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The Commoner.
-VOfiUME 7, NUMBER 21.
' - .A
wwwwi sHwiirii'wrrt53HSi2!SHBiBI
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THE FIGHT FOR THE -REPUBLICAN
Washington. D. C. July 1. Tho contest for
the republican presidential nomination grows
dally in intorcst and in " bittorness. Nobody
d6ubts that President Roosevelt can have a
lioniinatlon for his third torm the , first in
American history if ho wants It. He contin
ually doclaros that ho does not want it and will
not take it, but curiously enough every states
man from Senator Bourne of Oregon, to John
Temple Graves of Atlanta, Ga., who visits tho
White House, or tho summer capital at Oyster
Bay, comes away shouting for Theodoro Roose
velt, tho only savior of tho nation. "Why this
singular harmony of tho chorus in singing out
of tune with tho song that tho star has boon
rendering? Who aro wo to beliovo, tho faithful
Loob or the men who, one after another, havo
been taken into tho domestic circle of Mr.
Roosevelt and emerge as tho most outspoken
proponents of his boom. The list of presidential
visitors in the last six months is a long one.
It is safe to say that nearly every one has
finished his interview with Mr. Roosevelt by
telling tho reporters who cluster about the doors
of tho executive offices that tho president must
bo a candidate for a third term whether ho
wishes to bo or not. Whence comes this inspir
ation? Possibly It may como from the people. Mr.
Roosevelt's popularity Is as indubitable as it is
unprecedented. The further you go from Wash
ington tho moro he is idolized. The leaders of
his party doubt or dislike him sometimes with
jealousy no doubt, more often because of a
growing suspicion of an insincerity on his part
which is narrowly approaching trickiness. They
say of him:
A civil serVice reformer, he has debauched
the civil service as it has not been since 1876.
; A professed tariff reformer, he has done
nothing except play fast and loose with the re
visionists, and always for his own individual ad
vancement. Trading on anti-railroad sentiment ho has
forced the enactment of a law which the de
partment of justice is afraid to attempt to
enforce.
Addud opponent of trusts, he has seen, the
individual stateslike Texas curb them while
the, federal government remained supine.
Among tho moro thoughtful element in the
republican party Mr. Roosovelt is regarded with
mingled curiosity and doubt. Among the masses
of the voters he is apparently looked upon with
admiration amounting to idolatry. And just as
Mr. Bryan, in his recent article in the New York
World asserted that the majority of republicans
were democratic in belief, though not in party
alliance, so it is safe and right to say that
hosts of democrats believe in Roosevelt though
they distrust and dislike his party.
Whether their' belief is intelligent or well
founded, whether they aro not worshipping a
man who is all politician with even a touch of
the charlatan Is another matter. The condition
- oxists.
The public men closest to Mr. -Roosevelt,
aside from his personal employes and "the
tennis cabinet," seem to be the least enthu
siastic concerning him.1 It is. from men of this
type that the movement to checkmate the de
signs they all think he has on the presidency,
or on the succession, proceeds.
It was most significant that last week Ken
tucky refused to pledge its republican dele
gates to Taft. Tho secretary of war's state lies
just across tho river so close to Kentucky that
only a week or two ago a comic weekly depicted
Roosevelt, in the garb of Eliza of Uncle Tom
fame carrying Taft as the menaced pickaniny
across tho ice-bound Ohio while the bloodhounds
Sr0rameLan? Dick bayed in utility on the shore'
Mr. Taft's brother, who own naf ne i t.
Hn uHltfinr, e niJi x, - . . . LMU yuu-
l" X" VX? ?. "as interests that
IX" 'HuuKy. xot tne republican con-
'0,"uu Wl "" Bime reiusea secretary Taft an
fmdorsoment. and contenta hif ,ui. .. ,
boHni5 -ra(1, eeneral terms the ''osevelt
Indiana Is nlronMv rvi,i.i tti-j'.. .
mere will be no watering there: 0-
Wisconsin will ho few Tr..ii. n i.
a renomination. Otherwise for ' LaFollSte
Therflhv Tinnn-e o n1 wuwu.e.
