New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-13
Colonel Roosevelt for President

Colonel Roosevelt TOT ITeSiuoH''
Colonel Roosevelt and no "pussyfoot-
ing"
The Tribune likes this candidate and
this issue.
II regards Senator Root, its favorite so
long as he had chance of nomination, as
now practically eliminated. 1t cannot in
terpret any more hopefully the fail
ure of the Oxygen treatment which
his candidacy received, in the shape of the
manifesto with seventy-hve signers. The
party thinks that Mr. Root would not be
so likely to win as either Colonel Roose-
Welt or Justice Hughes, and it wants INN
as Secretary Of State in the next Repub-
lican administration, since it cannot have
him as President.
We are for Colonel Roosevelt because
we believe the country needs him. No one
else will quicken the pulse Of the nation
as he will quicken it. No one else will
stir the conscience of the people as he will
stir it. No one else will inspire patriotism
as he will inspire it.
No one else personiies the issue which
the Republican party must make as he
personifes it, No one else presents so
effective an antthesis TO Wilson as he
If we are Americans, real Americans,
the Colonel is our man. While timid poll
ticians we're consulting the census books
and counting the German vote he spoke
and the country hearkened. lie is the
leader in the fight for Americanism, and
we don't believe in changing leaders when
we are going to the front.
We are for Colonel Roosevelt in spite
of the fact that we we're against him four
years ago. No one fought him harder
than VIC. No one will fight harder for
him. 1t has not been easy to put aside
our pride, our sense Of resentment at
what occurred in 1912, and the hundred
other things that tend to keep alive divis-
ions. But we have put them aside and
are putting them aside because we feel
that they have no place in a crisis like
this. We come out for Colonel Roosevelt
as Republican newspaper, intending to
remain Republican. and we feel that in
doing so we are doing the best thing not
only for the nation but for the Republi-
can party.
We might have preferred another lead
or, but there is no other leader. Justice
Hughes might have spoken if he had been
free to speak. Indeed, we feel sure he
you'd have spoken. and for Americanism,
lad silence not been imposed upon him,
and then We should have preferred him.
But the plain fact is that he did not
speak, that he could not speak.
If the Justice should be chosen leader
in the fight for a worthier nationaism,
lie would have to take the torch that
Colonel Roosevelt has thus far borne.
lie would have to accept an issue that
meant its most only in another mans
hands. Surely in the transfer we should
lose our stride. As a people we should
feel that We had hung back, that VIC
hadn't "gone the limit" in the true Amer
lean way. The governments of Europe
would feel this, too. They would conclude
that We meant 20 temporizc. Something
would be lost Of the moral effect Of NOV
ing straight on under the leadership of
the man who represents the purpose Of
this country as no one else does or can.
The Colonel stands for the things The
Tribune stands for. These things will be
advanced more by his nomination than by
any other nomination that can be made.
The Tribune must support him.
We are doing more this year than choos-
ing new President. We arc choosing
which way the country shall 20 in the era
that Is now opening, just as our fathers
chose the nations path in the days of
1860.
A IoU;c.l p..~..