New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-28
CANADIANS AND COLONEL
Dominion Citizens Regard Roosevelt s
Candidacy as objectionable.


To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: ] find that a three months so
Iourn in Canada is highly illuminating for
the political situation In the States. To
intelligent Canadians the Presidential can
didacy Of Colonel Roosevelt appears as the
most preposterous and objectionable cpl
sode Of modern politics. The Canadians re-
spond with cordial Amen" TO the SEN
timents OF THE Springfield Republican"
even though they might for themselves be
little less sharp in phraseology: The
ur fairness OF Roosevelt and Progressive
speakers and newspapers toward Presi-
dent Taft has never been surpassed in all
the tide OF time II offends every man
who possesses the rudiments OF judicial
sense, and invites the contempt OF all
honest folks. How soon alas, lying be .
comes habit"
His voluntary. pledge not to run again
his utter failure to point out anything in
the record OF the Republican party or of
President Taft to warrant in any meas
ure his attempts TO destroy the one and
TO defame the other, the recent and pres
ent prosperity and advancement OF the
country along all lines Of national life
the dignity, energy and success OF its
foreign policy, the personal character Of
President Taft, OF whom, in honorable
honesty OF fair play In rivalry, his Demo-
cratic rival. Governor Wilson. lately said
81 want to pay my tribute OF respect to
the President OF the United States. do
not believe that any man in the United
States who knows his facts can question
the patriotism or the Integrity or the
public purpose Of the man who now pre-
sides at the executive office in Washing
ton"-all which is in exact accord with
Mr. Roosevelts own most positive and
repeated expressions before ambition
blinded his eyes, perverted his judy
ment lowered his manhood and vitriol-
ized his speech-all these things to intelli-
gent gentlemen Of our neighborlng prov
ince make the candidacy OF Colonel
Roosevelt a mystery, equalled only by
the wonder that any considerable num-
Der OF American voters should support
him.
or course, any human administration
OF church or world can be plausibly crlti
cised, but any reader of the speeches Of
Senator La Toilette or Mr.. Harlan, for
example. knows perfectly well that the
Roosevelt administration Of a former day
is as clearly amenable to just criticism
and as liable to eloquent denunciation as
In any respect Mr.. Taft's ever was. Then
the cheap and transparent adoption OF
woman's suffrage. the bid for the South
ern vote In palpable injustice to the olack
man, and, above all, perhaps, his per-
nIcious demagogue call to "the people" to
insist upon ultimate judicial functions In
substitution, Interpretation, review or re-
call. 1t is here that, not as evidently.
nerhans. as In other exhibitions. but more
and most perniciously, Colonel Roosevelt,
as DIR. Boynton, OF Brooklyn, expressed
f. "dropped the ethical stitch in his pc.
litical knitting" He knows. as every
thoughtful student OF society and human.
ity does, that while, as an interesting pro-
vision of providence all the while Illus
trated in the church and in social and DO
litical life, men In general can reliably
select men TO represent them, they cannot
in mass meetings transact reliably judicia;
or indeed legislative business. Cohorts of
soldiers might Indeed, select q general or
stan, but they could not plan cam
palgn or order battle nor, indeed, re-
view or recall the commanders.
Fortunately, the American people in the