Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 September 1906 — CUTTING THE CORNERS [ARTICLE]

CUTTING THE CORNERS

A Republican Statesman With a Changeable Record. WHAT WILL EOOSEVELT DO NEXT •, - .. ■, . \ A Few Ixrtanet* of His Chameleonlike Matnre and Infinite Variety. He Keeps Cannon and Other Republican Statesmen Guessing 'as to Where They Are At. With the president plunging Into the congressional campaign as general manager, so as “to secure a congress of his own,” a lively campaign and probably something Spectacular is certain. At present the president stands pat on the tariff, but who can tell what will happen? He may, If the exigencies of the canvass require a change of front, throw over the stand patters and stand for tariff revision or even free trade. Senator Dryden assures the people of his state that “the mental attitude of President Roosevelt toward public questions of our day Is a fine blending of a broad and courageous progressive-' ness with a wise and steady conservatism that Is altogether admirable.” Senator Dryden is in a tight place himself, with the hounds of reform on his trail, and knows full well the short corners a Republican statesman Is bound to cut. In these perilous times. He evidently sees in President Roosevelt qualities that he la envious of, for what trust and corporation representative, not to say life insurance president, would not like to be able to appear progressive and conservative at the same time—progressive to the people on one side and conservative to the trusts and corporations on the other; one day issuing orders for the vigorous prosecution of.the trust officials, another day ordering the attorney general not to press the criminal charge against John D. Rockefeller which had been commenced at Cleveland; on one side appealing to the Republican voters to subscribe a dollar each to the campaign fund, on the other side having Wall street figuratively ecraped with a small tooth comb for campaign contributions? One day he assures President Gompers of the American Federation of Labor that the eight hour law has been constantly and vigorously enforced and the next day Issues an order for the enforcement of that obsolete law. One day he speaks of President Monroe as a “failure," as one “well fitted to act as a presidential figurehead,” as "too much to the taste of the Jacobinical Republicans” of France, and on the next day be declares that the one grand purpose of his administration is to uphold the glorious Monroe doctrine. One day he denounces “the pension grabbing congressmen and their supporters” and the “vidous special legislation, sure, in the end, to bring about the breaking down of some of the most important principles of our government," and the next day he issues an executive order, without authority of law, Imposing upon the treasury an annual expenditure of more than $30,000,000. One day he favors free trade and denounces a protective tariff as “vicious in theory and harmful In practice,” and the next day he declares for the stand pat theory. One day he stands for reciprocity and the next day against it Always he cries for peace in one breath and for the big stick and war In the next One day he speaks of the religious system of the Quakers as “a direct Incentive to crime and wrongdoing,” denounces their "vaunted policy of peace" and declares that the colonj' of Pennsylvania was “contemptible, supine and selfish," and the next day he says that the Quakers are "righteous, peaceful and virtuous.” One day he speaks of the negroes as "a perfectly stupid race," and the next day he closes the postofflce at Indianola contrary to law because the people of that town object to a negro as postmaster, Invites the negro Booker Washington to dinner and says that “the door of hope” for equality with white men and women must be kept open to the negro. One day be denounces political corruption, and the next he refuses to compel Cortelyou and Bliss to return to the Insurance companies tile money stolen from the widows and orphans of their policy holders and used as a corruption fund to place him In the White House. One day he denounces the railroads for violating the law against rebating, and the next day he appoints Paul Morton, a notorious rebater, to a place In his cabinet and discharges from the public service Harmon and Judson for proposing to prosecute Morton and bls pals. This is the man who is going to conduct the congressional campaign this year. The chameleon and the kaleidoscope are surely In politics. There will be “Infinite variety,” at least, in the performance. »