The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-07-14
Voice Of the People
MIR. Roosevelt designs.


To the Editor of The Times Dispatch:
Sir,-The rupture between Colonel
Roosevelt and ex-President Taft staged.
for the moment, n new political orBani-
zation, with the Colonel as supreme
leader.
with great tact. consummate skill
ana immense resources. Mr.. Roosevelt
! waged cruel campaign against his
former friend and the great party
which had so highly honored him. He
succeeded In defeating Judge Taft by
dividing the Republican party and
thereby electing a Democratic Presi-
dent. In the person of Mr. Woodrow
Wilson.
Mr.. Roosevelt. with, strong per-
sonality and peculiar backing of dis
satisfied voters. was able to crafty
deep-seated revenge against his po-
litlcal enemies. which. from later de-
velopments. seems to have been his
controlling motives.
During the Roosevelt administration
the writer was captivated, and trapped
IN measure. by the patriotic utter
Hnces on public questions Of this YER
satilc gentleman. who adopted new
tangled theories of government in
Guiding the catchy .initiative and
referendum" which furnished plausible
argument as panacea for all our
| troubles at the birth OF the new party.
The tone of Mr. Koosevelt's resigna-
tton as an editor of the Outlook. and
his Pittsburgh speech. are in marked
contrast with the very able productions
of a few years ago.
MIR. Roosevelt has undergone a
change concerning trusts and monop-
oily which his friends cannot under
stand. Here are a few "keynotes"
sounded 1T Pittsburgh recently, taken
ms n skeleton platform of the Pro-
gressive party (see Outlook. July II,
1910:
First. we cannot and do not want to
destroy all corporations: we must have
large units TO do our work.
Second, we cannot make every man
compete with every other man; wo
cannot go back to $780, still less to
1850.
Third. we cannot destroy monopoly
by attacking all forms of concentra-
ton, whether monopolistic or not
Fourth. we cannot destroy real mo-
nopoly b. attacking Its legal form
We must find out and take away the
! real economic basis of monopoly
which Is a very different thing.
FIFTH, we can get no effective results
through tho courts. with their Glow
and restricted procedure"
The mind Is so confused by the
vaguencss of this language that II is
utterly impossible to deduct remedy
or to remove the economic basis of
monopoly, without discussing both its
legal and practical forms. And
furthermore. the language so obsoures
the authors meaning that we must
place him In the neutral zone of mo-
nopoly and trusts, because If the larger
units, concentration and corporate
forms OF monopoly, are essential to
handle the ratio Of business Increase
since 1850, then what shall be done
with the still larger units In 1850?
II we cannot and should not reEu-
late big business" now, how can we
expect TO do II then?
The Colonel is evidently shaping his
course for the presidency in 1916. He
seems to like the association OF for
eign rulers. and may not only glimpse
Il third term" but a crown of the
new empire ruled by Theodore sthe
First
The resignation of AFR. Roosevelt was
man Abbott. and these significant lines
| appear in the last paragraph:
But history has abundantly
demonstrated the truth that no
man can be both the leader of
great political party and an editor
OF an independent journal. The de-
! mands OF the political campaign and
of the editorial office are inconsistent D."
| The writer would rather praise Mr..
Roosevelt as a great American than see
his faults as schemlng, ambitious
politician. He regrets TO see one Of
his countrymen, once the popular Idol
OF the nation, become the victim Of
designing flatterers, who expect TO gain
personal triumphs through him, even
| 1T the risk of his final ignominious de-
feat. w. H. GUM
Norfolk. Va, July IL. 1914