The Alaska citizen., 1912-02-19
HOW TO BEAT ROOSEVELT

There is just one way to beat
Theodore Roosevelt. and that is to
BEAT HIM TO IT!
Not in all the history of Ameri.
can politics has there been man
with such unerring instinct for the
POPULAR thing More shrewdly
and exactly than any other man is
he able to gauge the exact state If
the public mind.
Bryan has always been. and ever
will be, far in ADVANCE sort Of
aXman TO clear ways; LaFollette
works without regard to public senti-
ment and popular support; Wilson
has not yet sufficiently Invested him
self of his schClasticism to be an
idol, and as for Taft. he will always
be far in the rear. painting and pro.
testing
But the Colonel - ah. there is one
who will never be an inch too far
in front or an inch too much be-
hind He has the gift of stimuli
taneousness without the slightest
touch of previOusness Master of
the psychological moment, and amaz-
ingly blessed with the dramatic in
stinct, he never fails to do the pop
ular thing at precisely the popular
time
Take. for instance. his recent at.
tack on the judiciary and his urg-
ent support of the recall. To be
sure. Bryan and LaFollette have
been advocating the recall for the
judiciary for many months. and Mr.
Roosevelt has been steadily wagging
his head against it in a sort of
owlish doubt and deprecation In
this he expressed the mental attitude
of the mass, for belief in the sacro-
sanctity OF the Judiciary was some
thing that the American people
found it hard to abandon.
But 10, in the last few weeks out
RACES and injustices, perpetrated in
| the interests of the privileged class
es, have aroused the country t. a
| burning sense of the necesst.2 tor
popular control of the judiciary. Not
/ since the civil war has a more in
tense conviction possessed the peo-
pie.
Like flash. Mr. Roosevelt takes
his ear from the ground. his fingers
from the public pulse and leaps for
ward. To hear him, one would
imagine that the recall of judges
had never been preached before. and
that in making his demand. the Col
onel stood lonely and alone.
LaFollette and Bryan are pushed
to one side, for they were too far
ahead - Taft and Wilson are lost
| sight of, for they are far in the
rear, and it is the Colonel who
stands as the sole expression of the
popular desire and demand
The man is a marvel One may
dislike him and disbelieve him, but
it is not possible to keep from ap-
plauding him. He is the most
perfect expression of the normal
mind that the country has ever
known, and the most skillful fol-
lower of the crowd" and yet, such
| iS hiS drastic
the impression of leading, command
| ing, directing
! In the last analysis, he isn't a
great man or even very able one;
he stands convicted of inveracities,
gross favoritism. surprising little
nesses and huge selfishnesses, but
the things that ruin other men be-
come forgotten trivialities in the
ColoneIs case. Like a kaleidO-
scope, his incessant play of color
forces forgetfulness of form. He
has the gift of color-he blazes like
a meteor. He defies reason and
prevents scrutiny, so powerfully does
he appeal to Imagination and emo.
! tionalism. Even while we may be-
lieve that his nomination and elec-
ton would be a national menace,
owing to his known inconclusiveuess
we may not withhold our applause
and admiration for the greatest
actor that ever walked the political
stage.-Rocky Mountain News.