Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-19
A SECOND SAN JUAN
Roosevelt's Position the Most Diff
cult He Ever Faced.
BETWEEN AMBITION and DUTY
Majority Of the Delegates Wan;
Him for Vice President.
STATES HIS OWN WISHES
Special From a star Correspondent.

Special From STAFF Correspondent
PHILADELPHIA, June 19-Roosevelt Is
facing a situation more difficult than San
Juan. The cold calculations of practical
politics environ him. His impulsive nature
is subdued and he appears helpless to ex-
tricate himself. When he read the state
ment Of his position with reference to the
vice presidency to the assembled crowd of
newspaper men yesterday his face was
pale, his lips almost bloCdless and his hand
unsteady. His whole bearing and express
sion showed the strain under which he has
been oppressed Had Mckinley witnessed
the scene he would have been reminded of
another such scene, eight years ago, when
he Mckinley) stood in his room at the
Ohio headquarters, the night before the
convention, with an expression of agony
on his pale face, while eager men held be
fore him the temptation of the presidency.
On that occasion Mckinley won perhaps
his highest fame by rising in the conve.i-
tion when the fateful hour came and, in
ringing speech. declining to be made can
didate.
The circumstances that surround Roose-
welt are different from those which sur
rounded Mckinley on that memorable oc-
caston. The governor of New York now
owes no duty of loyalty to another candi-
date for the nomination rendered him.
There Is coercion of conscience or state
considerations to restrain him: but he Is
at once, besouSht and threatened by the
political powers of his own state to compel
his compliance with the clamorous de-
mands. His own wishes and his own am
billions the things at stake To yield
Is to make sacrifice and to offend the al
ministration which he is commanded by
the New York powers to become a part of.
To stubbornly resist to the final end is to
lose that home which
sential to the fulfllment of his ambitions
The voluntary abandonment of the gov
ernorship for higher honor IS suggested
to him. Behind the suggestion is the i'm
piled menace that if he fails to do this he
may be deprived, without honor. of the ono
prize he desires He is in the position of
the man who is told to cat cake or go
hungry.
Mr.. Hnnna's Dilemma.
Mr.. Hanna is hampered by the necessity
of considering the interests of Mckinley
He Is fighting under a restraint. He is op-
posed to the nomination of Roosevelt. but
far stronger than his distaste for this nom
nation is his chagrin at the manner in
which it is being forced. His spirit cha afes
under the restraint he feels; his pride re-
volts at the humiliation which 1t involves
Could he have realized in time or realizing
had he acted so as to anticipate the action
Roosevelt before the move was made to
force the choice upon him. the sacrifice of
his personal desires would have been tri-
films compared with the discomfort to
which he is now subjected.
His impulse now is to resist and to fight
after the manner OF his own nature pitt
lessly, ruthlessly. with a dominating, over
powering will that tramples opposition un-
der foot. He knows. as do those who act
with him, that the one certain way for him
a ha
sources of the administration. Last even
ing the temptation to do this became over
powering and a suggestion was communf-
Gated to the President either by him or one
of his supporters that they oe permitted to
notify the several delegations that the
nomination Of Roosevelt would be objec-
tionable to the President. Mr.. Mckinley
would not permit this, and many of his
hemence that there should not even he Il
candidate put into the field as the avovnd
choice of the President. Hanna himself
probably saw the danger of such move
when he came to think it over calmly.
What would be the consequences of an
announcement that Roosevelt was obiec-
tionable to Mckinley as a running mate
can be imagined only by those who with
out prejudice witness the enthusiasm with
which the Rough Rider is contemplated by
a great mass of the delegates. The milder
method of dtsposing of Roosevelt by put
ting up an avowed administration candi-
date might be successful but the blow TO
Mckinley which would be involved In
failure of the plan makes the experiment
appallingly dangerous.
RooseveIt's Boom Spontaneous.
The boom for Roosevelt is not a creation
OF Platt and Quay. 1t is merely thing
already existing which they saw and were
quick to avail themselves of an instru-
ment of torture for Hanna. 1t has grown
under their hand. but they did not plant
the tree from which is made the club that
fits to their purpose. AS soon as the dele
gates began to arrive in Philadelphia 1t be-
came apparent that their minds were full
Of Roosevelt. The sentiment grew with
the growing number Of delegates in the
hotel corridors. Alone Of all the prominent
republicans appearing on the scene, Roose-
welt aroused enthusiasm. This was par
ticularly emphasized by the contrast with
the absolutely passive attitude toward
everybody and everything else during the
preliminary days of assembling. Except
that shown on the appearance of the
Rough Rider. there was no demonstration
of even the most ordinary sort Of enthusf-
asm until the music, red lights and crowds
of natives sent a thrill of excitement
through the town with the grand parade
last night. Even that which excited the
assemblage in the personality Of Roosevelt
was nothing like the old ringing enthusi-
asm with which James G. Blaine used to be
greeted.
In contrast with the general air of calm
the warm greeting of Roosevelt seemed i'm
pressive, and it became manifest to shrewd
old politicians like Platt and Quay that this
could be availed of to further their ends
The only restraint upon the assembling
delegates was the strongly expressed de-
termination of their favorite not to accept
the nomination. Means of overcoming this
restraint were speedily devised. Word was
sent around to trusted men in one dele
CATION after another that the governors
objections to being nominated were not so
strong that they could not be overcome,
and that if there was genuine demand
for him to go on the ticket he would ac-
cept Thus before Mr.. Hanna fully realized
the game that was being played the move
ment had got beyond control.
Opportunity Exceeded Platt's Expec-
tatiOns.
OF course. the idea was not the inspira-
ton of an hour in the mind of Mr.. Platt.
but the opportunity was probably beyond
his expecta tions. 1t had been the original