The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-03-29
THE ROOSEVELT RAVING.

Col. Roosevelt is on the rampage in
his Western campaigning tour as ''re-
ceptive candidate Chairman Dixon,
his campaign manager, takes pains
every little while TO call public atten.
tion TO the fact that Col Roosevelt is
not an active candidate for the Presi-
dency, but that his position is merely
receptive one, indicating his willing
ness to accept the nomination if it is
rendered to him, TO be sure, the active
campaigning of Col Roosevelt does not
quite bear out this merely passive claim
made by Chairman Dixon, but little
discrepancies like this NAV easily be
| ignored in view of the greater discrep-
| ancies and the dangerous issues that
the Roosevelt candidacy brings before
the people.
In seeking a third term, Col Roose-
welt has evidently become thoroughly
| imbued with the idea that the people
are longing 90 have him in the Presi-
Dental chair. He has been assured
that this is the fact, and the defeat of
his candidates for delegates to the Re-
publican National Convention seems to
him to be necessarily against nature
because the result does not agree with
his expectations. The people DO not
rise In unanimous mass in his support
as he was glad to believe they would
do. On the contrary, they reject his
pretensions, defeat his delegates, and
| rally TO the support Of President Taft,
This TO Col. Roosevelt is such an in
credible thing that he finds it impos-
sible to adjust his actual relations to
the people with the rosy expectations
which had become thoroughly fixed in
his mind. Therefore, he breaks out in
railing accusations against those whom
he considers responsible for his de-
feats, and charges fraud and trickery
in the very Presidential primaries
which he specially. repeatedly, and ve-
hemently appealed to in his own be-
half. Those primaries 90 against him,
and he finds it impossible to reconcile
his mind to the fact. He assumed that
everybody would be for him, when in
fact, very few are for him; therefore
he thinks something must necessarily
be wrong, and he makes blind. reck-
less, and railing accusations. There is
something wrong. and that something
is his own mistaken view of the stu
alton.
Referring to the charge that his
gloomy foes have charged him with
desire to be king, Roosevelt remarks:
wanted TO answer that they did not
know kings. and / did. ] like the kings
| because the function of those kings, ex-
| pressed in the terms OF democracy, would
be the position of Vice President for life.
with the leadership of the four hundred
thrown in. ] think there are other jobs
that a ful-sized man would prefer
In this explanation there is nothing
seen save only his own personal view
| point There is no horror expressed of
! the establishment of a kingdom in
this country in place of the republican
institutions which we enjoy There is
nothing IN il that expresses any revolt
at the idea of subverting popular gov
ernment with kingly rule. 1t is only
his own interests that appear, his own
desires, what he himself prefers. And
| it appears that he rejects the kingly
idea chiefly because the kings OF consti-
tutional monarchies do not have power
enough. Their positions are, in fact
negligible quantities, as the Vice Presi
dent is in this country. But in the
Presidency is the glory; there is op
portuuity for imperial power unchecked
1t is evidently his dream that, as
President, there would be no checks
upon his power, and that he would be
at liberty 10 exercise sway and domi-
nant power compared with which the
rule of the kings of the earth are only
as the Vice Presidency, The Vice Presi-
dent is in the shadow. powerless; but
the President is the real ruler. Espe
cially would this be the case with
Roosevelt as President. When he was
in before, he paid no attention 10 the
law. overriding statutes and cousti.
tutiousl provisions, railing at tho courts
when they disagreed with his views and
undertook to check his unconstitutional
encroachments.
His idea clearly is that the President
should be an arbitrary personal ruler
unchecked by constitutional GUARANTEES
and irresponsible 10 either law or pub
lie opinion. He considers the United
States, therefore, not Government OF
the people. but a Government Of the
President. and doubtless ne wquld coin
| rria Il ~
] President Andrew JDh1l2ou. that Con.