Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-05-07
ADDICKs PAYS RESPECTS
TO PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT

The SUM- Addieks organ.
The Presidents alleged political sense
begins to appear very much like non
sense. Why, after all that has been said
and done in the long fight in this State
against minority bolter rule, and in
which Senator Alice has figured as the
subordinate, and not the chief among
Union Republican leaders, should the
President look to him to bring harmony
out of chaos What had the Senator
done In what had he demon
strated his ability to solve a problem in
which the ablest and most prominent of
Republican leaders, including the Presi-
dent himself, had failed We assert
that from the beginning of this contro-
versy until now, through all the inter
vening State and National campaigns
in National Conventions and State Con-
ferences-there has been no occasion
when Senator Alice has approached near
enough to the character and place of a
leader TO inspire confidence in observers,
interested or otherwise, whose views of
the matter at issue was broad enough to
include all the facts-all the men and
interests involved. In the several Ma
tional Convention contests he did not
rise above the mere level Of the delega-
tion membership. In State Conven-
tions his work has always been secondary
and in the local negotiation when tickets
were being unmade in favor of bolter
candidates, he has invariably cham
pioned the cause Of the minority. not
only widening the breach between the
party and the boilers, but creating a sus-
picion and distrust of his sincerity as a
Union Republican, that had eliminated
in a determination to revolt against his
policy as chairman of the State Com
mittee, by the Union Republicans of this
county. This was the condition Of
things when. il is alleged the President
of the United States Cooked to Senator
Alice to bring harmony out of the chaotic
political conditions in this State"
Further than that, the understanding
upon which the President looked to
Senator Alice to bring about harmony in
State politics, involved the political be-
trayal, by the Senator of his best friend;
an attempt to ruin the leader in whose
following he, the Senator, had reached
a position that otherwise would have
been absolutely unattainable It is al
legged, in the current comment on this
affair that the President promoted that
betrayal and rewarded the doing Of it
/ by the bestowal Of patronage, and that
he did this expecting the parties upon
whom the Senator bestowed il. would
betray the party and disrupt the or
| ganization of which they are members
in favor of the minority bolters of the
State. This was 10 be brought about
by bribery. Men we're to be bribed to
betray their party, party leaders, and
subscribe 10 a principle minority rule
! enforced by autocratic power-abhor-
rant to and destructive of popular govern
ment. The men who have been pro-
noting this vicious movement are the
parties who have been howling themselves
hoarse in opposition TO bribery and cor
ruption in politics. The enormity of
this proceeding cannot be estimated upon
any ordinary judgment Of politics It.
involves men at the apex Of political in
! tuence and power; men whose exalted
positions is supposed to indicate exalted
personal characteristics -rectitude be-
you'd impeachment and honor above
suspicion IL cannot be expected that
the politics Of the street politics Of
election day and Of the voting booths.
will be absolutely above suspicion, or
that all the voters. without regard to cir
cumstances, will cast ballots absolutely
clean and representing mortality and
patriotism, but the appearance OF such
things is expected, at least, in high place
and among rulers of the land.