The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-20
PLANNING FOR 1904
Roosevelt Organization in Process
. of Formation.
THE PRESIDENTS CHANCES
Belief That He Could Win Without
THE PRESIDENTS CT
Belief That He Could Win Without
the Help of Lukewarm
States. 49,
From, The Journal Bureau, Room Is, Post
WQ8Ni2lQtQn.

From, Tho Journal Bureau, Room. Is, Pos
building, Was1tngton
Washington, Jan. 20.-There is talk OF
a Roosevelt organization looking to the
1904 republican national convention. 1t is
said that Senator Quay, who does not de-
! ny the charge, is perfecting Roosevelt
organization in Pennsylvania and that the
work is already we'll in hand. It is very
early, and yet Roosevelt is not the man
to wait when there is work to be done.
The need for preliminary work now
grows out of opposition which the presi-
dent has encountered in New England, in
certain Of the northern states around New
York, in certain parts of the south and
in the Ohio valley. A good many Of the
leading republicans in these localities
have taken offense at the presidents way
| Of doing things. They do not like his
vigorous personality, which at times is
abrupt and even discourteous, and are
muttering. In the Ohio valley this SEN
timent is being taken advantage of by
! such men as Fairbanks, who think they
see chance for themselves in any eb-
! bling of the Roosevelt tide.
New York contains some of these dis
affected ones, and so does Pennsylvania
The former will be held in line, however,
through the presidents personal following
there, while Pennsylvania will be looked
after by Quay. Here are 1876 votes in
the national convention to start with.
Delaware, Maryland and West Virginia
may or may not be for Roosevelt. A Wig
orous fight will be made there, and the
presidents friends think he will win-but
let us count them against him. He may
also get the votes of the New England
stat es, but count those against him, too
The southern states, because Of the pres
ident's manner Of disposing Of patronage,
are threatening to support another can
didate.
LukewarIn States Not Necessary.
1t is proposed here to show how the
president can be nominated without any
Of these lukewarm states.
In 1904 the republican national conven-
ton will have 908 delegates, making 455
necessary to a choice. President Roose-
Welt will have the states west of the
Mississippi solidly. His broad, intelligent
and sympathetic western policies will
command not only the convention vote of
this rapidly growing section, but prob
ably Its entire electoral vote also! 1t is
believed that as a candidate for the pres
idency in 1904 Roosevelt will carry more
western elect oral votes than any republic
can nominee has ever had.
In addition to the convention vote of
New York and Pennsylvania, he will have
thirty from Texas, which is greatly in
terested in the Roosevelt irrigation, Indi-
an and public land policies. He will have
Arkansas, which is controlled by General
Powell Clayton, ambassador to Mexico.
and Of Virginia, for the latter state is
more friendly to him than any other state
Of the south. He will have Missouri
which, like Texas, looks for great things
from the western policies which Roosevelt
is inaugurating. New Jersey will be for
him, because of the New York and Penn
sylvania influence, and he will have Mich
igan. Senator Mcmillan, the leader there.
being one of his confidential advisers
Taking the states named as friendly to
Roosevelt, there are 492 convention votes,
or thirty-seven more than enough to
nominate.
This calculation does not, take into ac-
count the tremendous effect Of solid
western convention vote. It will be the
first time any candidate for the presi-
deney, in any party, has had it, and since
the great internal problems Of the future
are western, that section will be in po-
sition to exert strong influence.
Relies Upon the West.
It Is upon the west that the president
relies, and knowing that he may certainly
count on Its support, he is in position to
be more independent of the powerful
eastern influences, which have controlled
the White House so long that they
thought they had some sort Of proprietary
right there. Much OF the existing White
House friction grows out OF the fact
that the president is not taking these
interests into his confidence. The great