Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-10-08

and he does not care whether that gov
ernment is Democratic or Republican
so it Is friendly to his interests. Back
ed by the trusts, or rather with the
use of money contributed by the trusts,
he helped to elect Cleveland. and after
Cleveland was no longer available. he
used the same means to help elect Nc
Kinley The Mckinley administration
was friendly rather than otherwise;
but Roosevelt is headstrong and stub
born, refusing to do as he is told, and
Mr.. Morgan is displeased. The fight is
evidently on, and it is beginning to
look like it is a question as to who Is
the real head of this government-the
man who holds the financial reins, or
the man chosen by the people as their
duly accredited representative.
The position Of President Roosevelt
has all along been an extremely diff
cult one. Because of his strong indi-
viduality and well-known disposition
to act in accordance with his own con-
victions, the leaders Of his party had
never considered him available for the
presidency. Whether Democratic or
Republican, party leaders are averse
to Andrew Jacksonism in the presi-
Dental chair. With a president who
knows, or thinks he knows, party
leaders can have but little influence.
He does not do as they think, but as he
thinks, and nothing gals a would-be
boss more than to be prevented from
doing as he pleases. Ability to manip-
ulate a president, for instance, is Sec
ond only to being president. Roosevelt
has never been looked upon as man
who could be manipulated by the aver
age party leader. Although a politi-
clan, Of course, he has but little in COM
mon with the class of politicians who
have been in control. Because Of Mr..
Roosevelt's popularity, ability and we'll
known ambition, after the Spanish war,
the politicians became certain that he
was a factor to be reckoned with, and
they made him vice-president, not be-
cause they desired to honor him, but
in order to get rid Of him; in the hope
Of burying him, so to speak. And had
It not been for the death Of Mckinley,
the probability is that he would have
been buried. This new development
increased the embarrassment Of his po-
sition. He found himself at the head of
a machine that was constructed Of an
tagonistic materials and which seemed
to be absolutely independent Of him.
The construction had been largely that
of J. P. Morgan and his colleagues, and
there seemed to be nothing for Mr..
Roosevelt but to submit to previously
outlined schedules or be crushed. I'm
der similar circumstances, previous
vice presidents who have become pres
idents have submitted and sank into OBJ
livion. It was because they could only
be mere figure heads in submission, and
they did not feel equal to the gigan-
tic task Of asserting their independence.
But Mr.. Roosevelt has not been content
to submit. He has preferred to fight
for it. There are cases where he has
apparently compromised; but 1t is not
fair to claim that he has not stood his
ground in others. He has shown more
or less opposition to the trusts and to
to that extent at least has antagonized
Morgan and the powerful financial in
terests of Wall street.
. There is undoubtedly great battle
on. The issue seems to be between j.
P. Morgan and his immense financial
interests on the one hand, and tine
great mass of the people Of the United
States on the other. President Roose-
velt seems to be leaning toward the side
of the people as against Morgan. He is
not quite as outspoken as he might be
in the fight. His position is one which
seems to be surrounded with loopholes
for compromise. 1t looks. to certain
extent, like a kind of personal rivalry,
with the president hoping that Morgan
will finally yield and be friendly. How
the thing is going to end, of course
cannot be predicted. 1t is not likely
that Morgan is going to surrender.
Without hurting himself except COM
paratively, he can plunge the country
into financial panic and distress. 1t is
probable that he would do this before
he would yield any part Of his present
tremendous precedence. Then, as to
whether the president would force him
to such an alternative is also doubtful.
1t would certainly ruin the president to
do so, because on him the masses would
fix all the blame. The most probable
development is a compromise Of the
whole matter on the basis of Morgan
continued control Of the country.