MR. ROOSEVELT'S COURAGE
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sm,—In your leading article on Mr. Roosevelt and former- Mayor Walker you say it is a misfortune that Mr. Roosevelt has had to prosecute action against a leading member of his own political party, whilst he is a candidate for the American Presidency. You also claim that it is to his credit that he has acted with such courage.
May I say that many of us in New York do not consider Governor Roosevelt courageous at all, but cowardly ? The investigation into the civic affairs of New York has been going on for almost two years now. Frightfully shocking and repelling disclosures were made months and months before Governor Roosevelt was nominated for the Presidency. In the face of disclosures which cried to high heaven to be remedied, Governor Roosevelt refused to act, but parried with Tammany for its support at the convention at which he knew he would be nominated. And not only did Governor Roose- velt remain absolutely passive in the face of horrible disclosures unearthed by Mr. Seabury, but he actually became annoyed when Mr. Seabury remarked that it was time he (Governor Roosevelt) began to do• something about the disclosures. In fact, instead of supporting Mr. Seabury, Governor Roosevelt went out of his way to criticize him, and also two eminent New York clergymen who wrote the Governor, pleading with him to take some action. It was not ,until the Governor saw that public opinion in New York City (and particularly in the Press) was set against his passive stand that he began to take any notice of the evils which Mr. Seabury had so patiently and carefully exposed.
Had Governor Roosevelt taken a strong and definite stand against Tammany he would have won hundreds of thousands of men and women to him in the coming election. Instead, he has got himself a reputation for playing to all sides, and particularly to the Tammany side because of the tremendous 665 Fifth Avenue, New York City.
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