Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-03-06
Roosevelt's Columbus Speech and
His Race for a Third Term. .ss...


Willmar Tribune will enjoy to read
the following comment upon the
Roosevelt Columbus speech and the
latter's entree to the race for a
third term of the presidency. The
writer is Louis F. Post, the editor Of
the Public Of Chicago, a sincere ex-
ponent of political progress, who
while he is thoroly grounded in the
principles of fundamental democracy
is very dspassionate in language and
is ready to give credit whore credit
is due to progressive men in what
ever party they may be found:
"Mr. Roosevelt's speech last week
before the Constitutional Convention
Of Ohio in session at Columbus, was
an event of first Importance. No man
in American public life possesses in
so great degree as Mr.. Roosevelt,
or uses so freely and acutely the fac
ulty for catching and rejecting pub
lie opinion. He seems never to rea-
son out his convictions, but always
to get them from public opinion by
some sort of chameleonic instinct.
Wasn't this so with him at the time
of the Cuban war, and again during
the dreadful era Of imperialism
Wasn't it so when Big Business was
in the ascendant in public opinion,
and so again when public opinion be-
gan to find Big Business QUIT 1t is
| this instructive faculty Of his and his
habitual use Of it-with the narrow
PROJECTIONS and dangerous imper-
fections that characterize all instinc-
tive processes-that give transcend
ent Importance to Mr.. Roosevelts
Columbus speech.
"Mr. Roosevelt has not been known
heretofore to have had pronounced
convictions favorable to the 1nitia.
tive, Referendum and Recall; and h
gives now only verbal testimony t.
convictions thougbtfully arrived a
on that subject. Plainly, his Colum'
bus speech is an instructive redec'
ton of public sentiment. 1t is, too
unusually definite for him. There ar
no "weasel-words" on that subjec
in this speech, as there were for in
stance in his woman suffrage editor
|ial. Although there are spots in i
which look like traces Of a tendenc.
toward "weasling," the weasel words
if they were ever in the manuscript
were blue-penciled out Of it befor
| it's delivery. Mr.. Roosevelt's declara
tons for the Initiative, Referendum
and Recall are unqualified and defn
tie. His speech is therefore the high
est Importance as sign of favorabl
public sentiment. It proves bette
than newspaper editorials can, al
most as we'll as a census on the sub
ject could, or an election at which
was the dominant issue, that the PEG
pie of the United States demand tn
Initiative, Referendum and Recall
demand them all, demand them il
their fullness, and demand them now
. "That Mr.. Roosevelt's Columbu
speech was made as a prelude to hi
becoming the Progressive candidat
!, for the Republican nomination 70
President was suspected when he de
livered it. This motive is now prov
ed. No reasonable room for ques
tioning it remains after one consid
ers that the speech was delivered be
tween the formal request of hi
friends that he become candidat
and his formal acquiesence, and tina
this significant sequence is very mar
rowly bounded in point Of time: Il
request, February 10; (2) Columbu
speech, February 81; (3) acceptance
February 26. In no respect, however
does that suspicion, now confirmed
minimize the Importance Of tn
speech with reference to the 1nitia
tive, Referendum and Recall. 1t rath
er emphasizes the inference tina
those methods of democracy are ur
gently demanded by public opinion
Pitifuly at fault would Mr.. Roose
velt's instincts be were he deliber
ately to enter Presidential rae
handicapped with unpopular propos
ais. It must be remembered that hi
instructive appreciation of publ
sentiment is never keener than his in
stinctive desire for victory. But W
have no inclination by this referenc
to motives to chill any ones enthu
siasm for Mr.. Roosevelt's candidacy
We emphasize the service he render
the movement for democratic con
troll Of representative government b
his definite and unqualified pronounce
ment for it, and we dwell upon tn
added value Of the speech for tina
purpose if it be considered as hi
Presidential platform; but this is il
order to center attention upon tn
tremendous advance the movement
has made, and not to condemn a ne,
: leadership which it has evoked.
/ uTo Ian, loo aos..h:.a II. 81 l.