Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-22

| this political sin is capital punishment,
DESTROYING the protective policy and the
republican party: or whether the severe
| penalties already inflicted will be deemed
| by the American people adequate pun
ishment: whether the traditional Ameri-
can policy of moderate and reasonable
protection for American industries and
American wOrkingmen, accompanied by
perfect free trade between the states. is
worthy to be preserved: and whether
those hostile to protection and favoring
the raising of national revenue by direct
| taxation may not push the movement
past the imaginary dead-line of radical
ism which have suggested. with the re-
suit of a reaction $50 familiar in Ameri
can political experence). and a new trial
in national affairs for the chastened and
aggressively progressive protectionists.
Greatness in Self-Denial.
Roosevelt ought not to be willing. and,
IL willing. ought not to be permitted. to
nullify several millions of voters. to the
end Of self-exploitation as perpetual presi-
Dental candidate. Preceding the Chicago
convention l said in The Star Of June 5,
1912. under the heading Greatness In
Self-Deniar': THE President and ex-
President both claim at this time con-
troll of the Chicago convention II
either of them in fact controls he
would be a wiser and a greater man to
nominate for the presidency some one
else than himself who would repre-
sent faithfully the principles of his
victory, but who would escape the saw
age and perhaps fatal cutting at the
polls to which he would himself as
the nominee be subjected. But the alb
stract truths of altruistic philosophy
may not meet at all the actual con-
fronting conditions The self-denial sug-
gested may be too much to expect from
human nature. The substitution sug-
gested may under the circumstances
hn 10 nf nj ch rYnn
if desired Genuine self-sacrifice would
be conspicuous if the President hav-
ing control of the convention. should
as presidential candidate substitute
another; for his safe, sound and pro-
gressive administration entities him
in custom in equity and in policy to
the Endorsement of denomination.
whether or not reelection Is to fol-
low. The naming of some one else
than himself as candidate by the ex-
President, if he should control the con-
vention, would involve no self sacrifice
whatever. but would be in its essence
an act of highly enlightened selfish
ness. For this act would be accepted
by the people as vindicating Mr.. Roose-
velt's sincerity and genuine patriotism
against the suspicious aroused by his
eQuivocal course as eX-Presldent, ana
would restore him in the minds of
tens of thousands of his former adj
mirers to the pedestal of 1908. from
which he has descended. NO reasons
which Influenced him in 1908 to re-
frain from Selling for hlmsei, . the
then within his grasp have ceased to
exist They are as potent in 1872 as
in 1908 and to them have Deem aodeo
new and powerful objections. To be
the Warwick of the situation in 1872
as in 1908. to refuse again the crown.
would cause his figure to loom even
larger in American history. To run
again for the presidency In 1917
would in part destroy ana aitogetner
reopen and confuse the record already
made and substitute therefor a new
record of defeat at the polls or OF
failure in administration, with certain
loss of historic repute. however
wrestlers locked in the grip of the
strangle hold do not make good listen
ers
The opportunity to show greatness IN
self-denial is again offered Roosevelt; Tor
if Withdrawing himself he permits MS
followers TO cooperate with progressive
republicans of all sorts in naming mou-
crate but distinctly progressive candloate
on a moderate but distinctly progressive
platform, he may perhaps snare In nam
ing the next President and help to win
great victory for republican progressiv-
ism.
If i'm 1915 as in 1912 Roosevelt refuses
to play Warwick and insists on trying
again to be king, he will probably sur
fer the modification that comes from
cutting a steadily diminishing figure In
American history. substituting Tor ,n ms
and of self-denial in 1908 the records OF
self-seeking and deserved defeat In 19l2
and 1916. His fame will grow less as 1t
grows older: and he may even Hanase
while he still lives to follow in the fu-
neral of his own reputation.
Hanging Together and Separately.
1t may we'll be indicated to the isolated
wrangling progressives. as was suggested
to our rebellious forefathers. that il they
do not hang together they will certainly
| hang separately. And they may do BOTH
If the two republican camps stand
apart, terminating and reviling, or II
Roosevelt prevents them from reuniting,
victory will again in 1916 be handed to
the democracy on silver platter. And
even If the republicans are wise and come
together Wilson may anticipate them In
Selling the suggested imaginary vantage
point in progressivism, and hold IT
against all assaifants. in his own as Well
as in opposing parties. against reacuon,
aries who would pull him one way and
Bryanites who would push him In the
other. He will, in this event, stop snort
of Bryan's financial heresies and OF his
radical anti-imperialism doctrines, lnvov,
ing the policy Of immediate 'scuttle-"
He will stop short of government owner
ship of railroads and naturalization of
government lands He will steer clear of
the recall or Judges anu OIL Juulcidl ue-
cisions.
Wilson won in 1912 against a divided
| foe, with his own position on vital is
sues somewhat in doubt. This uncer-
| tainty was helpful as a vote-getter in
his campaign.
In 1905 at a historic dinner, after the
presidential election of that year, Bryan
| is reported as saying semi-seriously. semi
| loosely that neither Roosevelt nor Taft
had been able singly to beat him, that
| the campaign had demonstrated that he
could defeat either man alone, that the
| west had voted for Taft because he was
going to carry out Roosevelts policies
| and that the east had voted for Taft be-
cause he was not going to carry out
| Roosevelts policies. The situation was
exactly reversed in the recent campaign.
| Taft and Roosevelt were at each others
threats and Wilson was voted for by
many in the middle west because he
| would carry out Bryan's policies and in
| the east because he would not carry out
Bryan's policies. The anti-Bryanites
were encouraged by the reflection that
| his anti Organism was the ripened fruit
| of his deliberate, mature. unbiased,
scholarly judgment. The Bryanites noted
| that his Organism had all the radical
enthusiasm OF the recent convert.
In 1915 Wilson will have made his posi-
| ton clear. How far his policy agrees
with and how far 1t differs from that of
Bryan will be accurately known. He
must win his second term on his own
| record. He cannot be reelected as he
| was in 1912. and as Taft was In 1908, by
| the combined votes of those who both
of Bryan and Roosevelt, respectively.
L nfxxyifh cfa haiY