New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-13
"IUJIENSELY AMUSED"

To those who have taken patriotic pride
in Mr.. RoOsevelt's great fame and his
varied services TO his own country and TO
the world. who have rejoiced to feel thar
in him they had leader OF clear and
disinterested moral perceptions, his lat-
est exhibition of a determination TO win
votes by trickery with the Electoral Col
lege must come as q sad diSillusiOnmenC
They cannot but honor his past, tine
light withdrawn which once he wore
while sorrOwing over the moral obseS-
sion which seems to have shared him.
For the first time in our history PreSl-
dental candidate comes before lhe
country with the avOwcd intention OF
filching the electoral tickets Of both his
opponents and of profiting by jugSlery
with the names on the ballots after the
fashion Of the ward politician OF half
century ago.
Mr.. Roosevelt has hitherto confined his
predatory plans to electors nominated as
Republicans, eXcusing himseH by the
assertion that he was cheated out Of the
Chicago nomination and that electors
voted for as Republicans owed no
moral obligation to support the candl-
date Of the national convention. Nalv-
ing for the moment the merits OF the
Roosevelt contests. even if he had just
grievance his present course leads only
to chaos and deception. As well might
Northerner who believed the South
was forced into Just rebellion, instead
of manfully going over to It's army. have
stayed in the Federal lines and worn the
Federal uniform while cooperating with
Lee. But Mr.. Roosevelt now goes step
lower, without even the plea Of fighting
fire with fire. He wants some electoral
votes from the Democratic state OF
North Carolina, and he announces that
there NAV be some Of the Democratic
electors on the Roosevelt ticket where
those electors are for honest, progress
.'sive government" This proposed raid
on the Wilson electors In a Democratic
state shows that the moral issue" be-
hind the attempt TO raid electors ap-
pearing on the ballot under the name of
Taft is only pretcIt. Mr.. Roosevelt
cannot command any respect for the
cry Thou shalt not stear directed at
Mr. Taft while he himself is trying to
"steal" from Mr.. Wilson, and when, In
fact, he went to Chicago himself pre-
pared to "sesal" II he could
Senator Tn Toilette is no friend Of Mr..
Taft. He does not think that either Mr..
Taft or Mr.. Roosevelt had majority
"of honestly or regularly elected dele
gates" but says each side was trying to
seat its partisans in the disputed seats.
He declares that Mr.. Roosevelt clam
"ored loudly for purging the convention
roll of tainted delegates, without purg-
"ing his own candidacy Of his tainted
CONTESTS" This everybody knows IS
true. Mr.. Munsey's Baltimore paper has
confessed It in the admission that a
large number Of the Roosevelt contests
had no merit, hut were made for "psy-
Geological effect" Mr. Roosevelt him
self has confessed II by saying after the
decisions that he had never counted as
belonging 10 him many votes which he
was before strenuously demanding that
the national committee should give him.
If those delegates put up for ''psyCholoc-
ical effect" had been seated, though Mr.,
Roosevelt knew their claims were fraud
ulent, does any one doubt that he would
have accepted their votes? He never
waived his claim to them till their dis
honesty was palpable to all men and it
became necessary to diSsOclate their
cases from others yet to be decided. If
Mr.. Roosevelt could have secured the
nomination with the aid Of his 'psy-
Geological" contestants from Alabama
and other Southern states he would now
be running as the apostle of regularity,
proclaiming that Southern representation
was truly democratic and as "clean as
a hounds tooth" His moral issue IL,
as Mr.. La Toilette says, nothing Eek
"cepting his own overmaster1ng craving
"for a third term" 1t Is moral issue"
untrue to itself. II is the moral issue"
Of q Robin Hood who pleads that he
only takes the "ill gotten gains" Of
Taft while he plans to deprive Wilson
Of his unquestioned rights It is sorry
spectacle OF the PeaCemaker OF Ports
mouth. the Creator Of the Panama
Canal, the great Exponent Of the Square
Deal. And he is Immensely amused"
that the public conscience should be
cboolyad nv IL ALI