The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-10-22
THE WRECK" BY
He. HANSBROUGH
A HISTORICAL AND CRITICAL
STUDY OF THE ROOSEVELT AND
TAFT REGIMES BY NORTH DA-
KoTA LEGISLATOR, WITH SIDE
LIGHTS ON WASHINGTON.

North Dakota people, particularly.
will be interested in the publication
Of a new book by Hon. Henry Clay
Hansbrough, former senator from
this state. The little work, which is
issued by the Neale Publishing Co.,
Of New York, is entitled The Wreck,
and is described in the subtitle as,
AN historical and a critical study Of
the administrations Of Theodore
Roosevelt and Of William Howard
Taft"
Senator Hansbrough's long service
in congress-, first In the house and
then in the senate, gave him album
liant opportunity to familiariZe him
self with the conditions surrounding
the various administrations during
his service, and the impressions
which he records in this book are
those Of a ~irst-bound observer.
The authors point Of view IL his
Interpretation of present tendencies
in politics, are stated quite clearly in
the preface, which reads as folloWs:
I'VE plume ourselves upon our rap
i'd advance in civilization: and yet no
| people ever refrigerated politically as
the American nation Is retrograding
| at the present moment. In the name
Of progress we are going back to bar
barism. I have reference to what
must certainly follow when we have
reached the limit in u present spas
n1odic spell of wild-eyed politics, If
limit there be,
During the past dozen years politi-
clans of all parties, each trying to
Guido the other in proposals Of a rad
ical nature, have piled the arts Of the
demogOgue with such success as com
pletely to overthrow u earlier SyS
tenn Of government. and the cry is for
still further achievements in trration-
al legislation.
The fatuous thing known as pure
democracy, which always works its
own destruction, is now gripping the
republic to it's death. In the end 1t
will prove to be the handmaiden Of
devouring monopoly, that other dele
| terious force now all controlling in
the country's business affairs.
I'm The Wreck l nave aimed to ex-
plain how it all came about, and to
| describe the methods of the leaders
who are responsible for the catastro-
phe."
In The Wreck the senator de-
| scribes the conditions which prevailed
toward the close of McKinley's first
term, and of the growing demand for
a greater degree Of radicalism in leg
islation and administration. The con-
test between Hanna and Plat over
the nomination OF 1~OOSGVelC Tor SET
ond place on the. ticket Is sketched in
an entertaining. manner, n the diff
| ferent methods of. the two leaders are
| described. Hanna, as Is well known.
| was opposed to the nomination Of
| Roosevelt, blu he was o~verborne by
Plat, who desired it, according to Mr..
| Hansbrough, not In order to get rid Of
him as a dangerous element In New
| York state. but to make use of the
| prestige which surrounded Roosevelt
as a. result of his Cuban campaign and
insure the party success which he be-
lieved to be doubtful.
Quotations are made. from address,
es Of Roosevelt to show how forcibly
he emphasized the Importance of ad-
vanced legislation and administration
in the popular interest, and contrast
ed with these are chapters from his
official career which, the author holds,
prove that the Roosevelt protestations
were insincere. The rough rider pres
ident is charged with completely in
Strengthening the monopoly of the
Steel trust and the Harvester trust
and with playing into the hands OF
monopoIistic temperament, untitled
for the office of president, and unfor-
tunate in the selection of his advis.
ers.
In the closing chapter, reference is
made to President Wilson, who is
kindly treated in a personal way, but
the author expresses doubts as to Mr.
Wilson's ability to achieve, in the face
of Bourbon democracy, many of the
good things on which he has set his
heart.