The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-09-14
ROOSEVELT, THE POLITICIAN,

COMEBODY HAS DESCRIBED the
y successful politician as the man
who can smile when he's kicked. Surely
that is terse pen picture or the once
strenuous President Roosevelt as he
appears before the people OF his coun-
try today. The Utah Republican con-
ventlon kicked the president vigorously
and viciously when it refused TO en-
dorse his pet project OF reciprocity with
Cuba. Then. with many mental reser-
vations, II endorsed his administration
and EXPRESSED a desire for his nomina-
ton TO succeed himself in 1904.
The last is the emptiest kind of COM
pllment, for a state convention called
10 nominate candidates for supreme
Justice and representative in congress
has no more power 10 bind conven-
tinn called TO select delegates 10 a ma
tional convention than il has to select
q king of the Fiji islands or a sultan of
Morocco. Yet we find Senator kearns
gravely telegraphing his congratula-
tions TO the president on his 'magnin-
cent endorsement in Utah and the
president with equal gravity burdening
the wires with a message Of undying
gratitude.
That's Roosevelt to the life. His
magnificent egotism. for it is magnif-
cent deafens his ears TO all notes ex-
cept the note Of fiattery. He loves the
atmosphere Of adulation as few public
men Rave ever loved it and he still
keeps up a pretense Of not caring a
plain tinkcr's continental what any
body else thinks of him. 1t was moth
ing 70 the man Roosevelt, said William
Allen White in his article on Roosevelt
In McClure's Magazine, that he should
be nominated for the president in 1904.
What rot. what plain, pure. simple rot
that is
Roosevelt not care whether or not he
Is nominated 10 succeed himself? II
he isn't he viii be the worst disap-
pointed man that ever occupied the
presidential chair. The president made
a fight in congress for reciprocity with
Cuba and lost. Then he appealed 10
the Republican party at large and he
is losing again. In spite Of these re-
Bluffs he is perfectly willing to look
pleasant if the various state conyen-
tions even suggest that he be nomi-
mated for the presidency in 1904.
II begins TO look as if the next ma
tional Republican convention Will re-
fuse to put a Cuban reciprocity resolu-
ton into its declaration of principles,
Does any sane man doubt for a min
ute that Roosevelt would agree TO
stand on a platform which does not
contain the plank nearest his heart?
Certainly not. lie would accept the
nomination as cheerfully as he accepts
the counterfeit adulation which the
Republican state conventions are Law
ishing upon him. Roosevelt Will never
have the courage to say, as Bryan said
10 the Democrats assembled at Kansas
City: IF you don't adopt this declaTa-
ton TO which ! stand solemnly COM
mitted I viii refuse to accept your
nomination"
II Roosevelt doesn't care about being
nominated. why did he appoint thai
notorious spokesman, Henry c. Payne OF
Wisconsin. 10 the high Office of post
master general? Why did he send thai
other notorious spokesman, Clarkson, L
New York TO be collector Of its great
port? Why did he go out of his way
only Il short time ago to say. almos
in so many words, that the settlement
OF the coal strike gould be safely left il
the hands Of those noble patriots, Sen
ators Quay and Penrose of Pennsyl
vania?
Isn't il about time the Roosevelt sy
cOphants ceased. their silly chatte
about his disinterested desire 10 serv
his country well? Ever since his yer,
early manhood. almost since his boy
hood, Roosevelt has been an office
holder and an ofice-seeker. That h
has well accomplished his purpose il
this regard there is no gainsaying: tina
there is now and has always bee
method IN HIS madness" no one VIII
has closely followed his career ca
truthfully deny.