The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-10-26

cr patriot than most Of his supporters
throughout the country have claimed,
Is the assertion Of his intimate friends
as shown by the position he assumed
at the New York Republican conyen.
ton at Saratoga.
Ever since his return from Africa
the Republican radicals from an parts
of the country have swarmed about
him. urging that he take the leader
ship Of the ultra-insurgents, and pro.
missing that IT he would do so they
would deliver to him i'm 1912 the pre-
sidental nomination. il he wanted IT,,
or deliver 1t 10 the man of his choice,
If he did not want It himself. They
assured him that the progressiyes
would sweep the country, and when
the primaries We're held it was found
that they had made good.
Yet when the New York Republicans
held their state convention, the radi-
Gals We're disappointed that Mr.. Roose-
welt did not stand on radical declara-
ton of principles. They had assured
him over and over again that if he
would do so he would be a greater
man in defeat than he would be in
victory on any other terms, and they
earnestly desired that he should lead
a forlorn struggle in the state conven-
ton, fight for a platform denouncing
President Taft and crying down the
Payne bill as evidence that Mr.. Taft
| has been recreant to his trust.
"The trouble with the progressive
movement, and it was pointed out by
| Mr.. Roosevelt the moment he came to
analyze it," said one of the intimate
friends referred to, who was a dele
gate at Saratoga and in touch with
| Mr. Roosevelt there, was this: The
progressives of no two states agree
concerning what progressive Repub-
licanism means. 1t means honesty in
public offices, of course said Mr..
Roosevelt, but it's advocates have not
yet arrived at that central point for
their starting ground. In one state
| the progressives make a tariff com
mission the issue, in another it is anti.
Cannonism, in another Aldrichism
Again as in California, it rests upon
antagonism to the Southern Pacific
railway Yet they tell me | am res
|
ment. If l am, then it rests upon
morality in public and private life, fol-
that is the doctrine that have preach
ed, and that is the flag l must fly
These isms will disappear when thai
doctrine prevails. If, in the meantime
l earn the disapproval of my friends
who are grieved because l do not take
up all their individual issues, l shall
have TO make the best of it,
1--WE went to Saratoga. There we
found the same multiplicity OF
opinions among the delegates as tC
what ought to be done as is found
among the progressives of the several
states. An analysis of the situation
worked out as follows on the inside OF
the Roosevelt camp:
81. Our prime duty was to knock
out the CRATER and the crook who
were in control of our politics.
"2. AS a means to this end, much
the most important instrument, mex
to the turning out of the old guard
was a declaration for direct primaries
"3. We could rally a majority or
these two issues, but that majority
was composed in part of men who
were uninterested about the tariff, OF
even hostile to the tariff commission
idea and in favor of the old system
and
a. 1t was in part composed Of mel
who are sincere believers in Mr.. Tai
and support him, and who. though
they like Mr.. Roosevelt, would hav,
supported Mr.. Taft on an issue be
tween the two. This was particular,
true of certain federal office holders.
Under these circumstances, it wa
open to Mr.. Roosevelt to insist OF
fighting for everything he believes in
; without concession or compromise
and to have pleased his friends amonj
the progressives by denouncing MI
Taft and by dwelling upon the flaw
! of the Payne tariff law. But if he ha,
made the fight on these lines, he woul,
Z have combined every possible elemen
in the convention against himself, an,
at the most he would have had be
tween 100 and 200 votes in that body
At the same time he would have givel
the majority of his honest supporter
in New York-men who condemn col
ruption in business and in politics
, and believe in the rule of the people
, the uncomfortable feeling that he wa
not only an impracticable zealot, bu
| l. ,,,,c ,,op,.n for hi