- -vQM l WtUVt
The sorvfftfiR n Mi tti,i at.-.
of Mr. LaFollette equalled In earnestness of
ST:,lnHAt3l1sJr.t?e.'p'.''?ya'ine
" " , "-v" tn.yuiJ.ou ur accomplished bv
any senator of the United States whatever his
CShV BeB wholly on the side of tho people"
IVy? flshne the corporations, Sen
ator LaFollette was ignored, snubbed, almost
affronted by senators of. his own party. With
imperturbable good humor ho wont on with his
u'1' w tumuu oxcen 10 an empty cnamuer
while distinguished senators exchanged stories
in the cloak rooms, or retired to their committee
rooms. to write letters to railroad corporations
whose briefs thoy held.
With courage, pertinacity, ability Senator
LaFollette pursued his way until having cap
tured a national audience, he compelled a sen
atorial audience. In all his struggle he had no
sign of encouragement from Theodore Roose
velt. No word came from tho White House to
urge assistance to the man who, above all others
in tho senate, was doing the work that the ad
ministration professed to wish done. The ad
ministration senators, Lodge, Warren, Burrows
and the rest took particular pains to show their
disapproval of this cool-headed, hard-fighting
man from Wisconsin who had come to outrage
the traditions of the senate. Later, when tho
president's spokesman, and his choice as his suc
cessor, Taft, had occasion to speak in Wiscon
sin, he eulogized Spooner, the bitterest enemy
of LaFollette, and had not one word of refer
ence to LaFollette himself. Finally, the friends
of LaFollette charge though the senator him
self is too dignified or too wise to do so
that the president, in personal conversation, has
never missed an opportunity to "knock" him.
The charge, it may be said, in parenthesis, is
true.
As a result of this systematic attack upon
the Wisconsin leader, his friends say that Mr.
Roosevelt may have the delegation of that state
for himself they are too prudent to oppose that
ambition. But if he is not a candidate, the
state delegation will be for LaFollette all tho
time, and above all never for one selected by
Roosevelt as his legatee.
Illinois will send a delegation for "Uncle
Joe" Cannon; Pennsylvania is already instruct
ed for Knox; Iowa is for a favorite son prob
ably Leslie M. Shaw; New York aye, there's
the rub! If Governor Hughes wants the dele
gation he can have it, and with it is likely to
sweep the convention. If he does not want it,
Mr, Roosevelt might take it by default for his
prince imperial, although Taft has no strength
there and Roosevelt is increasingly weak.
,,r JT-nalIy PhI ls SDlIt as never before. In
Washington the belief is that because of the
foolish and insolent threat of the Taft managers
to "drive Foraker out of public life," tho latter
gentleman may do a little driving of his own.
He is not unversed in political arts. Besides
having up to the present time, the great ma
jority of the republican voters of the state with
him, he now has these elements, especially in
terested: The labor vote, which opposes Taft as
one of the most notorious exponents of
"government by Injunction."
The "old soldier" element, which has
always idolized Foraker.
The colored vote, said- to reach forty
thousand in southern Ohio, which 'hates
Roosevelt and applauds Foraker because of'
the Brownsville case.
It is probably true that some sort of com
promise will be reached in Ohio, but it will not
be one that will so heal the wounds of conflict
as greatly to commend -Mr. Taft to republican
politicians in Other states who seek for the po
liticians' ideal a man who can win. Meanwhile
Mr. Fairbanks grows more genial daily, and Mr
LaFollette, lecturing all over the United States'
is not only Impressing his beliefs on all hearers!
but is earning money which he puts straight
way into his campaign. For the senator is not
rich, and he cares more to emphasize his views
on the public than to store up money.
WILLIS J. ABBOTT. ,
wbMiiMAiyeN
MR.TROOSEVELT'S AMBITION'
This interesting dispatch came from the At
lanta, Ga., correspondent for the St. Louis
GlobeDemocrat:
"If I .could be positively assured 'of the
electoral vote of a single southern state I would
gladly be a candidate for the presidency next
year."
