The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-28
COMMENT ON ROOSEVELT

Colonel Roosevelt is one of temperament and methods rather than one of ends. And Mir Tafts methods have the justih- cation of success. He has put upon the statute books an unprecedented amount of progressive legislation and has carried forward extraordinarily the ideal of equal rights for all. Nor is there any halt in the work. The latest act of the administration, recommending to Con- gress workmen's compensation bill If a drastic character, is that of a coura- geous progressive. This bill. which is expected to pass Congress, is as thor oughgoing and progressive measure as the New York law in behalf of which MT. Roosevelt makes ifs sweeping cUnucrhna- tion of our court of appeals. It is a tre- mendous advance upon any labor legisla- tion secured in the seven years of Colonel Roosevelt's own incumbency and it meas ures the reality of progress under MT. Taft.
 Social justice is as much Mr. Tafts aim as it is Colonel Roosevelt's. The President is sanely progressive, unless to be progressive one must be willing to abandon the safeguards of a written con- stitution. As a candidate for renomina- tion he has no reason to fear the issues raised by Colonel Roosevelt's scheme for the recall of judicial decisions in the name of progress.
 He Will Accept
 New York Times: Mir. Roosevelt must have lost his sense of humor, if he ever had that sense. for it is impossible that he would have put forth his announce ment had he clearly perceived in what . ridiculous situation it places him. q will accept the nomination for President If 1t is tepdered me!' Why say this undis- puted thing in that solemn way? Accept the nomination.? Why, for two years he has been scheming and intriguing for it. He has worked for it without ceasing, and he has worked in the vulgarest way. The whole country knows that. In secret conference, in public utterance and by voluminous writing he has appealed for and demanded and fairly begged the nonl- ination. He has sought out occasions for issuing demagogc challenges to the restless, the incapable, and the ignorant to see in him their great deliverer from wrongs that neither he nor they can de- fine, and he has by the charlatan arts of which he is master labored to stir up the demand for his. nomination, which he now gets from seven progressive gov | ernors and to which he quite superfiuous- ly responds. It Is dangerous for a popu- lar hero to get himself laughed at. But this proclamation of the coloners pur- poses will provoke more amusement than applause. A formal prediction of last weeks weather would not be more ab- surd.
 
 MT. Rooseveit's veracity has more than once been called in question. It is now no longer necessary to submit specifica- tions, he supplies them. He now says: "I will accept the nomination for Presi- dent if it is rendered me-" On the night of his election in 1904 Mir. Roosevelt said:
 "The wise custom which limits the President to two terms regards the sub stance and not the form, and under no circumstances will be . candidate for or accept another nomination.
 There can be no mistake about the fact or the conclusion. MT. Roosevelt has not kept faith with the American peo- pie. he has broken his word. The situa- ton is much simplihed.