The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-07-01
DOWN PRINCIPLE. Up MAN.

DOWN PRINCIPLE, Up MAN.
If the Philadelphia North American Is not
in the confidence of Roosevelt, ii s daily stalking
its reputation apon its gift Of prophecy. In
Its Jeremads it sings with full-throated cry the
fall OF parties, the crash of the whole structure
of those property rights whose size appals the
nebulous germ of privilege in the private breast
Amid the dust of falling statues it raises the
1nbilant chorus of the mob, holding aloft the
banner of Roosevelt, sweeping aside all old
standards. all ancient principles, clarifying the
New Day and the new King of the Twentieth
Century political Commune.
This is the one reasonable solution of the long
direct and forceful utterances of what would b.
called progressive as distinguished from a
radical paper; utterances which father the
creeds of the Whites. the La Foetes, all the
cult of the Back from Elbaies"; ntterances
which insist that property has no rights which
men bound to respect; which dismiss the
laws and the presidents of government with a
snap Of fingers and the hippant epigram of Low
ell that he was never much concerned about the
rights Of capital because capital had always
shown the ability to take care Of itself: utter
ances which state that comprehension Of those
4. very truths has made Roosevelt the idol. not of
= a party, but of whole people: which endorse
the demagognery of the Sorbonne address when
il declared the basic principle of American
\. ism that when a direct issue arises between
sers property right and human right, "frs consid-
ao heratinn must he given TO the man and not to the
Z 81 money --an uterance which was obviously and
do doubt thoughtfully obiyous of the fact that
there is no human right in the individual to tear
down the rights of capital, any more than there
il money right in capital to press its dividends
81. from the people. And it says:
.Ihe rulers have failed because it
il not in them to grasp that elementary
civic standard. The people believe in
Roosevelt because he has not stood still;
because he has moved beside them into
fuller understanding Of their rights
and wrongs; because he what they
see, that in every question that
q arises there two sides, one side that
" of the peoples rights and the other side
that of privileged greed working against
the common welfare"
Yet, what is this idol of the people doing a
present Meeting with Taft Is it to betrav him
Meeting with Hughes, issuing his orders to New
!. York politicians. Meeting with La Toilette, wh
q returns '.iubilant'' from Oyster Bay. Demand
ing that Hughes be KEPT off The Supreme Cour
Y bench. Swinging the big stick the head o
n the Republican party of all factions and at thu
Il same time silently acquiescing in, if not active
ii encouraging the cry of Down with thu
Parties,
But what does Hughes hope 70 gain b,
~ fakinr orders Where does President Taft eX
H1#Ss nac 10 profits What has La Toilette to hop'
81 fors Where, in all the history of mobs, has |
ssa 81 ever happened that the mob. vas henehIea
Where. when capital was destroyed when lem
~ nlcs were RACED when cities were sacked, did tn
h II rank and file of the torch bearers gain anything
exeept punishment on the evidence OF their blood
#k hands
But where. again, in all this fomenting o
class against class of passion excited by the cl
/ &c greed that is nothing but a call to greed II
n self il there hope except in Party! Not thu
\ Roosevelt party Not the Mugwunp party.
III u thousand times not the Republican party. Blu
ri In The party that has endured that has been ms
y understood, that has time and again been maUdtl
III good purpose, but that to-day remains the hop
@ of sanity, the hope of law, the hope of Govern
nent against an Oliearchy that is getting ready I
ride 10 power as Kings from time to time hay'
ssridden before To thrones. upon the backs OF th
fren.ied people Of the street shouting the nam
ss al Liberty in the cause Of Tyranny and Oppres
sion.
Iii all seriousness it has seemed to come t
this, that it is in fact, the Roosevelt against tn
nernocratic party. This is tbe meaning of the er
1s ~ tho New Party" that has progressed to tn
shibboleth of ''No Party. This is the signf
seance Of the cant that cries up Man and dow
M Principle. This is the motive underlying tn
aacrilege that acclaims politician as d Saviour
And since seeing that defeat stares it in tn
lare. the Republican party is now being told I
&kand and deliver to this political revon
icnists seeing that even the Democratic party
ing besought to stop IN the hour of victory an