The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1909-01-22
SCATTERING THE IDOL
ANTAGONIST BETWEEN ROOSEVELT
and CONGRESS HAS LONG BEEN
GATHERING
Cherished Resentment At Assumption
OF High Virtues
From the y. Y. Evening Post.

A. aVAAA AiN ~ y . NSNEbiAiB ONts
The explosive quarrel between the
President and Congress is doubtless
a deep mystery to the average, mat
tentiye citizen. He cannot understand
the heat on either side. That Con-
gress had some provocation he per-
ceives, but excuse Tor the great ex-
element and vast indignation. II Is
not easy for him to find. The puzzle
ment OF the general mind is not I'M
like that which an American would
have who had just come home after
having been in the Arctic regions for
the past four years. He would have
left Mr.. Roosevelt the hero and idol.
he would have found him the subject
OF attack and denunciatIon. Such an
American. II a sensible man, would
know that this strange reversal this ef-
feet defective, comes by cause, and
would set himself to discovering that
cause. He would demand an expla-
nation which should be. as Montalgne
says, not more difficult Of belief than
the thing TO be explained.
The true account Of the controversy
and the bitterness goes far back. This
explosion Is not n matter Of day or
a week II was not a single unguarded
utterance OF the President that created
all this aninoslty against him. His
rash language let Il loose. but did not
cause H. The feeling Of antaRonIsm
and hostility had long been gathering
In Congress. III the Presidents mes
sage bad been all the AFFAIR could eaa-
ily have been accommodated So Mr.
Roosevelt evidently thought lie ex-
petted his explanatory message TO be
accepted Az satisfactory. Hut the long
accumulation Of dislike and emniiy
was seeking q vent. and u took this
one II was as II Congress had been
waiting for years for the Lord 10 de-
liver Philistlne into their hands. and
would not let go the opportunity to
rise and HmIte
All this however. only throws us
back on the question why Congress
should have been heAping up 30 in
tense hatred Of the President. Was
Il due 10 jealousy Of his popularity
Was II envy of his fame7 Was Il even
resentment at his dictatorial manners
None Of these things. Tho truth OF
the matter IL ~ delicate thing TO
state. but no one who has any &C
quaintancc with Congressman, no one
who knows Washington. can have any
doubt what that truth IT, II IN. in a
word, that Congress does not believe
In President RooAevelt'N moral sin
certify. II thinks him hypocrltical
lie has lectured Il aud the country
on truthfulueas, yet nine out Of ten
Congressman believe Mr.. Roosevelt
himself 10 be- habltuaiiy untrnthfnl
lie haa posed an champion Of fair
play, yet Congressman believe him to
light foul. They picture him rs liy-
inK IN. and dellRhtinR In. an atmos-
phere Of suspicion. intrigue. and cal
umny. His talk OF the square deal
they scon at az sheer prcience They
say that he protects fayorites. such
M Paul Morton and the Steel Corpo-
ration. white furioualy prosecuting
his enemies. or those whom he thinks
be- can make political capital by at
lacking In short. Congress N thor
0ughly convinced that all the superior
moral exhoriatlon which IL has had
from President Roosevelt. has come
from man who allows 10 himself the
thing he condemns In others
Mind. We do not say that Congress
II believes 10 b. true. CungreNHulen
may be- deceived but there can be no
question that this " what they hon
estly think about the President From
their nearby view for yeara. from
their comparing notes together from
their hearing Mr.. Rooseyelts words
and watching bis acts, they have come
10 the opinion we have described And
when they had n good chance TO OK
press by formal action their conviction
OF the Presidents inaincerity. they
could not stay their hands. This. we
believe. IL a rational explanation. and
the only complete explanation. OF the
action OF the House In Afraigning the
President for assertions "unfounded
In fact" IL was dislike and distrust,
long smoulderlng. at last breaking out
into flame. II was "A cherished resent
ment az hollow assumptions Of higher
virtue, expressing Itself In q verdict
OF disbelief In the exiatepce OF even
the lower virtue of speaking the truth.
On no other theory can we account for
the persistence OF Congress in refus-
ing all advances 60 patch up the diff
ferences with the President. and In
proceeding 10 record its deliberate
conviction that he had uttered the
thing that Is not II was simply Con-
gress doing collectively, what a great
majority Of it's members have long
been doing individually and privately
that IL, passing an adverse moral
judgment upon Mr. Roosevelt.
This Is what makes the business so
serious for the President. A mere
collision OF authority. he could AFFORD
to dismiss with a smile Even such
quarrel with Congress as would pre-
vent him from getting the measures
enacted that he desires. he might now
snap his fingers at His term Is near
ly over, Little would be done, any
how. Let II go, and hurry OF TO
Africa. But the rebuke OF Congress
strikes deeper than any formality, any
mere straining OF relations. In what
IL explicitly says, and In the tense
conviction that lies behind its words,
there IL an arraignment OF Mr.. Roose4
Welt from which he can escape by no
diversion, and which he cannot forget
or shake off by eYoking, through any
OF the articles at his command. the
old huzzas TO nttest his undimlnished
popularity. The real meaning of the
action OF Congress Is a moral dlsap-
proval OF the President. For the mo
ment, he may profess 10 scorn this. He
Is, however, too much OF an historian.
and too keen politician, not to know
how deeply Il Will cut into his repu-
tation when the books come To be