The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-11-17

cause they deserved to lose owing to
the political corruption long prevail
ent i'm that State.
Another and much fairer view OF |
the Roosevelt influence is furnished by |
one of the staff correspondents of the |
Boston Transcript. The Transcript, |
as is well known, is one of the fairest
of American newspapers. 1t is Re- !
publican, with independent leanings,
represents the best, the cleanest and
the sanest thought of the party and
never has been an anti-Roosevelt pa
per. The correspondent writes as fol-
lows:
when we look at the personalities
of the struggle, as they have emerged
from the months campaigning, at
tention goes first to that of Colonel
Roosevelt, who helped his opponents
make him the center of the contest
and by his violent methods and disre-
gard, frequently, of the particular
facts with which he was dealing, kept
furnishing day by day more and more
material for the Democrats to use,
and more and more disguised thinking
people, whatever their views on the
actual issues at stake.
of Colonel Roosevelt wants to keep
control of the Republican organiza-
ton, he must give it better leader
ship than it has enjoyed since the Sar-
atoga convention. If he expects, at
the end of another two years to take
it to victory, he must have developed
the willingness to have campaign
conducted on the issues actually in
volved. and not on the basis of his
own explosive personality. 1t is hard
to say what would have happened in
New York if Colonel Roosevelt had
providentially been stricken with apha-
STA as soon as the Saratoga conven-
ton adjourned. Stated differently, if
Governor Hughes last spring had post
poned accepting the Supreme Court
position long enough to finish the win
ming fight he was then conducting
with the Legislature, and, conse-
quently, had dominated the party's
choice of a ticket and it's adoption of
a platform, it is a debatable question
with the odds somewhat on the Re
publican side, how the State campaign
would have resulted.
/
paign been made on Governor Hughes
record, instead of on Colonel Roose-
velts no matter what Republican can
didate was bearing that record before
the State the adversaries would have
been ROBBED of their choicest weap-
ons, the bargain between reactionary
financial interests and Tammany Hall
would have been properlyset forth
N oil PnncnUn1t
harangues-the weaknesses of the
Democratic candidates would have
been adequately capitalized against
them, and the honest Democrats and
Independent Republicans up the State
would have had a chance to stop and
think what and who they were vot-
ing for. before casting their ballots.
True. dissatisfa ction at the record of
the Taft administration on the tariff
and the cost of living argument would
have played part, and what part we
have no adequate means of telling, on
account of the absolute confusion into
which the campaign developed under
Colonel Roosevelts handling"
The Roosevelt of today is very diff
ferent from the Roosevelt of the early
years of his Presidency, and the change
is a source of keen regret to thou
sands of patriotic Americans who
were long his ardent admirers
During the past few years he has been
growing more and more erratic and
quarrelsome, impatient at any opposi-
ton, noisy and clustering, autocratic,
increasinly radical in his ideas and
spectacular in his methods, and quick
to give the lie to men whose reputa-
ton for veracity is us good as his own.
1t is probable that the election of
Judge Baldwin, a Democrat, as Gov
ernor of Connecticut is due more to
Roosevelt's violent and Incorporate
letters than to any other cause.
That Mr.. Roosevelt has been a
great leade. and has accomplished
much good is a fact that cannot be
disputed successfully; but the Jour
nal wishes that the Roosevelt who
was the gallant civil service reformer,
the Roosevelt who during the first few
years of his Presidency bore himself
with such dignity and self-restraint
that his political enemies We're COM
PEELED to praise him, might come back
to us once more. The country needs
Theodore Roosevelt at his best, but has
been getting him at his worst, of late.
1t is idle to suppose that reform poll
cies must be conducted with the spec
tacular, disagreeable and dangerous
accomplishments that have attended
Mr.. Roosevelts later activities.
Charles E, Hughes, operating within
the limits of single State has achiev-
I ed notable reforms that have exerted
profoundly beneficial effect upon the
whole nation. He has accomplished
this task quietly and in a dignified
manner, wholly free from sensation
alism. He has not hurled epithets at
his opponents. He has not criticised
judges or courts. He has not created
confusion and turmoil wherever he
has gone. His career is an illustra-
ton, If any were needed, that the
Roosevelt methods of reform were I'M
necessary. While the Republican de-
feat in New York is a serious disas-
ter, and greatly to be regretted, if it
shall convey to Mr.. Roosevelt the les
son he needs so much to learn-that
his later methods are distasteful to a
majority of his fellow citizens il will