The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-01-13
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American Idol

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IL may came as a shock to great
many Of Mr.. Roosevelts admirers in
England to be told that for year past
there has been well founded belief
that he regretted extremely his some;
what hasty declaration on the night OF
election that he would not again be
candidate and that he has been willing
to accept the nomination II It should
be offered to him. 1t will, perhaps. be
greater shock to them to be told
lthat many people are fully convinced
that Mr.. Roosevelt was endeayoring to
manipulate public sentiment SO as to
force his nomination. In word the
sincerity OF Mr.. Roosevelt's motives
was questioned. and it is said that
which robbed him of much of his In
auence. / do not impugn Mr.. Roose'
velt,s sincerity. l do not question his
motives. nor do know whether pub
lie opinion does him an injustice be-
cause It is not possible for any man
to look into another mans heart. !
merely state very widespread belief
The favor of the mob is proverbiaily
Ackle. The mutabIe many can easily
be swayed. The psychology Of pop
ulartty no one knows, but the swift
ness with which the crowd swings
IL In.
from the pole of like to that OF dis'
like has been demonstrated time and
again. The Americans are volatile
people, and their heroes of the morn
ing have not infrequently been their
Williams OF the night. Not one, but
many things combined to sap Mr..
Roosevelt's popularity The belief
that he was fishing for the nomina'
ton was perhaps the greatest out
there were others. When the first
time the President publicly branded a
man liar 1t was hailed by the I'M
thinking as courageous" when he did
If the second time its proprtety was
questioned; when he did it the third
time the iudicious grieved; when ne
did it for the tenth time people sail
they wished the President would eXer'
else greater restraint. When he first
began his crusade against 1.-THE Grimm
al rich" the virtuous poor prayed that
his right arm might be strengthened,
and they were filed with hope. The
people we're with him because they be-
lieved some good would result, but
nothing come but disturbance and dis
tress. The difference between reb'
ell and patriot is merely the diner
ence between failure and success-the
hangman or the founder of dynasty.
Mr.. Roosevelt led rebolt against the
established order, but it was necessary
for his own fame that he should
triumph He has not. That asser-
ton cannot be denied. The great wave
oral reform t;lundered In the ears
of the public and flung itself on the
breakwaters of capitalistic greed.
which 1t left untouched. 1t spent itself
In wrecking some small craft. but the
leviathans against which its fury was
directed was unchanged.
There is no need to question Mr..
Roosevelt's motives: to him may be
attributed motives magnificent in their
idealism. But the world cares more
for the practical than 1t does for the
ideal. His idealIsm has produced moth
ing; he is one of the unsuccessful reb-
els of history. Nor would 1T be fair
to attribute to him the sole responst-
bility for the panic of month or two
ago, and the hard times that now, I'M
fortunately seem imminet; but he
cannot escape much Of the responsible.
ity. Not with elaboration, we may
be sure, but with result as disastrous
as II he had carefully planned 1t, his
crusade shook confidence and made
capital timid. Foreign investors
became frightened. Long ago I point.
ed out the danger that the President
was inviting, and warned the readers
OF the Morning Post to be prepared for
what has happened. 1t was folly for
Englishmen to put their money into
company that might be ruined over
night by a monstrous fine. When the
President of the United States pro-
claimed the dishonesty of the mana.