The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-21
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having voluntarily declared his posi- tive unwillingness to become q second time the candidate of his party for the office he holds so strenuously. Not week passes but some member of con gress takes the floor and tells us that he must" set aside personal consid- erations and again permit the use of his name,
 The latest contributor to this un- friendly philosophy of broken pledges Is United States Senator Bourne of Oregon. In an interview given under the very walls of the White House he says that President Roosevelt does not possess such small mental or moral call ibre as to prefer a mistaken consist ency of purpose in adhering to de- claration given in 1904 rather than obedience to the commands of the peo- pie" Upon no other theory than the offensive one that MT. Roosevelt is a person who does whatever he does without mature thought can any one set forth such sentiments as we now find expressed by the oregon senator. We admit that the conditions under which President Roosevelt gathered about him, upon the evening of elec- ton day, the newspaper correspond ents and solemnly assured them that under no circumstances would he ever again become candidate for the pres- idency were slightly theatric but we | have never doubted his sincerity. Gratifed at the support given him by 1 the electorate, face to face with the lrealization that the dream of his life had been accomplished, and subdued by the enormity of his responsibility to- wards the permanency of free institu- tions, he solemnly registered a VOW and 1t is that solemn VOW that Senator Bourne refers to as "a mistaken con sistency of purpose" There is a va cant place for this senator In the Pres ident's rogue's gallery.
 But this Is not all that Senator Bourne has to say upon the subject For example: 'The prattle about ar endorsement of Roosevelt and his poli- cies is not complimentary to the intel l ligence of our national electorate There are no Roosevelt policies. They are the peoples policies, demanded by them for decades. Certainly the peo, pie must endorse their own policies. If the policies which have captured the imagination of the country are mol Roosevelts policies, charge we be lieve made originally by Mir Bryan but the policies of the people them selves and they are unable to ge them enforced except through the re- nomination of a man who feels sC deeply the influence of tradition, as to decline in advance to aid II their deliberate fracture, the job whicl confronts the country is not that O seeking salvation through questionable means, but of reorganizing the eleetor ate so that the people can have wha they want. In short, there is no prat tle" in the discussion. The point i that raised by President Roosevelt, { patriotic man, that an injury would b, done American traditions and institu tions if any one man was thought to b, essential to their continuance.
 There is still broader view whicl not a few of the friends and admirers of President Roosevelt advance to off set and silence, if possible, thiI thoughtless talk of his renomination They give him full credit for having toned up the country at a time whei morals, both political and commercial appeared to have reached the break
 ing point, but they in addition asl themselves if the country, which ha been so stoutly stimulated, should no be permitted to digest it's medicine, un der the care of an equally patrioti, nurse and one a trifle less strenuous President Roosevelt may be said t have rung the fire alarm bell at tn
 right moment and saved a confiagra
 ton. The fire Is now believed to b under control. People will sleep bet
 ter if the bell is kept reasonably quie until confidence has been bit restor ed. Nor need there be fear as |, the effect upon the country. We prob ably shall not be able to find anothe Roosevelt at once, but we are not &
 short of presidential raw material tha further impetus should be given movement, which involves his violation of a sound pledge, on the one hand and a confession on the part of the peo ple. on the other hand that they ar no longer capable of governing them selves.