The Dominion. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1910. AMERICAN POLITICS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 938, 4 October 1910, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1910. AMERICAN POLITICS.

New , Zealandees do not yet take quite that interest in the politics of the United States, which they, have always taken in British-politics, but probably they know and care more about the public affairs of America than they did before Mil. Roosevelt became President. It is mainly Me. lloosevelt's responsibility that the coming Congressional elections, of which we shall hear a : great deal more within a few days, are interesting to us as they are of extraordinary moment to the American people. When ••■ the. ex-President returned from his tour of the Old World), he found. the Republican- -. party in a seriously ■.-'■, disorganised condition. The great Republican' revival that sent -Me. Taft to the White House owed much of its force to the belief that;Me.. Taft would sow with reforms, the, ground that had been broken up and fertilised by his predecessor. The tariff was to be revised . downwards,' the "trusts" were to >\ be reduced to order, .corruption and"."Boss"-rule were to be' cut out of the body iof government. The hope was: • grievously disappointed. The "Bosses" still kept their old power, and the "interests" .against which the people, had 'determined to rebel revealed their continued power ini.the PAYNE-ALDEiCHitariff, which actually- intensified- the tariff; grievance.-. The resentment of. the rank arid file of the Republican party took shape in the development of the strong "Insurgent" wing of the House and -in a remarkable succession of Democratic victories at , byelections nn. Republican'strongholds. The ex-President did. not'lose'much time, upon his return, in fulfilling the hopes .'■ of his .friends that he would: take, a vigorous band in. the fray.: He -was claim<H(:as■:an "Insurgont" by. MB. GircißD. Pinohot, the leader of the movement for the', of: national . lands, and resources, -and by' one of the Republican ''Bosses" as,a good "Regular."- The "Regulars," . however, who are usually reioi-red to :as the "Old Guard," displayed their hostility, to' ■Mβ. Roosevelt in: a most open manner by securing, his rejection.vby the .New York State 'lie: publican Committee: as its nominee for the .Chairmanship .of. the State' Convention., Mr. : Taft, whose alli-ance-with, his' former chief .was never ■ really doubted ■ by '■•anybody,-: made public the .fact that Me/ Roosevelt's , . , 'rejection-, and 'Me.!V.Sherman's nomination was a'!trick'..,. He had telegraphed to Mr. ..SherSiAn/advising, him that tho Republican leaders should confer with ■, Mr. Roosevelt and make reasonable concessions, to him, and this message '.- was., suppressed. Tho object of the "Boss" party was 'to keep. Mr. .Roosevelt out of the chair and discredit him by making'it'appear that he was'in opposition to .the President.. We Were informed last Thursday that the -"Old Guard" had sustained the heavy blow of'.his' election as Chairman in their despite. Recent brief '■■ summaries of his campaign speeches indicate that he has made, up his mind'to throw the "Old . Guard" over altogether. Indeed, he has so far broken away from the "machine" that some of. his statements of policy read like extracts from' the speeches of a. Democratic leader. He is not, however, a Democrat ; -he.--, realises that a Democratic .success two'years hence : would : be fraught with peril to the nation by exposing it to ad-vanced-Radical and Socialistic! legislation.: -. ,"■■. ''•'■■■•. ■■ { - : / ;■■ ■ ■'■'■'

■ His position is a most difficult one. He wishes to root out . "Bossism" from his , party, and to keep it in power as the party, of caution and stability in national affairs. -The great problem he has to solve is the problem of destroying the evils of the . "machine" without destroying the "machine." There is no way.out through the formation of a third party, and this for reasons that are well stated by an. English writer::,

One has to remoinber that the American nation, is, roughly; twice as nuluer* pus as our own, that it includes a vast: variety of races, languages, and customs, and that it is spread over, an area' about tho sizo of. Europe. It has ,'not got the feudal': traditions, the long family . records,- the ancient local influences, which help to build voters' into . masses in Europe; it has got everywhere two party 6rganisatibns, manned and officered with a minuto complexity t of system and a hard materiality ■ of. .'motive, to .which Eui'ope pfers no. paralkl. For a very long time to come the politics of the country scorn bound to be in the hands of one or other, of these two',organisations., .■■ .:'.-.■ ■;■ ■ ■ :. '

At the same' time the\ "Insurgent" spirit ought to triumph, for the "interests" in. -the Republican party that oppose , it will in time, no doubt, realise that a reformed Republican Government is less to be beared than a Democratic Government. The Democratic .victories at the by-elections are plain proof- of the lengths to which, good Republicans will carry their vh#tred of "Bossism," and it should be obvious that a victory for the "Old Guard" would simply place a Democratic victory at the noxt Presidential election beyond _ all doubt. Upon the success or failure of Mr. Roosevelt in his campaign of "reform from within" depends the success, or failure of the Re* publican party as a whole.