The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-10-22
Responsibility for the Shooting.

When Mckinley was assassinated a
eminent and highly respected newspape
made collection of all the mean thing
that had been said about him by anti
Iimperialists and then proceeded TO hol,
them accountable for the assassination
suggesting even social prescription As
punishment. Since the Polish anarchis
had never heard of the ant-imperialists
the charge was overdrawn. They hat
criticised Mckinley. 1t would be a pitt
able situation If so fundamental de
parture from the essential spirit of otn
institutions as he had made could b,
taken without anyone's raising his voice
Now, curiously enough, the adherentc
OF Roosevelt are putting out the same
idea. Roosevelt himself did so in his
Milwaukee speech, declaring that he
wished to say seriously" to certain
speakers and newspapers that they could
not ego on making the kind of SANDER
Gus, bitter and malevolent assaults that
they have made" without expecting such
results. The more fervent utteranees OF
Pinehot, of Finn and Of Dixon in the
same line are fresh in the popular mind.
Now as to the facts; A group OF New
York newspapers, ever since Mr., Roose-
velt's service as police commissioner,
have made a speciality of resorting to
imaginings to his discredit. The Herald
has several times expressed its regret
over this manifestation of anti Roosevelt
fury. 1t has printed approvingly the
story of the man who gave as the four
reasons for Roosevelt's great success,
last spring in the Republican primaries,
the names of his four most bitter jour
nalstic opponents. Many of the New
York Worlds charges against Roosevelt,
like that which led to his attempted
libel suit, have done little credit to the
intelligence of its readers.
At the same time, free government
cannot get along without criticism of
public men and measures. Particularly
is this true of candidates for Office No
one should be asked to refrain from dis
cussing the availability of an aspirant
for governor, or mayor, or senator, lest
adverse comment should stimulate some
weak Drained fanatic to the use of pis.
toll. The shooting eyil-and it is a mon.
strous one in our civilization-must be
in some other way than by any
suppression. through law of moral influ-
ence, of the free discussion by the press
and public. This seems elemental.
Roosevelt's denunciatory attitude
toward his opponents seems to The Her
aid irrelevant to the case. They have
not been shot, happily, and therefore no
question is at issue as to whether his
utterances. manifestly be-
yond the bounds of good taste, have in /
tiated any set of events of which the
Attest calamity comes in train. Mr.. /
Roosevelt Is great advertiser. He has I
IN extraordinary facility for attracting I
public attention. lie would not be what /
le is without large measure of vigor /
rus utterauce. What he said about Con- 1
,ress in one of his messages was official i
Y stricken from the records as insult 4
ng. and vet so long as no Roosevelt IA
latic proceeded to dynamite the capitol 1
n pursuance of his words. Roosevelt can /
,e blamed for no more than a departure
rom good taste and official propriety. A
The house that Jack built theory. his
Itterances iustifying the return criticism
4 his opponents and that stimulating
he assassination. j. far fetched.
II would be vel for the American peo-
Ile TO adopt a more tolerant attitude in
.olitical discussion. Mr. Roosevelt might
Tell lead in this reform But il Is doubt
al if 4 can Be- urged as a practical meth
d Of lesseninE our terrible record 81
sssssination and attempts thereat.-
BOSTON HeraH