The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-27
TUESDAY, OCT. 81, 1903.
COMING OFF THE PERCH.

1t is no longer a secret that Presi-
dent Roosevelt is greatly worried about
his political prospects next year, and
that he has sent repeated requests to
the leading financiers and strong bust
ness men of New York city to help him
out. His alarm is by no means without
cause. He was cocky enough when he
thought he was simply making a play
to the galleries by declaring his I'M
yielding hostility to great corporate
interests. He would be glad to make
terms with them now, both for the
sake of his campaign fund and the eff
feet upon the country.
1t has not taken a great while for
the policy of President Roosevelt to
work disaster to his own chances. I'm
fortunately, the injury has not been
confined to these, but has included the
whole business of the country as well.
Starting from the point of his unjusti-
fable assaults upon capital and inter-
ferences with business, we have seen a
steady decline in the general business
of the country, until now he himself is
thoroughly alarmed at the possible
consequences. He knows that if bust
ness conditions grow worse as rapidly
during the next six months as during
the last, he will confront a sullen and
discontinued constituency and be held
responsible for the closing down Of in
dustries everywhere, the loss of en-
ployment by great armies Of working
men and the disappearance of both
profits of capital and wages of labor.
The overtures that Mr.. Roosevelt is
now making declare him to be very
anxious to take the back track. It is
not merely that he finds it difficult to
secure ready money for his political
campaign, although there is something
in that. The pace set by the Republic
an national committee since 1896 is one
comparatively moderate amount of
money would carry out a campaign.
Since that the necessary quantity is
measured by millions. No Republican
leader now knows how to organize for
work unless he has these millions at
his command. President Roosevelt
does not find it easy to raise them, nor
do any of his emissaries succeed well
as collectors on his behalf.
The main cause of his alarm how
ever, is far more serious. 1t resides in
the very business outlook to which we
have referred. He knows that if pros
perity continues to recede he will be
held responsible, and very justly so.
He thinks. doubtless. that the financial
leaders in New York city can do some
thing to prevent this If they would.
He is like child who, having in a fit
of petulance broken his toy beyond
mending, rushes with tears to his
elders and begs them to make it as
good as new for him. But the truth ia
that they could not If they would.
The forces which the president set in
motion-ignorantly, as we believe.
rather than maliciously-to the detrf
ment Of capital and Of industry the
country over, are beyond the power of
any one man to curb and control.
Least of all is the possibility of an
other four years of. Roosevelt likely to
give confidence to capital or employ
ment to labor.
1t is an unadmirable Roosevelt who
is now so busily engaged in trying to
patch up the weak spots in his fences.
1t is not the bold knight who buckled
on his armor SO gayly and went out
to STAY dragons, but the beseeching
suppliant, who is perfectly ready to