The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-01-01
TUESDAY. JANUARY 1, 1907.
The Campaign Against Roosevelt.

The Campaign Against Roosevelt.
Though the Presidential campaign OF
1905 is yet eighteen months distant, the
American people, with their usual fore
handedness. are eagerly discussing the
merits and availability of candidates for
the Executive Office. IN spite of his
declaration of two years ago that he had
no desire for another term in the White
House, President Roosevelt is the most
conspicuous figure in the discussion. The
reasons for his predominanee in the arena
Of Presidential politics are. first, that a
great many people believe Mr.. Roosevelt
is his own logical successor, notwithstand-
ing his evident disinclinaton 70 break
the third-term precedent, and, secondly,
that the President is obviously making
use, or intends making use, of his influ-
ence and prestige to secure the nomina-
ton OF a member Of his official family
who can be counted on TO carry 10 their
natural fruition the administrative and
legislative policies initiated by him. So
that the question of the Presidential sue
cession is whether, if we are not TO have
four years more of Roosevelt, we shall
continue to go forward along the path the
President has marked out for US in the
unique series Of messages embodying the
RoOseveltian political faith.
That the Presidents enemies, political
and other, fully understand the nature of
the issues involved in the Presidential
succession is sufficiently evident from the
method of the campaign now in progress
against him. We observe that from GER
tain quarters the attack is directed sig
niicantly enough toward the economic
features Of the Presidents programme.
and it apparently proceeds from the great
financial and corporate interests which
the President in pursuance Of what
he mas conceived TO be his public duty.
has antagonized, and whose schemes Of
aggrandizement he has. in some instances
thwarted. Aiding these interests, pur-
posely or unconsciously. is an army Of
disgruntled politicians and greedy Office
hunters who have not been favored In the
distribution OF the spolls. And lastly.
there are a number Of sincere and thought
ful men who fear that a strong man in
the Presidential Office, confident Of his
own abilities and unwedded TO precedent.
constitutes a real danger 20 our govern
rnaur1l iDrrfrrrrfoDe ,D,7 49, sr,---r--- .
in difficulties worse than the evils from
which We are attempting 10 fly.
We are not here concerned with tbs
personal aspects Of the campaign against
the Roosevelt administration, but with
the broader question whether that cam
paign is justified on its economic side. We
find, for example, so well-polsed a journal
as the New York Sun declaring that as a
consequence of President RooseveIts ad-
ministration-
Glass is arayed against class. The relations be-
tween the employer and the employed are destroyed.
and enmity and hatred have taken their place The
rich are held up 20 universal execration and are
assaulted in the plory which Mr. Roosevelt has built
for them. All over the land there is impatieuce
with the law and intolerance Of judges. The con
stituted authorities are set at defiance Men chafs
at the restraints which are the safeguards Of liberty
Labor. earning reward heretofore undreamed Of. IS
diseontented and unruly: it is mose than ever the
prey Of the inuumerabe agitators whose trade II Is
TO debauch and plumber It. II is losing its habit Of
thrift and industry. and its wages turn from
blessing to a curse. There is a greater unrest and
greater uneasness in the air than there was be
fore Sumter was fired on"
This appears TO US an exaggerated ac-
count Of the conditions existing in this
country. Even If true. it is an inverted
vision which would ascribe TO the official
acts or teachings Of President Roosevelt
the direful situation conjured up by the
sun. The social unrest came into being
before the election Of Roosevelt to the
Presidency, and all the other items Of
the Suns portrayal OF the unhappy state
OF the country could have been duplicated
in any Presidential administration within
the last twenty years. The truth is that
these conditions. where they exist. are
due TO quite other causes than the course
of the Executive. They might with much
more show Of reason be attributed to the
attitude and behavior OF the masters OF
finance and captains of industry. whose
lately revealed dishonesty. disregard of
law and fragrant breach of trust have
so amazed the country. II the spread Of
radical opinion be menacing. then pred
atory wealth is a thousand times more
responsible Tor it than President Roose-
velt More spectacular than anything
President Roosevelt has done, more in
nuential in molding radical public senti-
ment. have been the rise Of colossal for
tunes built up by monopoly and the
grasp of power-threatening to become
coeval with that of the government it
self-by group OF half a dozen multi
miIiOnaires. President Roosevelt's eco
nomic programme is a conservative force
compared with the lessons brought home
to the people by the doings Of our in
dustrial and financial nagnates.
We do not believe the people Of the
United States are ready to repudlate the
economic policy Of the administration. It
is. in fact, the one feature of Mr.. Roose-