The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-07-08
A BAD YEAR FOR "CHAMPEENSr

1t begins to look as though the Colonel is
Tor tho fist time finding it difficult to play the
game both ways from the middle and keep us
thumbs clear. Before this he has ridden two
horse going III opposite directions and jumped
over his own shoulders, so tc arcak amid much
applause. Between cabling President Taft, en-
couraging Pinchot, standing for Hughes and
running New York politics, he seems at last to
have met a combination of conflicting circum-
stances which even his peculiar diplomacy finds
it impossible to reconcile.
In New York the "regulars' having already
delivered a slap at my policy (taken from
hughes 1are preparing to wage open war They
have told Loeb that he cannot be Governor, no
matter whether He said it or not They have de-
cared that New York is not to he turned over
TO the latest hybrid product of Imperialistic
Popuhsm. They have announced that La Fol-
Iette must keep out of State politics in the En-
pire State, They have Joined the issue of Con-
servatism with the issue of what they are pleas
ed to call Radicalsm. All the Up State is in
revolt, the small political chiefs making merry
war upon the Rough Rider Napoleon 1t is Il
case of political Gulliyer tangled in the threads
with the exception that CULVER awoke to ind
himself bound while Roosevelt tied up himself
he Colonel is, in these circumstances as IN
all circumstances, Interesting He signs an Out
look editorial bristllng with personal pronouns
lie continues to receive insurgents, and plans
conferences with regulars He is filing away old
papers and documents, clearing out new pigeon
holes IN which to place newly discovered de-
scendants of Ananias. Having decided TO sup
port insurgent Poindexter in has senatorial
ASn he rntl IT
principle that he must not be directly quoted
and that anyone who so quotes him is liar.
whether he quotes him rightly or not. The
whlrliglg revoves as though it were in gale
The Colonel who was going to rest is in politics
SO deep that only his eye glasses and dentistry
are visible. 10 think that only a few DAYS ago
any one should have been interested in a prize
fight with such three ring circus in full and
free operation
POLITICALLY the situation is one in which the
Democracy can take much comfort New York
Republicans evidently reason that there is one
chance of carrying the State That chance is 10
entlce the ex-President TO run for Governor
They realize that the only hope of such an out
come is to make him fighting mad. They arc
proceeding to do it, fully conscious of the fact
that, having elected him Governor, they could
bury him by killing his policies. In the event
he will not take the nomination, the blame is
his who started the factions to war. In the
event be does take it, they will slay Caesar in
front of the statue of Pompey In either event
there is immediate hope for the Democrats IN
New \ ork this Fall, and almost certain hone
for them in the Fall of 1912.
1T may be accepted as a fact that Roosevelt is
fully awake to the alternatives of the Situat;o,
he has brought to pass He will hardly be
drawn into taking the nomination for the Gov
ernorship. If he does not, he must bear his
share IN the defeat of his party, which is in that
event all but inevitable. What he will do, by
what stroke he will cut through the circumstances
by which he is bound, remains to be seen. At
last he appears to be beaon-but "you never can
tell However, this seems to be bad year for
'chanpecns".