The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-09-13
,-SEGSEA
2 sgTi ROOSEVELT.

The New York Journal of Commerce
has the following editorial:
No person in his right mind can be-
lieve that there is even a possibility
that Theodore Roosevelt will be again
elected president of the United States.
There is little probability that this
year he will receive the electoral vote
of n state, though there are several
in which he may divide the republican
vote as to deprive the party Of elect
ors that it would otherwise secure,
He may help to defeat Taft and elect
Wilson, but he n elect himself.
Most of the achievements set forth in
his monumental programme for future
accomplishment would require, not only
action by congress and the ultimate
support of the federal courts, but the
control of state legislation n adjudi-
cation. There is not a shadow of a
chance that his party can gain any
effective voice in either chamber of the
next congress n there is scarcely a
state of which it can expect to gain
control this yea Assuming that the
transformation of government which
he contemplates in state and nation, as
a to his great end of establish
ing the rule Of the people" and all
which that implies to his mind. to be
within the bounds of possibility, it
"OuAA LdhS nldly years % ACCOMPLISH
It. and the steps would have to be
gradual. Progress in politics and gov
ernrnental institutions is not mad by
leaps and bounds" except in single
instances of violent revolution as a
break from entrenched despotism.
What Roosevelt sets forth in his
dream Of popular rule, under it's most
favorable Interpretation as an altruis-
tic scheme for the benefit of Others
and not a means of UrofiFyin0 bis o,ry,
ambition, 1t contemplates a sort Of
g state. 1t would require a degree
of advancement in intelligence, eduCa-
ton n reasoning capacity in the
mass Of the people which those of the
present generation, even in this EN-
lightened country are far from hav-
ing attained. 1t is well enough as an
ideal to be looking forward to in the
good time coming. If 1t were possible
TO make a sudden experiment of 1t now,
It certainly would not work. It would
be a disastrous failure and go far
toward wrecking the institutions
which three generations have built up;
but the attempt is mo- conceivable.
Nobody can seriously claim that any
thing approaching it could be realized
now IL Roosevelt We're to be elected.
The people would not be prepared for
II. Neither congress nor the courts
nor the authorities of states would be
with him. The third party may be a
party of ideal principles, but at it's
present stage 1t is a purely personal
party and the one object of its striy-
ing is the election of Roosevelt to such
power as could be welded in the Office
OF president of the United States.
Thati is the one thing which it is barely
conceivable that it might ccomplis
In q single campaign.
This one imaginable result makes
what he would do an interesting cues
ton for speculation. He sets a Her
culean task, compared with which the
cleaning of the Augean stables wa a
pastime. we need not rehearse the
promises of his confession of faith. .
which can only be compared with the
scheme OF salvation In its greater i'm
port. Imagine him exalted to the pres
Mency with this task of Hercules and
Nhe gods on his hands, appealing to
congress n the states to come to the
Relp or the Lord against the mighty.
Rhe battle OF Armageddon would be
Htiu to come. We MAY be sure that
The stolid senate and house of repre-
~Gentatives would not respond. They
could not il they would. The people
81 the states would go on with their
affairs,. with efforts here and there to
yeaIize IONS Of the measures OF $50
GAL and Industrial Justice which he
advocates. Such efforts will be made
In any case and experiments of the
Hind will go. on wherever they receive
support. That will be the case with
Gut his election and he could do more
sp forward the cause out Of office than
Sn 1T.
The greatest obstacle to the execu-
ZION Of the Roosevelt programmes al
Immediate progress would be the es-
kahlished institutions. the settled ira
Aitions. the manifold and rooted inter-
ests OF the country, which 1t would
violently disturb. He might stand like
Eams0n between the pillars Of the tenn !
Nla OF Dagon, but with all his might