Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-03-07
RoosEvELT's OPPORTUNITY.
Remains for Him to Show His Rea
Strength of Character.

Springfield Republican.-Mr Roose
velt's present experiences teach fol
one thing the danger involved in ac
curing too great popularity The
American people are not the most
mercurial in the world, but they are
human, they have their moods and fit
full changes. and extreme manifesto.
tions of feeling in one direction in
vite, by certain law of nature, ex,
treme reactions.
Last summer, soon after the conclu
sion of peace between Russia and ia
pan, as noted by the Washington cor
respondent of the New York Journal
Of Commerce the president had the
whole country at his feet. 1T makes
no difference now what the president
does a prominent Washington off
cial is quoted as saying at that time
he can do as he pleases and congress
register his opinions" 1t is said that
Mr.. Roosevelt himself never lost his
head to the extent of accepting any
such estimate of his popular power oil
its enduring quality and recognize,
that while his popularity seemed tc
be great it could not last in such ex
treme measure
But it may be doubted whether the
president then considered as possible
what has come 10 pass within a few
months-a severe strain in his rela
tons with congress, growing criticism
and untenability o some of his
dearest measures AMI acts of public
policy. and various evidences of 'rri
liability in the public temper rnlati'
to him, such as have been brought out
by little matters like the expu ion OF
Mrs. Morris from the white house, for
which he was in no wise responsible
The attitude of congress toward him
has changed radically, the attitude of
the newspaper correspondents at
Washington is changing, aud that OF
the public is certainly undergoing ma
terial modification. Where before
was unstinted praise, undiscriminat-
ing approval and un-American adula.
ton, there now succeeds a more ques-
tioning, critical challenging spirit,
The smooth sailing under successfully
increasing measures OF triumph and
popularity which has thus far been
mis- lot ever since coming into the
presidency now faces another pros
pect. and it is quite possible that the
law of compensation will impose
much more trying times for the re-
mainder of his term If such be the
case Mr.. Roosevelt viii be subjected
TO new tests better calculated to bring
out the qualities of true greatness and
strength of character than any which
have so far been applied
It has been observed that only
three presidents in the country's his
tory have gone out of Office in the
midst of as great popular enthusiasm
and regard as they went into office.
One was washington. the other Jeffer-
son, and the third Jackson, Jeffer
son in retirement at Monticello was
rs much sought after and as inluen
tial as when welding the great pow
ers of the chief executive Office, AMI
the same is true of Jackson. But
both Of them had stormy administra-
tions, encountered the bitterest oppo-
sition throughout. and were as cor
daily distrGsted and mated on the one
side as they were cheered and sup
ported on the other
Very different circumstances have
so Tar attended Mr.. Rooseve1ts presi-
dental career. and may very prob
ably force a different outcome. He
has reached and apparently passed
his climacteric in popularity and pow
- and it is not easily possible that
so unusual a position Of unopposed
and unassailable ascendency can be
recovered. 1t were bitter that it
should have come toward the end Of
him term. worked out from more IN
promising beginnings but conditions
not within his control have decreed
otherwise. But the change viii pre-
sent a far greater opportunity for
demonstrating superior worth and &C
quiring a genuine and lasting public
esteem and Mr.. Roosevelts capacity
for making the most OF It is now or