The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-16
DEFENSE or PARTIES.

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 DEFENSE or PARTTES.
 In his second lecture in the Dodge course at Yale University the brilliant Secretary of State, MT. Root, gave one of the most interesting talks we re- member to have seen on the subject eC polltical parties and the relation of ,he putlic to them. As in the case of his lecture the night before upon the gen. eral subject of good citizenship, he was beset evidently with the Knowledge that there is but little to be sal rev, but he is entitled to the satisfaction Of having phrased it in a manne, 10 eX- cite interest and stimulate inquiry. it may be said, however, that such views a5 Secretary Root holds in comm5n witl men everywhere who have peel,od behind the curtains which so often conceal political operations from 'hc pulhc, and perhaps taken q hand in the game, cannot be too often repeated by men whose station in life is high.
 secretary Roots lecture ,aat even ing Is the more timely, if no, signiG- caut because of the unprecedented po- sition in which the political parties of thc country find themselves today. President Roosevelt's picturesque man ncr oe undertaking and doin5 things has so captured the imagination of the American public that it is difficult to find the party lines as they are usual ly drawn upon the political map. MT. Bryan, with considerable show of truth, has charged that all of the presidents popular achievements owe their origin to him, and if that is so the presidents popularity makes im- possible the careful study of parties, which in the abstract ATr. Root makes 1 before the students of Yale. The state ment has been made over and over again by admirers of the President 1 that should he offer himself a second time for the suffrages of the voters he would be overwhelmingly elected, which is in itself a statement of politi- cal conditions which carries us, not to the contemplation of political parties as they relate to the progress of the country, but to the contemplation of a fascinated people who are ready to let parties slide, To To be sure the refusal of President 1 Roosevelt to run again may by the force of it's own momentum re-align the old political organizations and re- new that helpful political bitterness and strife which prevailed in the day, which appear to have gone but that is clear not his idea; he seeks to con. troI the next republican convention and name it's candidate in order that the fascination which he has personally exercised over the voters may continue to do it's perfect work of declmation,
 But assuming that there are still two political parties in the country to- day ready to serve the people after the historic manner of parties, Secre- tary Root Is right in Identifying tn, causes for ills of which such frequent complaint is made. Where party man. agement has dropped into the control of vicious men and away from the con. trol of representative men, the fault is not that of the former; it is the fault of the latter, whose natural allies have deserted them at an hour when thelI support was necessary to overthrow the corruptionists. "Such a condition of political affairs" says MT. Root, "is always due to the fact that the citi- zens who are honest, upright and pub, lic-sprited, who would not prostitute party power to personal advantage who would not make a party organiza ton corrupt combination to secure place and profit, fail in the perform. ance of their public duty and permit the party organization, which limits and restrains the exercise of their DO. HticaI power, to remain in the hands of unworthy and self-seeking men" w took occasion yesterday in commenting upon Secretary Roots first lecture tc inquire if he would really call mar who neglected his political duties "a highly educated man" So in this sec. ond connection we would inquire i linen who knowingly let the vicious land corrupt run off with the politica Imachinery in their localities ought t, i be referred to as honest, upright anl , public spirited"
 We very much fear that if thes, honest uprighc and public spirited were personally called to account fo ] .s1