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Show ROOSEVELT'S EXPLANATION. Colonel Eoosovelt continues to insist that tho only way open for harmony between his personal Progressivo party and tho Republican party, is for the Republicans all to come into his camp in unconditional surrender, submit to his yoke, and subscribe lo tho policies ho stands for, without any equivocation, equivoca-tion, demur, or mental reservation. It has always been a puzzle, however, to establish what it is in the way of policies pol-icies that Colonel Roosovolt stands for. The Progressive platform of last year was so windy, so absolutely vague and practically meaningless, that nothing could bo gathered from it; save only that State judges were to bo rocalled and their opinions overruled by tho people at. popular elections. But tho idea of making this sort of assault upon tho State courts a National proposition prop-osition is absolutely illogical. There is no war whereby the Nation could undertako to discipline tho State courts, either as proposed or in any other way. This central idea, of the Roosevelt platform is, therefore, absolutely abso-lutely impossiblo as oven promising any practical results. Tho Colonel has an article in the current cur-rent number of the Century Magazine, which is fully and firmly protected by copyright, and express notice is given that any re-publication, oither in whole or in part, is expressly prohibited. prohib-ited. It is not prohibited, howover, to comment generally upon it, and it must bo admitted that his paper is quite as indefinite, vague, and impossiblo as his previous utterances in behalf of himself him-self politically and of tho party which ho has formed. This article, liko much of Colonel Roosevelt's former outgivings, outgiv-ings, is expressly and indeed vindictively vindic-tively hostile to tho courts. It notes that thoro is no way to reverse, discipline disci-pline or set aside court judgments, thorefore ho wants to provido such means, and his idea is that it can best bo dono by popular vote. Students of American institutions know that Thomas Jefferson was fiercely fierce-ly opposed to the Federal constitution, and that he urged tho possible tyranny of the courts, in that no means are provided in the constitution to curb their possible usurpations of power or to break tho force of any obnoxious decisions or rulings which they might make, as ono great dofect in tho constitution, con-stitution, and as tho reason why it should not be ratified by Virginia. It is a dofect in our institutions that has always boon recognized, but no one has ever heretofore proposod that the popular pop-ular Yote ought to ovorrulo or set aside the decisions of tho courts. Besides, Roosevelt's idea fails to meet Mr. Jefferson's Jef-ferson's view, in that Jefferson's objection ob-jection applied to tho Federal courts, whereas Roosovelt's oxpressly applies to tho Stato courts. Tho Colonel does not go to tho impossible oxtromo of suggesting that decisions of tho Federal Fed-eral courts and especially of tho U. S. Supromo Court, should bo overridden by the popular voto of tho Nation. So his nostrum and his criticism of the State courts has nothing to do with National Na-tional affairs and has no, placo in the National political arena. Ho seems to recognize this instinctively, but to mako up for such recognition by vindictive vin-dictive ferocity in his comment. Just now Colonol Roosovelt is on gaged politically in a campaign in behalf be-half of Governor Sulzor in Now York, and against Murphy, who is Tammany's Tam-many's boss. He exhibits a great ad-mration ad-mration for John Purroy Mitchcl, the fusion candidate for Mayor of New York. Tho fact that Mi'tchol is also indorsed by President Wilson seems to encourage Roosevelt and to mako him understand that in supporting Mitchcl ho is likely to bo on tho winning side, and, of all things upon earth, Colonel Roosovelt likes to bo upon the winning side. H is plain to see from Colonol Roose-volt's Roose-volt's political movomonts just now, that ho is much moro inclined to side with tho Democrats than with tho Republicans. Re-publicans. Ho was not willing to allow al-low his party associates to support a fusion candidalo for Mayor of Now York if that fusion candidalo should be j a Republican; but he is quite willing to support a Democrat as fusion candidate candi-date for Mayor of Greater New York, and lo urgo bin followers to join in that support. Ho is willine to givo Governor Sulzor a clean bill of hoalth, not bocauso Sulzor is innocont, but because be-cause ho hates Murphy moro than ho hates Sulzor, and charges Murphy with Sulzor 'b impeachment. So that his political po-litical procoduro in this is shown to be impulsivo rathor thau on principle, and personal rathor than on tho merits of the caso involved; and, inasmuch as Colonel Roosevelt's political activities havo quito commonly taken precisely that course, it is a clear case that he is a dangerous man to follow. |