
/ ana the Sppttdtlb bl an OpIbll'Il Iol
merely defeated but utterly routed. "A
year ago. says Mr.. Low, "the Republi-
can party was united as 1t has never
before been in its history; the Democratic
party was rent into factions, as it has
never before been. Even then. although
every republican was flushed by victory
there were republicans who feared fol
the future. A prediction made to me or
the day of Inauguration by a republican
is elected, this man said, unanimously
one might almost say. and he Will so out
unanimously. Four Years from now he
will have destroyed the Republican party
and have created a solid fighting Demo.
cratic party Is his prediction being fast
verified? If republican senators and mem
I have been told by several men OF grcal
prominence that Mr., Roosevelt has dis
rupted the party; that the division o. tho
party is now as great as it was in the
Democratic party when he came into of
flee. They say that Mr.. Roosevelt is sole.
ly to blame for this
Mr.. Low quotes the critics Of the Presi,
dent as saying, in substance:
The President has not only preached
against the rich and the great corpora
tons, but he has held up to scorn ant
| nnnfnInnt n a 4, u ,,.tt in hiDl ln,a.. Ia.
has given encouragement TO every sensa,
tion-monger to attack men who shoul,
command the respect of the country. ant
these attempts to represent senators. rep.
resentatives and other men of promin.
ence as dishonest and corrupt, in leagu,
with the rich and the enemy of tn,
poor. have given the encouragement to
the radical socialists, whose justification,
Tor IA Encouragement of society is tn,
~rottenness of existing social conditions.
His critics, at least the majority of them
cxonerate the President from havine
wantonly produced this state of affairs
They say it comes from the defects of hi,
temperament, from mis- love of preaching
from his habit of speaking on the spul
or the moment. But although they may
absolve him of having, with premedita.
t'pH' s'uSHt 10 brlnS ABOUT the COndt
lions that now exist. they nevertheless
blame him for it.
In summing up the matter. this Eng.
lishman believes that Mr.. Roosevelt
has lost some of his popularity, anC
that he Is less strong to-day than he
was when he was elecxed in 1904, bu,
he adds that it is also a fact which nc
one gainsays, that the masses still have
FOR him the almost passionate afec,
ton which they have displayed evei
since he entered the White House
They regard him as their champion
they admire his vivid personality; the,
look upon him as the one homes mar
who has been bold enough to fight en-
trenched corruption in their interests
In this view Of the case Mr.. Low Is
doubtless correct. The President is not
as universally popular as he was IF
teen months ago. Then nc republican
congressman would have dared to say
to hin as Congressman Wadsworth did
last week In a published letter; "You