The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-19
GRAPHING THE PRESIDENCY.

Colonel Roosevelt in Nebraska has thrown
aside the remnants of the restraint that he has
exercised in his fight against the Taft admins
~tration. and commenced openly to charge fraud
in all those places where hts own candidacy has
not been successful, Not only does he charge the
administration with the theft of delegations, but
he holds up the President himself as accessory
before the fact. Who permits the use Of a dirty
instrument. he says, is guilty of the crime.
Mr.. Taft was once before nominated by the
power Of political corruption. Once before. the
Southern delegates fell into line to do the bid
ding Of a boss. Once before the country had to
take it's President, not as the result of its own
choice and preference, but as a gift from the
power that was. Mr.. Taft may gain another
nomination and 1t may be said with a show of
reason that he was named on account OF the same
character of manipulation that nominated him
four years ago, But unless Mr.. Roosevelt Is an
absolute hypnotist. 1t is difficult to see how he
can expect support for himself to follow as a
result Of devious methods of the administration
In judging this fight between the bitter enemies
who were once the Damon and Pythias of poll
tics. 1t must be borne In mind that Mr.. Taft
could never have been nominated as the result
of his own hold on the public. He has never
known what 1t was to be popular. He was never
even on the fringe OF understanding Of the game
OF politics. He was chosen by Roosevelt, nom.
mated by Roosevelt. made by Roosevelt. And
Roosevelt attained this result through the same
dirty instruments that he now so roundly con.
dennis. He used the same methods that Mr..
Taft's managers are now using. He was az cyni.
cally practical as the most brazen machine
politician who Is now fighting his ambition. not
SO much for love Of Taft as for hatred Of Roose.
Welt. With what warrant. therefore, does the
man who most shamelessly MANIPULATED the
Southern delegates now d~enounce these familiar
Hessians of every campaign?
One thing may be said for Mr.. Taft. It is
true that he profted by Mr.. Roosevelt's dirty
work In 1905. 1t Is true that he was MT above
accepting as an honor what came as the gain Of
political %blackmail. II Is true that he
has more than once swung the patronage club
to good temporary advantage. But these things
have unfortunately been the rule. So good a
man as Grover Cleveland stopped to avail him.
Of them. But neither Cleveland, nor Taft,
nor any other President. save one. was ever dis.
covered In the act of personally manipulating
the bargain and sale OF State.
We agree with Mr.. Roosevelt in the belief that
there IL little moral difference between stealing
and benenting by the steal. At the same time,
here is a certain crooked ~gentillty about the man
whose scruples cause him to insist that tho spoil
be disinfected before he touches 1t. 1t neverthe-
less comes with a poor grace from the man
whose eagerness led him to deal directly with
70 now make a show Of a plous face
1t ono who. at least, does no more than show d
to stay still and become its benen. \
800 AN 50 L~E