Omaha daily bee., 1908-02-19

TWo SIDES or ROOSEVELT.
Whatever else may be said of Presi-
dent Roosevelt, he is rich in critics. 1t
is doubtful II any other man in Amer
lean POLITICAL history has aroused so
much conflicting opinion as to the
merits of his work. the worth of his
policies and the position he will be
finally accorded by the historian of
the future. At present there seems to
be an irreconcilable conflict among
those who do not agree with the presi-
dent, both in and out of his party.
That their estimates do not agree at
any essential point has been strikingly
illustrated by two addresses, delivered
leader and the other by a democrat
close in the confidence of his party.
Champ Clark of Missouri entertained
and delighted the lower house in con-
gress the other afternoon with
speech of which Theodore Roosevelt
was the theme. On the same evening
former Governor Frank S. Black of
New York addressed the Home Market
club at Boston on the same subject,
and the speeches indicate peculiarly
conflicting estimates of Mr.. Roosevelt.
Mr.. Clark is a master of invective, a
forensic fighter and an entertainer.
Severe arraignment of the president
would have seemed natural from him,
yet he took the other tack and paid
the president hearty tribute. Poking
some fun at the presidents methods
of going into everything with a vim
that invites a contest. Mr.. Clark de-
clared that this extraordinary man
has waxed stronger and stronger by
waging battles and never in his mill
tant career has he loomed larger than
at present So far as he has advocated
the right ideas and mauled opponents
with his big stick, he deserves the un-
stinted praise and gratitude of all
lovers of our country"
In striking contrast is the flood of
villification directed at the president
by Mr.. Black at the Boston dinner.
In an outpouring of vitriolic epigrams
he accused the president of trying to
become a dictator, of being personally
unmindful of his pledges to the people
and of overriding congress to force his
personal views and personal opinions
into legislation. He declared that
most of the policies urged by the presi-
dent were un-American, unjust and un-
constitutional.
Before taking Mr.. Black too seri-
ously it may be well to remember that
he was defeated for denomination as
governor Of New York in 1898 by
Theodore Roosevelt. Although a can
didate again in 1900 the nomination
went to Mr. Odell. Mr.. Black then
senate, but was defeated. He places
all the blame for his political disasters
at the door of the president. Incl
dentally, in legal way, Mr.. Black
has always represented the interests
which the president has opposed and
which are most active in denouncing
the railroad rate law, the measures
regulating corporations and every step
looking to the curbing of corporate
domination in political affairs.
Aside from the personal equations
of Mr.. Clark and of Mr.. Black. their
conflicting estimates of the president
are natural. His policies have marked
new departure in American politics.
! They have been pushed forward over
the protests of the interests accus-
toned to having their own way at the
expense of the people. The president,
in many cases, has ignored the wishes
of his party leaders and appealed from
them to the people behind them. The
popular response has always been
forthcoming He has carried through
a railroad policy and like measures
to the discontinue of those who
through long years had been reaping
ill-gotten gains. While the Blacks and
the Clarks may differ about the presi-
dent the people have his place fixed
His policies have become established
and will be perpetuated by his sue
cessor. 1t is a closed season this year
for reactionaries.
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