The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-16
Thsushts susGestsd bys Ten DOL
lar Check.


Thoughts suGGested 81 Ten Dol.
lar Check.
From q friend and reader Of THE
SuN who prefers to he known only as
IL. b. NJ" except to ourselves We
have received q perfectly valid check
for SO accompanied BY the following
remarks:
4 should like to be one Of a million
voesrs % contribute q like amount for
the formation cf a campaign FUND TO
furthsr the nomination and election of
one THEODORE ROOSEVELT and the brand
Of A~mericanism nc stands for. as com-
pared with the synthetic connection Of
stun handed out by the present incurn-
bent Of the White House.
We have been u little puzzled Us to
the advice we shall give our CORE
spondent about the proper disposition
Of his ten dollars. II Colonel RoosE-
WELT were al avowed candidate for
nomination and election as President,
with a regular organization devoted
to his political adventure, the matter
would be simple enough. We should
then ask a.. II. NJ" TO communicate
directly with the treasurer Of the
Roosevelt campaign committee: But,
II We understand the Colonel's pres
ent attitude, there Is nobody at this
time authorized to receive cash ron.
tributions for the purpose indicated
BY u correspondent. Not even Mr..
GnoRGE w. PERKINS possesses such
authority. Colonel ROOSEVELT has de-
clared land who will dare to doubt
his unqualified statementD that he
does not wish the nomination. II he
does not want to he nominated. il
certainly follows that he does not
want to be elected. Months ago he
formally notified the authorities Of
Nebraska, Minnesota, Michigan. and
perhaps some other States which we
have forgotten, that under no circum-
stances would he permit his name to
be used in the primaries. Six weeks
ago he firmly resisted the ~entreaties
of some Of his enthusiastic supporters
in Massachusetts,. again declining to
he a candidate in the primaries "of
that or any other State"
This attitude, so consistently main
tained by Colonel ROOSEVELT in the
face Of persuasion that would ordi-
narily nov u stone wall, ought to be
conclusive IN removing the doubts Of
thosa who suspect our distinguished
fellow citizen Of some sort Of mental
reservation which makes him IA self
conscious candidate in another sense
than that which concerns the Presi-
platform on which he ran unsuccess.
fully for President four years ago de-
clared "in particular for nationwide
preferential primaries for candidates
for the Presidency" as the proper
channel for the expression of the will
Of Il self-controlled democracy"
How, then. could the Colonel refuse
to let his name 60 to the primaries
for such a free expression of the
popular will as his own platform OF
1912 demanded as a check on boss
rule and the theft Of nominations
OF the stampedlng Of delegates In a
national convention?
Furthermore, this same national
platform Of the Progressive or Roose-
welt party In 1912, on which THEoDoRF
ROOSEVELT received 4,119.5S2 ballots
splitting the old Republican vote ant
throwing the Presidency to WOODROW
WILSON, the candidate Of a minority
declared emphatically against any
such campaign fund as that which
our friend desires to start In C0lOne
.Ro0sLvELT's interest. An avOwed pur
pose Of the Roosevelt secession Ot
four years a~go-treasOn, the old lin'
Republicans persist In styling it
. was to prevent the inordinatc us'
Of money in Federal politics. Wv,
pledge our party" said Colonel RoosE
vLr's convention. ito legislation thu
will compel strict limitation of al
campaign contributions and eXpendi
ture, and detailed publicity Of boil
before US well as after primaries an
elections"
This ten dollar contribution. stand
ing alone. might not constitute u dan
:e.cus invasion Of that strict lin!
tation Of campaign funds for whicl
Colonel R%o0sEvEIT's party declared Il
1919, but what of the $1O,OOO,OOO Ia
tai which would be amassed II tn
other nine hundred AMI nlnety-nin
thousand nine hundred and ninety
pno voters should accept ~. u
Ms" invitation and follow his el
ample? Has he really thought OF Nh
Significance Of his initiative? doe
nc actually meal to start a snowfall
of this sinister sort and these unpre,
edented dimensions? What wOul
be thA result on the nations soul q
injecting $10,0OO.000 into q csmpaig
Llaaa