The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-04-09
WATTERsON ON ROOSEVELT.
The Most Startling Figure Who Has
Appeared Since Napoleon.


The time has come for the people
of the United States to consider Theo-
dore Roosevelt as they have never
considered him before; to take him
more seriously than they have ever
taken him: to realize that he is alto
gether the most startling figure who
has appeared In the world since Ma
poleon Bonaparte, circumstance not
without significance and portent.
He must be poor American whose
heart does not glow with pride at the
unwonted honors bestowed upon this
representative of his country and swell
with exultant admiration at the splen-
did way he Is carrying himself, 1t
is too late. If II were not personally
offensive. to talk about seIf-exploita-
ton.
Let no one fancy this as unmean-
ing or an idle compliment, Taken in
connection with what appears to be
the hopeless breakdown of the Taft
administration, 1t constitutes an event
of the first consequence.
II we are to return Theodore Roose-
welt to power. let there be no mis-
take about the terms of the new COM
mission which Is to be issued to him.
History has agreed that the best
of all government Is wise and be-
ment OF the United States under our
written Constitution OF checks and
balances be a failure. as many think
It, and II there be needed for its
executive head strong man having
the courage to take all the bulls OF
corruption by the horns, and re-
gardless of obsolete legal restraints,
to shake the life out of them, then.
indeed Theodore Roosevelt would
seem one fitted by temperament. ed
ucation and training for the work.
He 10 patriotic American with hui
manitarian proclivities. He Is an
incorrectible man. He has shown
himself fearless of consequences.
If the people are sick and tired
of the slow processes of constitu-
tional procedure: If they want in the
White House a President who, disre-
garding the letter of the law, will
substitute his own Interpretation of its
spirit and intention; II they think
that the reign of hypocrisy and cant
and graft which marks our profess
efona1 politics may be ended by the
absoIutism OF ruler who, as Roose-
welt himself puts II, translates his
words into deeds" and who. charged
with the cleansing of the Augean sta
bies by an election putting the seal
oI the popular approval upon CON-
coded excuses In the use OF power
and bidding him to go forward and
apply the same remedies to "A disease
otherwise incurable, then Theodore
Roosevelt fills the bill TO perfection.
for he comes directly from the family
of the kings or men and is a lineai
descendant of Caesar and Cromwell.
Before We get Into the acrimonies
OF party conflict, the Courier Journal
asks its contemporaries throughout
the country to reflect without passion
or levity, and to answer to them
selves. amid the blaze of light which
casts an aureole about our wandering
Uiyrses. whether representative gov
eminent In America Is failure and
whether the only cure for the evils
which are admitted is the one-man
power; because they may he cure that
the return OF Theodore Roosevelt to
power will be so construed by Europe,
and that on this account the demon
ntration of monarnhism has It's chief
ficance.-Louisville Courier-Jear-
nal