The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1908-07-03
DICTATORSHIP.

| teIul Oh ONCE Is drawing 10 Close.
has shown himself a resourceful
and rather extraordinary chief
magistrate of this Republic. Sell
asseitive and at times dogmatic in
his ideas of government, he has
very strongly impressed the peo-
pie with his individuality. They
have not failed to recognize his
Sclt-assertive personality. His
determination and forcefulness in
urging favorite policies have not
failed .to antagonize large con-
tingent in the Republican party.
The session of Coagress Ithat has
just closed, closely approached
the line of antagonism between
the legislative and executive
branches of the government. As
it is. the friction generated is like
ly to have marked effect on the
approaching presidential cam.
paign.
Roosevelt, in his ambition to
strengthen and continue his line
of policies. has approached rapidly
to the danger line of dictatorship.
He has already consolidated the
functions of the party he repres-
ents, in his own person.
He groomed Secretary Taft as
worthy successor to his admins
tration. and virtually secured his
nomination. He literally packed
the Convention with Taft adler
ents. As if to clinch the action
of the Taft adherents. it is pretty
well established that the platform
promulgated largely emanated
from the brain of President
Roosevelt.
Thus is displayed to the Amer
lean people the example of a lead
er of such determined will power
and personal dominancy, as. TO
have not only virtually dominated
the followers of his political party,
but 10 have concentrated in his
individuality all the functions OF
the party and to have distinctly
outlined their course of action.
So subservient and servile are the
Republican masses to the shib-
boleth of party discipline that
even the great leaders, with rare
exceptions. are actually afraid to
antagonize the empiracal rule and
sway of their chosen representa-
tives.
Such subserviency is fraught
with danger, not only to the coun-
try at large, but to the constitu-
tional privileges enjoyed by every
citizen as sovereign freeman
endowed with certain inalienable
rights. 1t is this encroachment of
the individual, clothed with auth
ority and power, that not only
threatens the inviolability of con-
stitutional guarantees. but will
gradually lead to the abrogation
of the rights and privileges enjoy
ed both by the citizens and the
States, and thus override and break
down the barriers which have thus
far preserved this great Union of
sovereign commonwealth.
So gradual, SO insidIous are
these encroachments that their
invasion of the fundamental prin-
ciples of this government are
scarcely noted and the danger
recognized, until in time the mail
ed hand of armed power has
riveted upon them the CHAINS OF
an imperial dynasty.
Roosevelt has become the ex-
ponent not only of the free inter
probation of the provisions of the |
constitution, but the outspoken |
advocate of giving elasticity to
the Interpretation of its preroga-
tives to suit emergencies that may
arise in seeming antagonism to
its declarations. 1t will take but
a comparatively short period TO
elapse until the people will be-
come indifferent to such elastic
and then parties will
override it with IMMUNITY TO per
peluate themselves in power. when