The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-05-29
%, 1863.
ROOSEVELT AND THE

Mr. Roosevelt begs Senator hanna
to let him have endorsement OF MS au-
ministration and of his candldacS pSI
the Ohio state convention, and the I"U
Ter grants the request. Is not this plu-
full humiliating to the American peo-
Die that a man o~ccupyin- the postum
of president of the republic n seek
ing a return TO that office should stoopl
TO beg a politician, generally supposed
to be opposed to him and thought Ds|
many to be an aspirant for the no1nl-
nation for the presidency, TO allow MIN
n receive the endorsement for the samel
Office by the convention of the latter :
state. If MI. Roosevelt Will do TINS
to strengthen his chances to secure the
nomination what will he not stooP to|
for the purpose of acquiring the same
ends. 1t has been said time n again
that he was pandering to the negro 10
order to strengthen his position. mat
was bad enough; but it pales into in
significance when compared with ms
conduct in the Ohio matter. FfguratlFely
he gets upon his knees before the OHIO
senator and begs him to Withdraw
opposition to his endorsement by the
latter's state convention.
Senator Hanna readily grants Mr..
Roosevelt's petition, which insures him
the coveted endorsement from Mr.
McKinley's state. In this Senator Han
ma acts with his accustomed shrewd-I
ness. 1t ensures to him unanimous re-
election to the United States senate, but
does not eliminate him as a posslpIe1
of Mr.. Roosevelt for the pres
idential nomination. Mr.. Hanna,s
yielding to the presidents request dis
arms his political enemy. Senate For
aker who has already said that be-
cause of his action h junior senator
from Ohio will be unanimously endors-
ed for reelection by the state conven-
ton
It must be borne in mind, though,
that the convention which Mr.. Roose-
Welt is so anxious to have endorse his
administration and his candidacy is not
the one which will select the delegates
to the national convention. This will
be done by a convention which meets
next year. Mr.. Roosevelts endorse
ment by the convention of this year
may turn out to be an empty honor,
which will bear no fruit because of the
action of the convention of next year
upon which will devolve the duty OF
selecting the delegates to tho national
convention.
The readiness with which Senator
Hanna yielded to the presidents re-
quest to cease opposition to his endorse
ment, teIegraphed from the Pacific
coast, would lead one TO suppOs that
the Ohio senator nae i few cards up
his sleeve which the president knew
nothing of n which ne expected to
use with telling effect when the time
comes.
We hope that Mr.. Hanna is acting in
good faith and that the endorsement
of Mr.. Roosevelt by the Ohio conven-
ton Will secure to the latter n re-
publican nomination. We had much
rather see Mr.. Roosevelt the nominee
of that party than Mr.. Hanna, for we
consider him the weaker man OF the
two. With Mr.. Roosevelt as he re-
publican nominee the democrats will
stand a much better nance of success
h a VITA Mr.. Hanna as their opponent.
While Mr.. Roosevelt attempts 10
make it appear that he stands for the
Mckinley administration as we'll as his
W it is not so. He is far from car
rying out the ideas OF his unfortunate
predecessor, and he h 5 greatly increas-
ed his own unpopularity, especially at
the south, by his conduct as president,
and if the democrats nominate a man
in whose ideas and party principles the
people nave confidence and place him
upon a sound platform the trust-buster
will be easy prey for him. In the in
terest of the democracy we hope the
republicans will nominate Mr.. Roose-
Welt.