The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-10-21
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
As Popular Idol lie Now shows
Signs of Dissolution.

signs or Dissolution,
From the Baltimore sun.
No man has ever had such great oppor-
tunities to do good as Theodore Roose-
welt, for no man has ever commanded so
large and so enthusiastic an audience.
The whole unbounded world vas his. lie
had but TO speak and the patient wires
carried his words to the uttermost parts,
He was so universal that painting time
toiled after him in vain" His preach
ments on the cardinal virtues and his
aggressive warfare for decency and civic
righteousness heartened tens of thou
sands who are fighting the battles OF our
day. He appealed 10 the young and as
piring heart of the country. MuItitudes
idolized and YOrshiped him. whatever his
shortcomings as the one man who could
DO things and who meant what he said
the one strong man in his native land
MhateEeT they call him what care II
ATistocTa1 sutocrat Democrat-one
Who can rule. and dare nO lie.
But a palpable change Of sentiment is
taking place. The idol gives signs Of dis
solution. The psychology Of this may not
be difficult Popular idols are always In
danger, particularly II they do the un-
expected. Roosevelt idolized as a world
leader, has suddenly become a very ordi-
nary transforming political bushwhacker
IN New York. II Is true he needs SEN
sational personal triumph In hts own
State. II he is 20 boss the conventions Of
his party: but the sudden transformation
from Roosevelt. Ii D, interpreting the
history Of civilization 10 the savants OF
Europe, 70 Teddy befuddling a handful
OF country voters with the cheapest sort
OF political claptrap. Is a shock 20 his
idolatOrs, Our ex-Presidents have usually
honored the Office they once held by be
having less unanimously. They didn {
go about the country in trains de luxe
70 boom a weekly magazine. and they
didn't obscure the landscape with ora
torical fireworks and perpendicular pro-
nouns.
Then. too. there is growing suspicion
Of ROOsevelt's sincerity. as we'll as OF
the virtues Of his policies and The nber
OF his political courage II has bewil-
dered his following in the West 10 see
their Mr. Faithful suddenly become my
Lord Turnabout and Mr. Facing-bOth-
ways, and il has perplexed his Eastern
admirers TO figure out how an Osawa-
tonne insuTgent can father a Saratoga
standpat platform. He has not explained
his actions In these matters 20 the salts
faction Of either the East or the West
Either his sincerity or his courage failed
him al a critical juncture; and lack OF
either, when II is found out. is fatal 10
al idol
4 sphinx can afford a few silences. but
q political oracle and a contributing
editor, conducting a campaign, must not
be silent on TOO many vital questions.
Men are beginning 10 ask why there Is no
word about his intentions for 1872. or
about his relations with Wall street in
the good old days OF CortelgOu. or about
his executive communicating OF 800 600
OF railway transportation. or about his
Eastern silence on the income tax, cam
paign fund publicity, &c Why does he
not face the issues Of the tariff, or OF
the high cost Of living or Of his own
administration. which cost the country
twice as much for one term as II cost for
the fifteen entire terms from Washington
10 Lincoln?
People are beginning 70 doubt and
doubt is fatal 10 idolatry. The decline
and fall Of Roosevelt viii not be so much
because this our Caesar has grown toe
Fl- az IH-i.AA4@r ne no aNlAFI G4flEE II At
lie cannot have one set Of principles here
and another elsewhere. The people have
a keen sense for reality and consistency
and no one can fool them into believing
that there are two kinds OF right action
any more than there are two kinds of
straight lines They viii spurn a hero
who bends too supplant knee 10 their
ldolatries or who too palpably invites
their worship.
Roosevelt has insisted on making him
self the issue IN the New York campaign,
and he must win there II he Is 70 DON'T
nate The Republican party. This fight
looks Ike the beginning Of the end OF the
Roosevelt era, whether he wins or loses
He is now uncovered as a politician will
ing o trade the East against the West
20 snub LOriu1er and dine with Cox, and
20 play the game. Not only is the public
suspecting him as a mere self-seekine
politician, but Il fears his mad lust FOR
power In the last analysis his pleas for
a new uationalism and his contemptuous
illusions 20 the Constitution and its pre-
vauing interpretations by the Supreme
Court can only be understood oy realizing
that he unconsCiously Conceives % the
Executive function as being administered
by him or one like him. he thinks not
IN terms OF laws. but Of men Instead
Of a republic OF law and order. as men
ike Cleveland or Taft regard IL, he would
substitute his new natiOnalism. (which
regards the Executive power as the stew
ard OF the public welfare We believe
Roosevelt at heart 70 be sincere. but he
has become SO ObsesSed with his own
importance, and his lust for power is 50
strong. that Il has carried him from his
moorlngs and made him a dangerous OBJ
struction IN the path Of national prog
ress. and menace 10 the orderly, peace
ful administration Of business. Sic
gloria transit,