The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-10-31

feudal court.
~ far greater permanent and pract ical
Importance has been Mr. Roo~evelt's con-
cept that he could freely Use tho Fedora
powers entrusted tn him a. President TO
promote his personal ends, on the theory
that i am the State and that any at
front to him "a an individual was aimed
a. the State or this the libel suits which
Mr. Roosevelt directed and which 80 far
have come to an untimey end in the
courts are an illusi ration. hut far more
perth example Is one which - not 80
generally known
Several years after Mr. Roosevelt had
secured from Mr. Hartman political
contributions 81 t2oI 600 upon the v"iled
suggestion Of favorable attitude toward
transportation questions he conveyed "a
Mr. Hartman. in a later campaign. a
request Tor a further contribution Mr.
Hartman. who had found To hrs cost that
Mr.. Roosevelt could accept gifts and then
tAbuse the giver. refused 90 make il and IL
was reported to Mr.. Roosevelt hat IN do
! ing so Mr. Hartman had used an offensive
expression. To resent this purely PET
sonal Anront Mr. Roosevelt sent Tor one
! 81 his sppointer in the Interstate Com
merce Commission and direct 81 an inyes-
iigation Of the Union Pacific road The
lnve-ti CATION was not without value. but
its motive involved a belief on Mr ROos.-
velr's par that Federal powers were his
I personal implements - reward pr revenge.
When during the panic which followed
he feared that a reduction of wages 81
railway employees would aHcCt the
chances of his nay at the next elect ion
he direct ed the Interstate Commerce
Commission to invest gate any railway
| which presumed to adjust the cost "
labor to the conditions 81 panic which
then prevailed. and the credit IL the
railways had been so largely al -. 81 by
HE violent assaults that hey were power
less o st and fun her agiiat
think you will agree with me that II
business 10 to be regulated by a govern
mental commission ~ IL most important
N'AeA sNNh lFkhioAt'i NAaii nv Nv hNAlANtN
to perpetuate power and promote personal
ends. Otherwise an interruptions EAsc-
utve, with the enormous mowers now
concentrated in the President al Office.
can choke business into abj.ct submission
and perpei,Iate his tenure 81 Office almost
indefinitely. and n j. this serious phase
% C~ntralization-aS significantly Illus
trated by MIR. RoO-evelt- administration
that makes us apprehensive Of dan
gerous change IN Lhe whole character
u oar Government.
You contemporary resent the -uEg.S,-
ton that Mr.. Roosevelt - a dangerous
man. Can man be other than dan
gerou- whose passionate and vindic'ive
nature hetrnys hIn into such eScs-~-e-
and such Hagranr lapses from tue ideal
~ N" square DEAL Can We forget how
he condemned Tyr"r before he wos tried
and after hi-acqu,tjtl refused the pathetic
appeal Of diving man for tn. reputation So
plainly due him. Can We forget how in
moment Of passion lie dismissed and dis
gTaced n regiment ~ brave colpred sol
dier-. although m the most unfayorable
aspect to them not "a bakers dozen had
been guilty Of any crime Can We forget
the Freedom with which h" Imp.acf 81 the
veracity Of otEeT-. accompanied hv he
assertion Of irresponsIpili'y for any state
ment thai ws= 5i"i over his own signature,
a theory mich in practice an, united To the
Those Who love the simple and stately
III gritty 81 the republic have tolerated the-a
and similar exhibitions a. they felt that
IN time the people would estimate Mr..
Roosevelt and hi- acts az their true worth.
and IN any event they consoled them
selves with the reflection thai ur-.,r the
great unwritten principle which forbids
any President 20 servo more than two
terms this assimilation 81 the republic
to a bastard monarchy could not last
But for this principle there would have
been, outstanding Mr. Roosevelt
amazing popularity. a substantial move
ment TO impeach him and no President
ever more justly deserved impeachment
wv ms fil'NN 'onhOnef1 MS many
respa-ses on American ideals by the re-
fection that Mr. Roosevelt was not wholly
responsible because % his congenital tenn
peramentAl defects and that in any even,
his tenure 81 power would he short. and
this brings me To the pith ~ my reply to
your inspired argument.
The trainers % the Constitution sought
III 20 max" the Presidential ofica more
powerful than that Of any constitutional
ruler Will" not a king in fact. his bow
ers are extraordinary. and no one has
ever shown 40 fully the immens. no.-i-
bili'ies IN this respect 81 the Presidential
offic" ~ Mr. Roosevelt He canno,
without the consent Of Congress d.cl.r.
war. and yet he can precipi,a,e a war Nv
his acts He cannot confirm a treaty
without the consent of the senate. and We,
he can indefinitely carry ont a protocol
or modus vivendi until such tim" a. the
bsnate can be cajoled or inundated into
accepting their rejected treaty a. was he
,asa in fha Santn noppiO0,, ,,.,,