Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-26
The "Old Guards" Scheme.

Some political leaders. so called. refuse
to learn their lessons. They hold OBJ
| stinately to their accustomed lines OF &C
ton and processes Of reasoning. Take
the men who are in titular control at
present OF the republican organization In
New York state. for an instance, dubbed
both in respect by their friends and in
irony by their critics the ''oid guard"
Of the party. They have just been ex-
posed in q bit of sharp practice which
has brought upon them the severe re-
buke OF the President. In their eager
ness to discredit and annoy the former
chief executive. then have overreached
themselves. and started In action an un-
mistakable tide Of public resentment.
Now II 10 stated that their program 10 to
put through the state convention plat
form declaring AGAINST direct primaries,
for which both the President and the ex-
President have declared, and then to
nominate Mr. Roosevelt for governor on
this declaration OF principles. This. they
conceive. will force upon him the re-
sponsibility for the state leadership, and
burden him with the result OF the cam
paign. II he runs and IL beaten. they
reason. he will be held accountable for
the party's reverse. II he declines the
nomination he win be charged with rec
Teancy IN the hour Of the party's need.
Regardless Of Mr.. Roosevelt's position
before the country, whether he is or Is
not an aspirant for the presidency in
1912. 1t 10 folly to assume that he would
be thus trapped. He II not sparing Of
his words. He Is not dun of comprehen-
sion. He will be present At the conven-
ttop q, v,sr~on - a Aa9A~nta A~btfuo Frov,
the beginning for the adoption OF a plat
form favoring direct nominations by the
primary system. He will doubtless make
1t plain that he regards this method Of
naming candidates n conducive to
popular rule as against ring domination
Presumably by the time the platform II
adopted he will stand 50 thoroughly COM
mitted to this policy that no human
power could possibly fasten upon him any
responsibility for the state result II the
party did not appeal to the people on the
direct nomination principle. II he runs
for governor OF the state II will be either
on q direct nominations platform. honestly
written. or on q platform OF his own
writing. In reputation Of that jammed
through the convention by the despairing
machine. He 10 quite capable OF SUBJ
sututtng ME own propoSitlon TOT tnat OF
the convention. II then he were defeated
the responsibility might be regarded 40
resting upon him, unless his party were
betrayed by its own 1prmer leaders.
However men may feel toward Mr..
Roosevelt, II must be acknowledged that
he Is Q force In our present political
situation. And in any contest with the
''old guard with Its record Of obstinate
refusal to consult with the people. It's re-
tention OF the dishonored methods of the
past, It's connection with the corrupt
schemes uncovered at Albany. its oppo-
sition to the policies Of the best governor
New York has had in many years. he is
certain OF far greater measure of public
confidence than can be commanded by
the professional politicians. who are now
scheming to get him I'm a hole