The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1909-02-25
Steers a Middle Course.

to the Hamiltonian theory, is essential
to an understanding Of the man and
his program. It is the avoidance Of
extremes-extremes of policy, that is.
If not Of language He is neither
reactionary nor a radical, but steers
middle course He candidly admits
that he has taken up some reforms to
forestall their being adopted later in
more pronounced guise. He warned
the railroads that if they refused to
accept government regulation they
might be forced to face the alterna-
tive Of government ownership. He
charged the trusts that if they did not
accede to his moderate proposals an
aroused public some day would force
upon them proposals that were not so
moderate. In the struggle between
capital and labor he has assailed both
sides with equal vigor wherever he
thought either went too far. He was
quite impartial in throwing verbal
bricks at ''the malefactor of great
wealth" and the supporter of the boy
cott .
In the matter of denunciations the
president plays no favorites. His com
pliments are like the rain in that they
fall on the just and the unjust. Today
1t Is a United States senator he i'm
pales, tomorrow labor leader and the
next day railroad king. The author
OF nature stories gets his, as do the
editor and the man who attempts to
quote presidential utterances
In the matter Of diplomacy and of
foreign relations the Roosevelt admin
fstration has challenged the attention
of the world. Maintaining the integ-
rity Of China, ending the war between
Russia and Japan, forcing Santo Do
mingo to- pay her debts, restoring or
der in Cuba, forcing out Castro III
Venezuela, the creation Of the republic
of Panama and the purchase ef the
French rights in the canal, the leading
part taken by America in the, ,Algeci-
ras conference and In The Hague
peace congress, the matter of handling
the delicate situation with Japan and
the virtual alliance finally made with
that country and greatest of all, the
forming of a closer union with all the
American republics these and many
other diplomatic results that we have
brought about, or have aided in bring
ing about, form notable chapter in
our foreign relations and have given
President Roosevelt and Secretaries
Hay and Root worldwide fame Never
has America stood higher as world
power than today. This is chiefly due,
of course, to the Spanish-American
war and to our growth in population,
wealth and commerce, but diplomacy
has also had it's part. Whatever we
may think of President Roosevelt at
home, there is no gainsaying his stand
ing abroad.
Secret of His Power.
Right here we approach the secret
of Roosevelt's power and one of the
most marked features of his admins
tration, factor that must be taken
into consideration in any estimate of
the man and his policies. 1t is his
personal popularity, a popularity that
has extended far beyond the bounds
may, the fact exists. 1t is that which
has enabled this president to break so
many presidents, to oppose large COM
binations Of capital, to castigate con
gress and the courts, to force through
new measures and bring others to the
forefront and finally to>name his own
successor, a thing that has never been
done before, at least so openly, in
American history The one thing that
has enabled the president to accom-
plish these results has been that the
people were behind him. At least he
! made his opponents think so, which
amounted to the same thing. A strik-
| ing illustration appeared but few
days ago. There is no doubt that the
entire American congress was bitterly
| incensed over the presidents message
on the secret service, and there is lit
tie question that some hostile action
would have been taken but for the
letters that poured in on congressman
from their constituents. It is not the
first time that opposition to Roosevelt
has been nullified or frightened off by
public opinion. Nor has the. support
been all or even chiefly partisan.
Democrats have shouted for his poll
cies and upheld his hands almost as
often as Republicans. They have
grumbled at his manners and de-
nounceds his methods, as have those
indeed in his own political household,
called him impulsive; reckless, impe-
rialistic, and what not, but when it
came to the crucial test they. were
lined up in his army. It has been one
of the anomalies of American politics
and can be explained only on the theo-
ry that, despite his shortcomings the
people have had faith in his honesty
and have believed that in the main he
was fighting their battles. 3