The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1912-10-24

Governor IN Our Time but for the IN
fIuence of Theodore Roosevelt.
This is the statement of A ert
Bushnell Hart, professor Of govern
ment at Harvard college. 1t occurs
in letter written by Prof. Hart to
the New York Times.
In the same issue of the same paper
there was published another letter by
Charles w. Eliot, president emeritus
of Harvard college, in which he says
that Mr. Roosevelt is IAN impressive,
self-confident, headstrong man, inn
patient of restraints and opposition,
who has shown himself capable while
in power Of taking grave public ac-
tion-which, of course, seemed to him
wise and right-in disregard of con-
stitutional legal limitations"
These striking passages in these
two letters represent the two radical
ly different views with respect to
Colonel Roosevelt which prevail to-
| day. The one recognizes him as the
leader Of chat awakening Of the pub.
! lie conscience and of civic conscious
ness which has made possible suen
| reforms as were successfully carried
| forward by Governor Hughes in New
r York, by Governor Wilson in New
Jersey, by Governor Folk in Mis-
souri, and by Governor Johnson Ii
California, which has made possible
! larger participation of the people
in the affairs of government through
| the primary election, and through
| popular election of senators, which
| has so changed the sentiment of the
| country that, instead of it's being no..
body's business, as Mr.. Bliss thought,
| we have Senate committees inquir-
ing of candidates where the money
| they spent for primaries and elec-
| lions came from; which has made the
conservation of human as we'll as ma
tural resources to be regarded every.
where as duty of the state.
That is why Prof. Hart believes
that if we had not had Theodore
Roosevelt the times would not yet
have been ready for Hughes and Viii.
son and Folk and Johnson. That he
has been not only indispensable to
the change in sentiment and the adj
vance in civic righteousness which it
must be admitted has been made in
sary now to prevent return to the
conditions that prevailed dozen
years ago, is the essence of Prof.
Harris contention in further para
| graphs in the same letter.
Over against this we have the Eliot
idea, which is only typical of the Oft
| repeated charge that Roosevelt is
] dangerous man because, as Dr. Eliot
| declares, he is headstrong and in pur-
suit of his ends, which seem to him
wise and right, ready to throw off all
constitutional restrictions. No argyll
| ment against him has been employed
more frequently, and none perhaps
with greater effect upon those who
have forgotten to call for some evil
dence in support of it. This has led
DIR. Lyman Abbott, editor-in-chief Of
The Outlook, to challenge the state
ment of DR.. Eliot in this fashion in
The Outlook:
Or. Lyman Abbott Challenges State
ment.
"This charge has been often made,
and the friends Of Mr.. Roosevelt have
I often called for specifications of it,
but the specifications have never
been given. We have never been told
| what specific clause of the Constitu-
ton or what specific provision of law
any act of his has ever disregarded.
"For the last thirty years l have
been a somewhat careful student of
| current American history, and hope
conscientious in an endeavor to re-
port and interpret it to my readers.
During the nearly nine years of his
executive life as governor of New
York state and president of the Unit
ed States, no executive act of Mr..
] Rooseyelt's and no legislation whick
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