The Washington times., 1914-05-27
ROOSEVELT AND THE
FUTURE.

~ ShLs
1t is only necessary to look and
listen most casually, to realize that
Theodore Roosevelt has come home
to face a situation to which his re-
iation is altogether different to what
it has been to any other situation
since he left the Presidency. When
he came home from Africa four
years ago his party was in power,
with things going against it. 1t was
in the hands of men whose domina-
ton justified the fears, already keen
ly felt, that they would wreck it. To-
day he finds the Democratic party
in power, but hardly less dubious
about its status than wise Republi-
cans were about their party four
years ago. He finds the Republican
party out of power indeed, but hope
full; hopeful, that is. that the neces-
sity for an effective and capable op-
position to Democracy will open the
way to reunion of the lately dis
severed elements of that opposition.
1t has never been palmer than now
that with the opposition really uni
fled, the Democracy would have
harder battle ahead than it has yet
been compelled to fight.
Moreover, the future course of Re-
publicans and Progressives. with ref
erence to reuniting and making
themselves felt, is not going to be
dictated by the resentments that
were too powerful to be overcome in
1912. The men who took nomina-
ton away from the progressive wing
of the party in 1912 are very gener-
ally admitting that it was mistake,
even if they g4 no farther. They are
forced to the new attitude by the in
flexible logic of conditions. The coun-
try has perhaps not got ready to
unhorse the Democratic party. To a
large extent it has not yet made up
its mind what it will do the coming
autumn, say nothing Of 1916. But it
has reached the point where it in
sists that there shall be a capable
opposition to the Democracy. 1t be-
lieves that so long as the Democratic
party shall remain in complete con-
troll, whether that shall be till the
fourth of March, 1917, or till the
fourth of March, 1921, or still longer,
it will be more useful and a safer
Democratic party if it has to con-
front, all the time, an opposition so
united and so strong as to constitute
a real menace and real warning.
Every believer in party government
must believe this, and the American
people have been long trained to the
method of party government. There
is certain academic support for the
idea of the continental "group sys-
tenn" and there is also a growing
sentiment in favor of really respon-
sibIe parliamentary control of the
Administration. But those things
arc without the range of present pos
sibility or institutions.
Party leaders propose, but the
great public disposes, in these mat
ters of ultimate political organiza-
tion ard direction. The opposition to
Democratic policies was sharply di-
vided in 1912, and leaders were able
to lead the factions apart into the
camps of different political parties.
But when that division brought the
Democrats into power it brought also
a telling realization that the great
mass of Republicans and the great
mass Of Progressives are at one about
most of the fundamentals of this
Government. A year and a quarter
of Democratic administration has
impressed this fact as nothing else
could do it, and has necessarily modi-
fed to a great degree the asperities
which were produced by the interne-
cine warfare of 1912. Essentials of
policy and program and tendency are
being observed now, and they are
submerging the bitternesses which
are found to have been chiefly per-
sonal.
All the signs of the times point to
the conclusion that amalgamation of
the anti-Democratic forces will be
compelled. Even if leaders on either
side should set their faces finally
against that tendency, they would
not prevent it's reaching accomplish
ment, for the real leadership of this
country is not of individuals, but Of
public opinion.
Every development of the last few
months has justified the expectation
that substantial reunion Of the for.
mer Republican elements is going to