The above statement was made by President
Roosevelt on Georgia day at Jamestown, accord
ing to leading Georgia democrats who were
present. Mr. Roosevelt made his declaration
according to reports, to John Temple Graves'
following the wave of good feeling attendant
upon the dedication of the Georgia building- a
replica of the house of the president's mother
at Roswell, Ga. President Roosevelt was car
ried away with enthusiasm upon tne occasion
and Georgians present, among whom were many
well-known politicians, shared this enthusiasm.
It was a love feast. Political issues and
party lines wre forgotten. Bach man was
toasting the 'other and all were toasting the
president. Soon after this outbreak of enthu
siasm John Temple Graves, went to President
Roosevelt and urged him to run fo a third
term. Mr. Roosevelt, it is said, was moved by
t,?IeJ'but r6called the promise made to the
public following his election in 1004. The pres
ident is reported to have said that but one thine
X?w. CaUS0 ?imTrto " his determination
in this respect. He then said that if he could
be positively assured of the electoral vote of a
single southern stateif he could break the
term SUthhe would be candidate 'or a third
President Roosevelt spoke at length on the
so id south, declared it should be b&ken?and
SS m W0UJd,run a&ain he could be assured
on VdIda?y woud split the soth from its
one way of voting According to reports. Mr
JEZth.l ?aid t0 have aasured Mr.RooseveU
that he could carry Georgia and probably two
or three other southern states, aid it is said
to fnPmTmiSeas ?v tne Psident to attempt
to stampede Georgia for him at the proper time,
A DEEP GAME
ifvA1fE?,SFto5 cori,esPondent8 appear to be
W n tle Roosevelt administration is play
?nn?J,0f.eW Political games evsrput
upon the board. This story comes fr6m the
Washington correspondent for tbo.VwSslSL
World: 'wjs m -
whfPdentIJoosevelt y appointing Pearl
rvluue hT1"1??5,' commissioner bt infernal
t lu Aas completed a- most remarkable bar
S?oi 1 IS exc?Hent r the president in a po
ness way lucrative for Wlght ln a Xi
"Through the combination as arranged
President Roosevelt expects to control the dlle-
ffil?ftWta,r and MIssissiPPi to the next
republican national convention. Wight's friends
and business associates stand to receive renS
erative contracts for Isthmian canrtf Ind Tther
5?ffSSf hn,LeUPpHeS- ,J? addition, these 2EE
aM1eTti2?trrfttl frlend at CUVt t0 l00k
AWfi"JJrV.1fht ?ould have assumed office In
P1' ? did, not He Baid he could not ar
range his business affairs so as -to take office
before December. The president obligingly ap
pointed John G. Capers of South Carolina, to
?Stne SiX elght months- No other presi
dent has ever done anything like that.
Republican primaries will be held in Jan-
oK thS Tntlafter Wiht wants to assume
office. During the month "between: Wight's as
sumption of office and the holding of the Pri
maries every one of the thousand or morl fed!
oral officeholders in the internal ?ev?nul dis
trict qf New Orleans wlll.be on the anxiOulseat
wondering whether the incoming of Wight will
. be good,.or ill for them. 5
oInSnn?einid?are wonderin what is
?; Fv Tppen win it bo natural or unnatural
SevStVtS ZQry ,e?Srt t0 ascerta what
tney must do to be saved? While thev aro ?o
wondering will It be the hardest thing In the
doTdTheTenhtPat ISP? would haVem
ao lhe benighted political workers of the
ancient regime assume that it will not Thev
also assume that during that month Wight wU
do nothing in the way of removals and anDohit
x monts. Those in office will bewrffifflta
and those to whom the wink mav h tinn-J ?w
mese will be appointments to hand oat mnv
Lily WWte organization' ?M tome? was fv
pointed a member of the nationalrommittee by
George B. Cortelyou to flu a ii
that President Itoosevelt nicked ??" J
made them his reforeeB tin SslafVlVes
of contracts and orders for supplies from the
canal commission, the light 1'ouse! boa?" the -
SSSJ e p?ft,offl!e- Wqoflrd, the post- ..'
fZ '111 Orleans. Was a ' member of tne
SShSKlaw. W6nt iM .- yiEht iB hl
tt FllA9amp &VHnton company, from which
Mr. Wight has daft he is retiring, jias had- min:;
. mi ,
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