ROOSEVELT AGAIN.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1378, 2 March 1912, Page 4

ROOSEVELT AGAIN.

Mr. Roosevelt's definite "return from Elba" renders extraordinarily interesting, and still more confusing, the political ferment in America in this, the Presidential year. For a great many years prior to 1910 the American people, seemed almost to have made up its mind, not only that \ Republican ascendancy was a natural permanency, but mat the Democratic party contained no strong men. Bryan seemed to be almost the only leader left to the Democrats; its only strong man. But great changes have taken place since 1910. The year in which the misdeeds of the Republican party, and particularly its care for "the interests" and its maintenance of a robber tariff, drove the country into the revolt that culminated in the Democrats' sweeping success at the Congressional elections. Since then the Democrats have increased enormously in strength, and as for leaders, the party's difficulty is that it has more than there is room for. Early in January, while only five Republicans were being spoken of as possiblo Presidents (Taft, Roosevelt, La Follette, Beveridqe, and Hughes), at last ton Democratic leaders were listed as possible candidates with winning chances: Harman, Wilson, Underwood, Clarjc, Bryan, Foss, Baldwin, Gaynor, Folk, and Marshall. Although it is only within the past few days that Mr. Roosevelt has definitely announced his candidature for selection as the Republican nominee in tho Presidential contest, everybody had made up his mind at the end of last year to expect him to burst out of the Outlook office into the ring. Shrewd judges had anticipated it two years ago. Indeed, there took place, a few weeks since, a dinner paid for by the New York World in payment of a bet with Colonel Watterson, the famous Louisville journalist, who had wagered in 1909 that December, 1911, would see the erstwhile friends, Taft and Roosevelt, at daggers drawn." The hostility of Mr. Roosevelt to tho President has been quito undisguised! He sharply assailed the arbitration treaties in speeches and in the Outlook. He followed up this campaign with a second one, the object of nis wrath this time being the President's policy of settling tho Trust problem by a "rigorous enforcement of tho Sherman law. Every really important movement of the Administration has found the exPresident discovering something wrong with it. He hopes to secure that Progressive section of the Republican party which Senator La Follette nas been hoping to lead, and there appears to be bud little real difference between the policies of the two rivals. They agree in demanding tho "direct_ primary" in public elections and in tho "recall" of judges, and they both favour tho substitution of some sort of Government supervision for the Sherman law.' In several directions they, go a long way with the Democrats; Wut the special, featuro of [ Mr. Roosevelt's candidature is his opposition to the peace movement. In a sense he is a Jingo candidate, at this stage of international affairs, as he has calculated, tho peace-or-war issue is a very important one, especially in view of the impending completion of the Panama Canal. _ Mr. Taft represents tho Conservative side of Republicanism, so thatthorc is almost a sharper issue within the Republican ranks than tho general issue of Republican versus Democrat, and it is by no means certain that when the two parties have finally selected their candidates the party managers can rely upon the party machines working with tho old-time smoothness. Inside the Democratic party there are divisions nlso. A few weeks ago a four-year-old written by Governor Woodrow Wilson was unearthed, in which the opinion was expressed that Mn. Bryan should be got rid of somehow; and this letter has naturally created sharp dissensions it) tho party. Although thorn «.» Coaaarvativu tad Radicals

amongst the Democrats, the differences arc not so deep as amongst the Republicans; but there is abundant matter for quarrelling in the rivalry of several strong men each of whom would be acceptable to the party. There are Republicans who feel that the selection of cither Mn. Taft or Senator La Foi.lette will mean certain defeat for the party, and that Mr. Roosevelt is the only hope of defeating the Democrats. The London Times is of the opinion that the internal troubles of the two parties will result in making Mr. Taft appear to moderate men everywhere as the safest man to lead the Republic. This, however, is to ignore the_ great revival of Democratic sentiment, which the best Democratic leaders arc guiding into a detestation of Tammany Hall. The choice for the people is no longer between the Tammany bosses in New York on the one hand and "the interests" on the other. The movement for clean government and the crushing of ring_ dominanco is growing very strong in America, and promises to leave Tammany on the scrap heap as well as the abuses of Republicanism. The next few months will be months of turmoil and intrigue, and nobody can say a't this moment with any certainty who will emerge as the combatants in the final struggle for the Presidency. The ease with which he got his "boom" launched immediately after specifically denying his candidature suggest that the forces behind Mr. Roosevelt are stronger than could have been dreamed of a year ago.