Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-01-07
Theodore Roosevelt, Slnnslercr

n MONG all decent men. lovers or fair play.
a *corners OF sham and pretense who feel
proper contempt for that SNUG hypocrisy
that arrogates virtue to itself and can find
mono in Il political or personal foe there will
he hearty Endorsement of the rehukc former
President Roosevelt has received al the
| hands Of a Senate committee.
Tho committee was named to invest iga te
charges against various parties in interest
made in the course OF the effort TO pass the
ship-purchasc bill of the last session Of Con-
grcss Conspicuous among these Colonel
Rooscvclt's avermcnt that President Wilson
and Secretary Bryan had ondeavoret in the
interest of certain foreign business firms. to
secure for the United States the power to
purchase the interned ships of one of the
bclligcrcnts.'
For this imputation of dishonor the COM
mittcc finds there was no justification what
ever. The President and Mr.. Bryan are alb
solved by the unanimous conclusions Of the
whole membership. Republican as we'll as
Democratic. The majority finds fitting words
in which TO characterize Colonel Roosevelt's
otfense. II says, in the report to the Senate:
The charge had its origin In that un-
generous trait OF the human mind which
makes II prone To attributes unworthy
motives Ia rcdouhtable rivals and par
tlCularlN political antagonists The
writer. whose emnence naturally
calculated 10 give weight to his utter
:,ncc. finding himself without any basis.
rNcr 1T = hcarsay character for his
slnndcrous attack upon the highest OIL
Ger of his government simply resorted
to palpablc SophiStry escape the
responsibility Of tho assertion he had
made.
II is a just rebuke. While the minority
members Of the committee decline to indorsc
it, their half-hear,ed refusal to do Is in
consistent with their generation of President
Wilson OF that gross betrayal of official trust
with which he was charged Colonel Roose-
welt did not. because he could not support
the indictment he had laid. Instead, he de-
clined TO appear before the committee. and,
rs the report says. "rcsorted to a palpable
sophstry To escape the responsibility of the
assertion he had made The committee. al
though its investigation was able patient and
prolonged, and though the Republican mem
bcrs had every opportunity TO call and en-
anime witnesses, could find warrant for
this gross and contemplate attack on the
character OF the chief magistrate of the ma
ton. II there was no basis. even OF respect
able hcarsay, for the imputation. no con-
demnation OF the real offender could be too
severe The Republicans Of the committee
should have Joined in it. for. even though
they withhold formal concurrence, they know
in their hearts that condemnation is deserved.
Colonel Roosevelt is fond of applying TO
political rMcInieS and To allies who have out
lived their usefulness forgotten their sub
serviency what he once described as "a
shorter aud AN uglrr word" To-day by the
solemn declaration OF committee OF the
Senate OF the United States. he is branded
with that short and ugly epithet, and there
will be few 10 maintain that he has been
unjuStly stigmatizcd