New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-11
AROUND THE TROUGH
Voters Really Responsible Pork Barrel and Msht Political System
Not the PociansMake the Country Great Corpora
ion with Congress- for Directors and a Premier at Head

ten as we are, have evolved this system from
chaotic conditions the like of which are a
political curse 70 US now. II might be said,
and quite justly so, that We can no more de
pend upon Congress TO truly represent US
than we can upon President. 1t IS up 10
US. It is up to the voter 10 make Congress
truly representative The elimination Of the
tempting pork barrel is one step in the right
direction
The big politicians are said to have counted
Roosevelt out because the German news
rapers are going TO throw the entire German
vote against him. Mr.. Roosevelt's candidacy
is to be strangled because he WAS and is the
only public man big enough to do what
Barnes, Root and the others were afraid to
do. Roosevelt is an American. By strange
coincidence there are great many other
Americans in the country. Your paper has
asked, "Do they want Roosevelt" I will not
presume TO answer that question. l may say,
however, that Barnes and the big politicians
have Just about made Roosevelts nomination
necessary 70 Republican success. few
months ago everything looked propitious for
a love feast between stand-patters" and Pro-
gressives. That is, they both wanted TO feast
on Wilson. But Barnes would not take that
sleeping powder that Roosevelt gave him in
his suit at Syracuse. so i. looks as IL the
Progressives would rather feast upon Barnes.
It is a certainty that II Wilson and Barnes
are going TO nun for President Barnes will
get the German vote. Wilson will never get
the German vote. Americans are both anti
German and anti Barnes. Therefore, If
Barnes insists upon trying TO delude himself
that ne can make 100000 Roosevelt vote
Barnes vote Americans must OF necessity
become pro-Wilson.
The trouble with Barnes, Penrose ct al. is
that they have made too much noise about
Roosevelt. II they had kept both cool and
quiet the Progressive vote might have been
coaxed unsuspectingly into the Republican
banquet. Let not the Republican party de-
ude itself that the Progressive vote is dead.
Il has not now and never really did have any
organization but the Republican organization
has rot a man who could poll as many votes
as Taft did in 1912. As able and fine a man
as iG Hughes, surely you do not expect us to
swallow him without knowing where he
stands.
Some arc afraid that Roosevelt would drag
US into war. Mr. Wilson has talked much and
done little by way of keeping us out of the
war" His process OF drifting and turning
first one cheek. then the other, to have il
slapped, is painfully dragging US By degrees
down SO far that eventually none of us will
be too proud TO fight. Mr. Roosevelt under
stands that we do not want 70 fight, but he
appreciates the fact that you must not let
the other fellow know that you are too
proud" II Mr.. Wilson had been a quiet but
firm leader of action instead Of a college pro-
fessor intoxicated by the brilliancy of his
empty phrases, We should not now find our
selves in such a humilating position and the
history OF the past eighteen months would
not read like farce.
take it from the policy OF The Tribune
that 1t Is catering 10 r sane, thinking real
American public and that il encourages the
expression of progressive thinking. We are.
all of US, for America first. That means, il
it means anything, that we want to improve
the welfare of the country. To do that we
must understand what is the matter with us.
In my humble way have tried to diagnose
the case as politics. Our government is no
worse, no better. than We wish TO make IL.
But we are so shortsightedly selfish that we
40 not get together to make it what il should
be. Next election we shall again have an
opportunity to express ourselves in SO far as
the politicians whom we put in power will
permit US. Shall we then have an opportu-
nifty to vote for man We know? We should
like 20 know the mans views. lie must be a
constructive statesman, a careful but positive
leader IN time of danger. Above all, he must
be Of Presidential size. do they want
Roosevelt" Nominate him and find out.
EDWARD e. L0NGMAN.
Brooklyn, March 8. 1916.