Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1898-10-06
Not a Winner.

Not Winner.
Mr.. Roosevelt has been nominated for
Governor of New York. To many this
would seem a strong nomination, but |
they draw their ideas of his strength |
from outside and not inside of New |!
York. His record as a soldier, what
little there is of it, is good, but his po-
Iitical accumen and his discretion as a
writer OF dispatches from Santiago, was
singularly at fault and weak. He is in
no sense a politician. He told the coun-
try that the Rough Riders were worth
three of any volunteer troops and want
ed no more of them. 1t was fortunate
the war was short or Rough Riders and
Regulars both would doubtless have
fallen in the rear of the volunteers, as
they did in the civil war. There was
not the slightest reason for this state
ment save and except that some volun-
teers from Mr.. Roosevelt's own State,
who might as well have been armed
with pea sticks, had been sent up
against smokeless powder and Mauser
rifles, .and seeing they were being
butchered, without any chance Of
butchering anybody, lay down and
let men who had smokeless powder
and Krag- j ordenson rifles 60 forward.
These men whose valor and exploits he
thus minimizes, in fact scouts, will now
be asked to vote for him. 1t is hardly
likely they will do it.
1t is also known fact that Col.
Roosevelt was with Parkhurst in all
that he did in his Reform movement in
New York, the good results Of which are
| doubtful, and at present difficult to
trace But the active part taken in
this matter has greatly embittered a
large class of voters and they are now
whetting their knives for him. They
had no idea their chance for revenge
Fwould come so soon. 1t has been doubt
full whether any Republican could be
elected in New York this year no matter
how popular he might have been per-
| sonally, but Col. Roosevelt was never
personally popular with the rank and
file of New York voters. His selection
of Mr.. Depew to nominate him was not
timely nor master political stroke. 1t
did have its influence in placing him in
line with the money end of the political
string, but money is not usually poured
out in New York gubernatorial cleo
tions by the Republicans, hence the
barrels will not be rolled out SO rapidly
as the untutored might imagine. The
New Y DIRK leg has been pulled SO otter
and was pulled so hard in 1916 it has no
fully recovered, and elections come Sc
frequently there that even patient New
York tires of being continually bled TO
campaign purposes. Col. Roosevelt
own barrel of course will have boil
ends knocked out, but Tammany il
going into this fight. She has charg
of Greater New York and will not ALLOW
any growth to flourish which is likel
to overshadow or interfere with til,
sunshine in which she is now basking
It does not argue that the Democrat
must nominate a strong man, but the.
know the Repu blicans have nominate,
a weak one. Not weak mentally, for b
is the brainiest they have had in years
e but an indiscreet man, a man whose at
tempted reforms have not endeare,
him to the people and who goes. int
ho h &c "a IN
+, cipally, because;his brains and previou
!; political career are his stumbling
e blocks. The business men of New Yor
3 fear that kind of brains, and his reform
have been traied and found wanting
They like brains. but they want theI
: like any other force to be under prope
control, and Col. Roosevelt's are not SC
He dominates everything he figures in
hence they will not let him figure. H
has never run up against Tammany an
New York Democracy, they are ia
worse and more difficult to handle tina
Toral's forces on San Juan hill.
But the Democrats have nominated
strong ticket, much stronger than at
first thought, they have nominated
ticket confessedly machine ticket, blu
one which combines more elements o
strength than any that could have beel
nominated for the present occasion
They could have nominated other mel
of brains and purity of character wht
would have reflected credit OH any part,
or people, but who could not have helt
together the party as will Mr.. Val
Wyck. 1t would have been impossible
to have made even decent showing
with reform ticket in the field JUS
now. The New Yorker has tried tina
and seen it fail and whilst the machin,
is denounced by some, in the end it hal
been found to be the only kind of poll
tics which lasts. With the presen
Democratic ticket Mr.. Roosevelt will
hardly win.