The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1910-05-07
ROOSEVELT AND BENEVOLENT
DESP0TISM.

Colonel Watterson admittedly peer among the
greatest editorial writers in America, foretells In his
paper the Courier-Journal, y the fall Of the
public of the United States. Here is how he is
quoted by the Literary Digest:
IF the people are sick and tired of the slow
processes of constitutional procedure; if they
want in the White House a President who disre-
garding the letter of the law, will substitute his
Interpretation of its spirit and intention; if
they think that the reign of hypocrisy and cant and
graft which marks our professional politics may
be ended by the absolutism of a ruler who, as
Roosevelt himself puts it, translates his words into
deeds, and who, charged with the cleansing of the
Augean stables by election putting the seal of the
popular approval upon conceded excuses in the
Of power and bidding him to go forward and apply
the remedies to a disease otherwise incurabe,
then Theodore Roosevelt fills the bill to perfection,
for he comes from the family of the Kings of Men
and is neal descendant of Caesar and Cromwell.
H thus called up the dangers or benefits
whic, aay follow this striking conjunction of the
hour nd Ii uan, Colonel Watterson tells us that
all history Las agreed that the best of all govern
ment Is a vse and benevolent despotism.' He
adjures Ii. brother editors calmly to consider
whittier We are drifting, adding in conclusion:
+Before we get into the acrimonies of party
conflict the Courier-Jouna asks its contemporaries
or levity, and to answer to themselves, amid the
blaze of light which casts aureoe about our wan
dering Ulysses whether representative government
in America is failure, and whether the only cure
for the evils which are admitted is the one-man
power; because they may be sure that the return
of Theodore Roosevelt to power will be so con-
st1ued by Europe, and that this account the de-
inonstration of monarehism has its chief signifi-
cance"
The 'Ereign of hypocrisy, cant and graft de-
plored by the colonel is here to stay. Conditions
must become worse before they begin to improve,
and the improvement will mean the abolition of the
republic, the establishment of constitutional
or perhaps the 'wise and benevolent des-
potism'' Landed by the colonel. The Americans of
the future will be fortunate if military despotism
does not proceed the wise and benevolent govern
ment
Let take leaf from the contemporary his
tory of Republican France, which is now drifting
towards the cataract. During the last days of the
empire, from 1860 to 1870 the number of civilians
n the government was 100000 The number now
n the service of the republican government is 9OO
200. This represents an expense of some $28O,OOO-
700 year; this from total of $S20,0OO,000 How |
ong can France stand it. Remember the number |
# these civilian employees is constantly increasing
md must continue to increase Conditions make
or it. for the greater the number the greater the
of votes
How fares it with ourselves. From all quar-
ers are throwing themselves upon the re-
ources of the government, which knows not how to
dispose of them. The grand total Of all the civil
ans employed by our government today is $4,000.
n 1907 the number was 306,141. or an increase in
title. than two years Of 1924 civilian en-
loyes These figures are from the government
Blue Book and are therefore official These
zen in government employ will run up to 100000 in
few years and, by an memorable law of democratic
overnment, must continue to increase till the bur-
en- becomes insuportable 1t must be so; our
outh impetuous, innumerabe, ambitious of distinc~
on and, unfortunately for ITSELF without restraint
rowd into the career Of public employment The
Professions are over-erowded, there four or five
mes more candidates for every imaginable profess
ion than are needed In few more years the
Go West, Young Man" of Horace Greeley will
ave no meaning. Our high schools, colleges and
Universities will continue to turn out annually
ordes of impecunious youth ravenous for office
You cannot point to an office in the United
tates today in which the numbers of persons en-
oyed has not tripled or quadrupled within twen-
live years. But it is said, public business has
creased, forgetting that create all this bust
ess, and that too many interfere with it.
All, at the same time. ambition power and Of
ce; they forcibly open every door, and compel the