Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-05-29
4 :aallingtoa Standard
OILY 'Ip8i. ~ a.Ei.
FRIDAY MORNING. MI %. 1903.
Is Roosevelt Boom on the Wane?


journey westward, it does not require
much reflection to lmpel the belief
that ii IS not an infallihle index Of
future results. The mascot goat which
came oil one OF our warships at Ia
coma, just after the close OF the Span
ish war, created quite as much of fu-
rOre among the assembled thousands
on the wharf, as did the President
when he stepped from the train Of
palace cars at the Getty OF Destiny"
"A few days ago, although the latter
had the additional advantage of being
dispenser Of patronage to the select
few, who generally arrange, days be
forchand, the details of ovation. The
spontaneity OF the reception to the
goat, indicates its sincerity, and the
utter absence of anything like possible
personal benefit, shows that nothing
like selfinterest could have prompted
it. Nor is there any probability that
there would have been any less cor
dlallty had the mascot visited any
other part OF our widespread domain.
The people, taken in the aggregate,
are the same everywhere. The same
national characteristics prevail in each
community and it is safe to say that
the goat would have received as loud
an acclaim as Dewey in New York, or
Roosevelt at St. Louis, had the event
been as widely advertised and COM
mended. Booms possess much OF the
instability OF soap bubbles at best, and
sometimes require but a breath OF an
adverse current to shatter them to
impalpable nothingness.
That reaction OF the current, indi-
Gated by swirls on the surface, has al
ready set in, is shown by significant
acts which are claimed to indicate
that neither Ohio, Pennsylvania nor
New York will pledge support for
Roosevelt's nomination next year.
Nothing more than perfunctory en-.
dorsement of his administration is ex.
pected from either State. Those who
have kept close observation upon the
maneuvers OF Senator Hanna express
the belief that the people OF Ohio will
pledge nothing more than a formal
support. 1t is said that Elmer Dover,
the Senator's private secretary, and
Senator Patterson, have given out the
intimation that anything else would
be unwise and without precedent.
That this is more than the expression
OF these two smen is the opinion OF
those who are in position to know,
as is shown by the fact that Pennsyl-
vania and New York apparently con-
template similar action. This is a
genuine surprise, for all those States
have been expected to give the Presi.
dent an active and vigorous support
for denomination. The endorsement
of the last-named State, by its last
State convention, it will be remem.
bered, was of the most formal kind.
The immediate object of the organi-
zatiOn which now seems to be forming,
is to check the growth of the Roose-
welt boom, hoping thus to 80 change
conditions by next year, as to make
the nomination OF Mr.. Roosevelt by
acclamation-a result which his more
enthusiastic promoters have deemed
charlottesville and probable-an i'm
possibility, and thus open the door to
other candidates. Having claimed so
much, it follows, as an invariable
rule, that party retrogression, when it
begins, is rapid and sweeping. If the
favor in which Mr.. Roosevelt seems to
be held by the West and South, can be
shaken, it will, they think, be like the
fall of the statue from its pedestal, ab.
solute and complete. If the great
States of the East and Middle West
can be induced to modify the zeal
which administration workers are
seeking to promote, Roosevelt's chances
of carrying the convention with
whirl will inevitably fail.
Whether the movement is as strong
as is confidently claimed to be or not,
can only be matter of surmise, but
the past has afforded enough sudden
and marked changes in popular senti-
ment on great events of widespread
importance, that it is by no means
wise to close ones eyes to the ground.
swells.