Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-04-12
THE LESSON OF Mr.. RoosE-
vELT's TOUR,

return journey to the East-the Sec
ond half of what he has repeatedly
declared to be his final extended tour
The tour has not heretofore been,
and clearly will not be. the triumphal|
procession which was perhaps expect
ed. However. as little public atten-
ton as 1t has attracted, it has at
least proved one thing well worth
proving-the fact that the American
people are not yet ready to accept
one personality as platform and
a party.
Mr.. Roosevelt has been preaching
all the way from New York to Cali
fornia not the historic principles Of
Republicanism, not undiluted state
socialism, nor yet pure Democracy.
He has been preaching the strictly
personal and Rooseveltian combina-
ton of all these elements to which
he himself gave the name of the
New Nationalism."
And what has been the result Of
this attempt to form personal party
with Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr.. Roose-
velt's New Nationalism as the rally
ing cry. the platform of principles?
Has he created the enthusiasm which
many circumstances perhaps justified
him in expecting? Has he caused
the nation to realize that he and
his personal following are one Of the
strongest political factors in the
country today?
By no means. The columns of the
newspapers bear silent but eloquent
witness to the extent of the general
unreadfness Of the country to SO
much as think of personal party.
Mr.. Roosevelt has secured SO little
of popular response to his New Ma
tionalism that his speeches have
ceased to be news items Of import
ance.
Where the daily newspapers of
the country year or two ago were
devoting two and three columns a
day to reports of a Roosevelt tour,
they are contenting themselves and
their readers today with paragraph
or two. It is doubtful il single
newspaper hereabouts has printed
more than page in all about the
present Roosevelt tour-and 1t has
now lasted several weeks.
Why the difference? It is to be
found chiefly in the fact that it is
no longer Roosevelt, the President,
or Roosevelt. Republican leader, who
is speaking, but Roosevelt. the Roos-
eveltian, the New York Nationalist.
1t is Mr.. Roosevelt, on Roosevelt
platform, who offers himself as the
leader, the creed, the program of a
practically new personal party!
Almost anything that comes with
the official sanction OF the highest
place in the land, place the people
are accustomed to respect, is GER
tain to be received with considerable
respect. perhaps with certain en-
thusiasm. 1t is when, man leaves
that place and Its adventitious aids
that he learns how much he person
ally counted for and how much of
his success was a very human trib-
ute to his position.
Just how much party prestige
and officialdom meant to Mr.. Roose-
welt, Just how much It means to any
one, is shown by the fact that Mr..
Cummins or Mr. La Toilette, by vir.
tue Of the simple fact that he sits
in the Senate Of the United States,
is today more Of a leader in the
general insurgent movement than is
Mr.. Roosevelt. He counts for more
and what he says has a more duthor.
alive sound.
It must be confessed that there
was a time when many people were
under the deluslon that personal
party, with one man as Its whole
mind and conscience, was possibil
ity. When Mr.. Roosevelt returned
from Africa; when he made his New
Nationalism" speech at ossawato
ME. nothing had occurred to ban
ish that delusion. And there were
many circumstances calculated tt
foster 1t.
But the present tour leaves nc
doubt upon the point. Personal par
ties are still a long way in the dis.
lance in this country, and the man
capable Of creating one has not ye'
arrived.-Inter Ocean.
The American Mobiles will enter
tain its members. this evening at the