The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-11-03
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT
NOT A POLITICAL ACCIDENT.

Theodore Roosevelt is President Of
the United States because his fellow
citizens wished him to be President
He is not a political accident 1t is
no disparagement Of the powers and
abilities of John Tyler of Willard
Fillmore. Of Andrew Johnson. or Of
Chester A. Arthur to say that those
who named them for the Vice Presi-
dency never dreamed OF the possibility
OF their succession to the post OF
chief magistrate of the nation. Each
a time succeeded to the Presidency
under the operation Of the constitu-
tional provision. and each acquitted
himself in his own way-President
Arthur. at least. with distinction. But
Theodore Roosevelt. whose title to the
Presidency rests legally upon the
same basis as that of Tyler. Fillmore
Johnson and Arthur. was chosen to the
Vice Presidency because his party and
majority OF the people wanted him
for the Presidency. No one who saw
the currents Of feeling which flowed
backward and forward during the ses-
sions of the Republican national con-
vent'on at Philadelphia In June, 1900.
doubts this for an instant. In the
eyes of that great representative
BODY there was but one figure. one
personality. of dominant and immedi-
Hte interest - Theodore Roosevelt
President McKinlev's name and fame
were ALREADY secure. The convention
regarded him as in class by himself
and jovfully and unanimously accord
ID him the denomination and indorse-
kok AA Aa1 r-t~ II
7ut all this was so much a matter Of
course that 1t seemed more like a ma
'ured historical Judgment than an
event in contemporary politics. From
this viewpoint the convention and the
Republican party looked toward the
future. and the future seemed to them
all to take its form from Theodore
Roosevelt. Others were highly re-
spected and cordially liked. others
seemed better suited by temperament
than he to the routine duties of the
Vice Presidential Office: but a great
and dignified ONCE was to be filed.
and Theodore Roosevelt the man OF
the future. must ill it, His own
eager preferences, the earnest wishes
and hopes OF his closest friends. all
had TO give way before the irresistible
desire to put Theodore Roosevelt In
the highest possible position OF dig
nitv and of honor. There can be no
d-ubt that the happy cry OF the great
oarty leader who exclaimed, as Mr..
Roosevelt finished his remarkably in
eisive and powerful speech in second
ing President McKiniey's renomina-
ton. 1T will be you in 1904. just as
unanimously. voiced exactly what
the convention felt Therefore. Theo-
iore Roosevelt went into the Vice
Presidency because II was the high
est Office open to him at the moment.
because he was wanted for President.
and because at the proper tine II was
Intended to nominate and to elect
him President So. I repeat. he Is
not nolitical accident. but succeeds.
anhapplly too soon and under too
terrible conditions, to what was mark
ID out FOR him more than year ago
That some OF his political enemies Ia
hored zealouslv for his nomination
and were greatly pleased by II be-
cause Il the OPPORTUNITIES II afforded
them elsewhere. was provoking. but
events have proved that il was unim-
nortanf