The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-10-18
tFrom Our Regular Correspondent.)
WASHINGTON LETTER,


WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Oct. Is, '01.
President Roosevelt entered the
White House, no doubt, with some
very praise worthy ideals as to what
would be his course in the distribu-
ton of Presidential patronage. and
the ward heeler and machine work
er had no place in his calculations.
Mr.. Roosevelt had been a Civil Ser
vice Commissioner, and he had al
least formulated ideals, ideals which
had been well nigh shattered after
bis acceptance Of the governorship
of New York, at the hands Of the
machine, it is true, but ideals still,
and ideals that be believed that,
having become president, almos; in
upite of the machine, be could put
ilto practice. He is rapidly being
undeceived. Every day it is borne
in upon him that he is neither free
man nor a servant OF the people.
but the servant of mighty and
power known as the
Republican Machine"
He was hardly seated in the Pres
idential chair when Platt, the re-
preventative of all that is partisan
and Objectionable in republican pol
itics in Mr.. Roosevelt's own state,
came to Washington and laid down
the law, and after leaving him made
use OF an expression which Mr..
Roosevelt. the Civil Service Com
missioner, would have quickly re-
pudiated. He said, "The Presi-
dent knows who deserves reco2ni
ton in New York. and this Of the
Roosevelt, who when he was Com
missioner, had said that He who
rewards political services with gov
ernmcnt patronage, is worse than
he who offers a bribe, because he is
stealing from the whole people"
Everyday Mr.. Roosevelt receives
a long line Of republican Congress
men and machine workers who de-
mand recognition" in the shape
of Presidential patronage, as a re-
ward for the political services OF
their constituents and henchmen.
And the price OF refusal is the for
feiture Of a second term.
Mr.. Roosevelt is a clean
man, and he has ideals, but he is
fast learning that republican meth
DDS and ideals are incompatible,
that the republican party has gain
ed the ascendency, not by serving
the people but by hoodwinking
them, that il wins its victories, not
by appeals TO observation-disclosures, !,
but by tempting cupidity through
the operation Of perfectly organ
lied machine.
II is well understood in inner cir
cles that the President finds him
self in a serious dilemma in regari
to his recommendations to Congress
our relations with Cuba.
He appreciates thoroughly how es-
sential 10 Cuban goodwill and TO
Cuban prosperity is tie admission
10 the United States, free of duty.
Of Cuban sugar. On the other
hand. any such recommendation
would bring about his head n swarn
Df indignant protests from the beet
sugar producers Of the north and
west and from the cane sugar pro-
iucers of the south, that south in
which he has strong hopes OF build
ng up a brand new "white mans"
party. There the mat
er stands.
There is rumor afloat that AM
,assador Choate, who has started for
Washington, ostensibly to confer
With the President in regard to the
.anal treaty, comes at the Presi-
lent's request, and that he will
,ring with him his resignation, ex-
Senator Wolcott, Of Colorado. being
,amed as his successor. The only
Information which the most persist
mt interrogation can elicit from the
State Department is that nothing is