Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-06-09
Watterson on Roosevelt
Henry Watterson in the Louisville
COurier-Iournall


The strangest thing of all is that any
intelligent and disinterested man, that
any considerable body even of obsery-
ing and thinking men, could be de-
ceived by the program and proceeding
OF Theodore Roosevelt
The Courier-Journal has never en-
tertained the least i'll will against
the ex-president. OF him it would
speak no embittered or abusive word.
If private injury menaced him its
heart would 60 to his rescue. He is
brave man; but not Drawer than all
others. He is a clean, upright man !;
but there are many equally clean and
upright in public life. He is a good
American; but, heavens, which of US
is not? What has he done, or said
what can he do, or say-which will
explain his many and curious ter
giversations and passionate desire to
recover the lost bauble of power. or
to lift him out of the classification
of overeager, ignominious self-seek-
ing?
The assertion that he is the apothe-
osis of patriotic conviction-that he
cherishes only the greatness and glory
OF his country and stands ready to
make sunshine sacrifices to its we'll
belng-would still be debatable even
If his managers were less blatant and
his pronunciations more logical
and consistent. But the methods
adopted by these managers, and the
manifestos put forward by himself,
stultlfy every pretension. His politi-
cal record taken seriatim makes a
crazy quilt of contradictions. It's only
stability is its appeal to the ground
llngs. Going no further than this
present campaign his attitudes and
| utterances' are of the field of sport
not of the political arena. They gilt
| ter with spangleS and smell of saw
dust. Now he is candidate and now
| he is not a candidate. Today he is
| willing to do so and so, tomorrow he
is for something else. All things by
! turn, and nothing long, the single pur-
pose has been to keep what is called
the front page" of the newspapers
III
| til, the business details completed, he
and his hackers, for all the world like
the pugs of the prize ring, are ready
| to announce the place, the day and
the hour.
| This is but pugilism. 1t is circus
riding, ground and lofty tumbling, not
| patriotism, or craftsmanship. Pa
triotism does not play fast and loose
with the people. Craftsmanship car
ries not big stick alike for friend
and foe. Neither proclaims that if i
does not get what it wants it will raise
row.
If Theodore Roosevelt were the I'M
selfish patriot his friends herald him
and he heralds himself, he would ask
for nothing. If he were a statesman
he would scorn the part he plays. A
man who has twice had the presi-
dency, and named his successor, and
| who comes back and demands il
again, spits in the face equally Of
patriotism, craftsmanship and disin-
terestedness.
Theodore Roosevelt seeks to be
president again because he loves
dominancy and power. There is
nothing theoretical, abstract, or doe
trinal about him. He said on mem
orable occasion that he is "a prac
teal man. The basis of the cast
urged in his behalf is that the coun
try needs him and that the people
want him. If this be true, now how
much more cogent and pressing il
1Q00 and tho rect of his dave IN 90 rth
The tradition against a third tern
eliminated, how might the people evel
hope to get him out except feet fore
most? Thus his candidacy coult
mean only life tenure and nothing
else, sending all other issues to th'
rear.