Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1903-06-19
WHAT HAS HE DONE?
THE PRESIDENTS TOUR AND HIS
POLITICAL FUTURE.
What Do the Sober and Conservative
Members of His Party Think of the
Recent Bombastic Utteranees of the
Chief Executive?


At the end of President RooseveIts
prolonged travels it becomes inter-
esting to speculate upon the effects
of his progress upon his political flu.
ture. There is practically no attempt
to disguise the fact that the tour of
the West was undertaken with view
to its influence upon the Republican
national convention of next year and
with an eye to the getting of votes in
the Presidential election in case the
President is renominated. Has the
trip accomplished the desired result?
Cordial and even enthusiastic well
come has greeted President Roosevelt
wherever he has appeared He has at
tracted crowds who have applauded
his speeches heartily. In a score of
cities he has been acclaimed as his
own successor. Popular feeling Is evil
IDENTIFY friendly to him In the section
of country he has traversed. The
question is whether in gaining some
what of the affection of the West Col.
Roosevelt has not weakened his hold
upon the East.
1t could easily have been predicted
that the Presidents militant senti-
ments would arouse applause in COM
munities where a large section of the
male population is armed. His par
able of the soft-spoken man and the
big stick naturally elected the admira
tion of citizens who exemplify the
principle in soft speech, though for the
big stick they substitute six.
shooter.
When he expressed his naval policy
in the frontier maxim. Don't draw un-
less you mean to shoot" he employed
a colloquialism which was thoroughly
appreciated by his auditors, and when
he utilized the twin proverb respecting
the ACCESSIBILITY of getting the drop"
on the other nations of the world
there can be no doubt that he was in
thorough rapport with many of the
people who heard him. They under
stand and approve that policy as be-
tween men and they reason that 1t
must be equally desirable as between
nations.
therefore, we may reasonably assume
that the President is popular. But
was he not popular there before? Had
he anything in particular to gain by
stamping" a section of the country
which was admittedly favorable to
him? Had he not, rather, something
to lose by delivering a series of belli
cose speeches which, however they
might excite the delighted whoops of
a population familiar with the lariat,
picket pin and Winchester, were cal
culated to cause uneasiness in that
section of the Republican party which,
from it's Industrial and financial inter
ests, deprecates all talk of war-that
section of the party, moreover, which
furnishes campaign funds and names
presidential candidates?
That is the question which the man
ayers of the Presidents political for.
tunes may well ask themselves. They
will undoubtedly recall the fact that
Col. Roosevelts predecessor, much
more adroit politician, SO far from
talking of the glories of war, was al
ways deprecating it. They will re-
member that the same influences con-
troll the Republican party now that
controlled it when President Mckinley |
at their dictation postponed war with
Spain as long as he possibly could.
These interests are not fond of talk |
about big sticks and gums" when |
such talk Is aimed at international |
neighbors somewhat susceptible and |
capable of making hard fight. They
are not likely to regard with favor
President and Presidential candidate
who continually breaches a crusade
against anybody and everybody-wh
desires that this nation shall go about
with a chip on it's shoulder and its
coat tails trailing on the ground as an
invitation to the whole world to come
and fight.
) Col. Roosevelt's knowledge of war
lis really very small. He forms his
ideas of it from the few skirmishes
in which he participated in Cuba. He
knows Of the horrors of the civil war
only by hearsay. The men who con-
troll his party are older. Many of
them were participants in the strug-
gle between the states. These men,
aside from their merely material inter-
ests, may not readily indorse man
whose mind runs somewhat too easily
to the idea that war is thing to be
lightly discussed on festive occasions
and who has little else to say that is
worth while.