The Saint Paul globe., 1903-11-28
WHY NOT2
gineered.

WHIa MI
One of the most significant features
of the political situation is the growth
Of talk and Of activity within the
Republican party hostile to the NOM
ination of President Roosevelt next
year. Although the best time and op-
portunity to defeat his ambition. II
such an intention were seriously cher
ished, was six months or a year ago;
and although at that time the thing
was regarded by Republicans gener-
ally as so impossible as not to be
worth thinking about, we find today,
on the contrary, that they are think
ing about it very earnestly.
The senatorial junta that manages
the Republican party, no matter what
their personal or party preferences in
the matter might have been, were so
convinced less than a year ago that
Roosevelt would be renominated with
out opposition that they were not will
a critical attitude. 1t is equally un-
doubted that today they are snarling
and showing their teeth vigorously.
Senator Fairbanks has been an aspir-
ant for the presidency ever since 1900,
but had put his boom carefully away
until the Roosevelt regime should be
ended. He has now authorized his
friends to take it out again and give
it an airing, and Senator Fairbanks
is so careful politician that he rarely
makes mistake. All Of these things
indicate to the experienced eye that a
real and serious attempt is to be made
within the Republican party to sub
stitute some other candidate for Pres
ident Roosevelt. The average man
will not be surprised. On the contrary,
he will ask, why not?
The great pretension Of Mr.. Roose-
welt and the source Of nine-tenths OF
his strength has been his tacit as
sertion and the peoples general belief
that he was not a politician and not
a spokesman, and was fully independ-
ent of and largely hostile to his par
tvs bosses. That cowed them at the
same time that it pleased the public
This reputation President Roosevelt
has utterly destroyed. He has exer-
cised all the arts of the politician for
months past in the open. He has
shown himself, by his interference in
various states and by his shameless
distribution of public patronage to aid
his own chances, the chief spokesman
of them all. Thus between the two
stools he has fallen to the ground
He has shown the people that in prin-
ciple he is no better than Platt and
Quay and the rest. He has shown
these worthy gentlemen that, being in
the same class with them, he is fair
game for them, and they believe they
can beat him on, their own ground.
1t would be a singular and Just
retribution If this should happen. For
the better part Of his life President
Roosevelt has posed as a friend of
| those political: ideas that are called
reform and we cannot resist the
belief that he was then sincere in ad-
Vocating them. For the ambition to
serve another term as president he
and his principles have fallen pros
trate. He has torn his own record to
tatters, thrown consistency to the
winds and placed his reliance upon
those petty political arts which he
does not understand as well as the
skilled manipulation. and which must
be to such a man a source of infinite
weakness.
If the country wants a boss and a
spokesman for president, it will natu-
rally select one who is experienced at
the game. Mr.. Roosevelt has shorn
himself of his own strength, discred-
| tied himself with the people and sue
| ceeded only in removing the genuine
fear in which the bosses held him.
There Is no reason why. with six or
| eight months in which to work before
the convention, they should not easily
beat him. We believe that they will
try to do 1t.