Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-07
Moral Effect of Roosevelt.

IL is too early to determine with eX-
actitude the general effect OF Mr..
Roosevelt's seven years occupancy OF
the presidential chair on the destiny
of the nation. II Is impossible that
so vigorous and assertive a person as
he should occupy this high office for
so long a term and not produce some
lasting impression on the anairs oil
the country OF which he is a citizen
Time alone can actually demonstrate
what he did for the people, but at
present one thing seems too plain
He stamped his administration with a
rugged honesty, both of purpose and
of practice, that is having its reflex In
the affairs of the nation generally, and
in this way. if in no other, he rendered
a service distinct and valuable.
American statesmen have never
been deeply impressed with that pecu-
liar quality Of governmental eptitude
which, while avoiding direct mem
dacity. evades the plain truth while
preserving its semblance. the
Venezuelan controversy with Great
Britain arose under the second admin
istration of President Cleveland one
of the correspondents at Washington,
who represented the London Times as
well as serving a number OF American
papers, expressed a fear that war
would result because of the lack OF
skill in diplomacy on the part of
Americans in authority. MIR. Olney
will approach the topic with the
abruptness of a Yankee lawyer wrote
this correspondent, in trepidation, and
then explained that Lord Salisbury,
accustomed to the delicate approach
Of men versed in the methods of Met
ternich and %Talleyrand and similar
~quibblers, would find in the sudden
thrusting upon him of the naked truth
such an affront as could only be re-
scented by arms. 1t turned out that
Mr.. Olney did approach the topic with
just such bluntness of expression as
the correspondent seemed to dread,
and that Lord Salisbury was con-
fronted with the alternative of back
ing up or fighting. And he backed up.
%Unhappily. this example did not find
all classe~ of Americans eager to emu
late, and while our craftsmanship
abroad has not suffered. much that
pertains to things at home did, and a
strange belief developed, mainly to the
effect that if the thing was done by a
! corporation and was profitable, it was
all right.
Mr.. Roosevelt has labored hard and
earnestly to destroy the fallacious no
ton hat might is equivalent to right,
If the might is exerted by a gigantic
combination of capital. Without aim
ing at or undertaking to destroy any
I business interest, or to hinder com
nlerce or industry in the least, he
sought to establish the square deal
rule and to prove that in all things
honesty is the best policy. The i'm
pressive spectacle of the government
pursuing trusts that have violated
written as well as unwritten laws, the
seeking out and Furnishing of rebate
takers and bribe-givers, and the gen.
eral condemnation that has been Wis.
tied on all forms of dishonesty, public
and private, by Roosevelt must for the
present stand as the dominant note OF
his administration. His service has
been to restore common honesty to its
proper place in our national and indi.
vidual relations among ourselves and
with the world. and the moral effect
of such service must be good.