Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-17
WEST IS FOR
ROOSEVELT
WALL STREET SENTIMENT FINDS
NO JUDGEMENT IN THIS
SECTION.
C%OMMITTEME EN- TAI K
Prominent Republicans in Attendance
at National Meeting Reflect the Sen
timent of Their Respective Sections
Of the Country.
rBY H. ]. MAHIN.l

|aHsl r. ST tst Wr-E -H.fl. H1lsa HfIt -. - u
Thy Fl. j. MAdIN.J
Washington Bureau of the Courier,
Washington, D. c., Dec. IS, 1908.
Overshadowing all other questions,
even Panama canal matters and con-
g%ressional action for the past week.
has been the discussion of next years
republican nominee for President. The
meeting of the republican national
committee brought the matter to a
crisis and since then the discussion
has been reduced to a growing under
tow.
Iowa for Roosevelt.
1t can be said in the first place that
Iowa through her leading politicians
and statesmen has again and again de
clered herself strongly for Roosevelt.
Senator Allison said: "There is, in
my opinion, no question in regard to
Mr.. Roosevelt's nomination and cleo
ton. He has given us a remarkably
able administration and the people re-
alize the fact. 1 do not expect to see
the slightest opposition to him in the
for him and his strength and popular
Ivy die uuqucStiOnSu III LILY oCSlioh VI
the country"
81 have not the slightest doubt that
President Roosevelt will be the stan
dard bearer in 1904" said Senator Dol
liver. Iowa has spoken for itself. II
believe, that 1 can speak for the en-
tire middle west. 1t is absolutely
solid for Roosevelt. No, there is no
question as to who will be the repub-
lican candidate for president and there
is no question as to republican vic
tory. Mr.. Roosevelt will be nominal
ed by reclamation and elected by a
tremendous majority"
Major Lacey expresses the opinion
that there is no general sentiment in
Iowa other than for Roosevelt. "The
sentiment is unanimous as far as Il
know, and no one has talked of another
candidate" he said. "The people have
made up their minds in the matter and
that settles it. AS a matter of fact |
know of a lot of democrats who will
vote for Roosevelt next year."
Speaker Cannon spoke in the same
positive one for Illinois.
In spite of this it cannot be denied
that the republican party nev faced
a more critical time than it. is facing
now. That there is a strong under,
tow in opposition to the Presidents re-
nomination can not be denied. That
this opposition comes indirectly from
the corporation and Wall street inter-
ests also seems fairly we'll verified.
The Courier representative talked with
a number of the national committee
men here last week and found two
sentiments strongly prevailing. First,
that IL Roosevelt vas nominated he
might not be elected because of the
opposition he would meet from the
business interests" and second, that
if Roosevelt was rejected it would
cause such a split in the republican
party that republicans would lose at
the polls. The first theory comes
from the east, beginning in Ohio and
the second from the west, beginning
at the Mississippi river.
On the surface sentiment appears to
be to the effect that Roosevelt is the log
ical candidate and that he will be nom
mated but the Hanna undercurrept
appears to be too strong to die and
that it will last and linger until the
very day of the convention despite
what the Ohio senator himself says
is a foregone conclusion.
That Senator Hanna is sincere in
his statement, that he is not a candi-
date there appears to be very little
doubt. His boom is being nursed by
a few of his determined friends and
because of the circumstances they will
not let go of it. And ever if Senator
Hanna has determined in his own mind
that he will not be a candidate there is
good reason to suppose that he is not
adverse to showing the young and i'm
petuous president what a power he is
in the country. Mr.. Roosevelt in his
brave and independent attitude has
crossed MI. Hanna in several instances
and it is to be expected that Mr.. Han
ma or any other man might be weak
enough to take a little satisfaction in
making the President uneasy to say
the least.
The President himself has taken the
bull by the horns in his usual straight
forward manner. He is not deceiving
himself in any false sense of security
and has called to the White House men
of all factions to hear from their own
lips the different phases of the story.
1t is said by some that if he really dis
covers that his popularity has waned
as some seem to think, he will get out
Eof the race for the good of the party.
But, if on the other hand, he gains in
formation which ~corroborates his pres
ent belief that the opposition to him is
born of sentiment coming directly from
the moneyed interest of the country
with whom he has refused to compro-
mise he will fight the matter to the
bitter end. And in this it is declared
he will have the hearty support of hun
dreds Of loyal republicans through the
country.
IF President Roosys. selt is turned
down at the convention next year"
said one prominent western member
of the national committee to the Cou-
rier representative, 1T will mean that
this nation is in the hands of Wall
street and one of the most %unrelenting
protests the country has ever known
! will sweep over the land. In many