The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-23
ROOSEVELT WILL
FORCE The FIGHT
The President Finally Asks His
Friends to Rally to His
Support.
He Is Determined to Know Where
He Stands and Acts Accord
ingly.
Early State Conventions and In
structed Delegates to Be the
Roosevelt Program.



Washington. ....
Washington, Jan. 23.-Active meas
ures have been taken by President
Roosevelt to set at rest any doubt
as to whether opposition to his nomi-
nation is planned or intended by the
powerful political managers in his
party. He has given the word that
his friends are to come out and put
themselves on record. Those who are
Tor him are to say so. Any who find
reasons for not saying SO will be pre-
sumed to be hostile.
Acting upon the hint, declarations
have come already from Governor
Van SAINT of Minnesota, from former
Governor Bradley of Kentucky, from
Senator Foraker Of Ohio, from Rep
resentative W. P. Brownlow Of Ten
nessee, from Powell Clayton, chair
man of the state committee Of Ar
kansas; from Senator Plat and Gov
ernor Odell Of New York (tho these
were not recent); from Senators Quay
and Penrose Of Pennsylvania; from
Senator Mitchell Of Oregon; from the
La Toilette faction in Wisconsin. and
also from the "sta1warts' Of that
state; from Tom Carter in Montana;
and there have been declarations from
the state committeeman or other rep
resentative party leaders IN Virginia,
Alabama, Iowa, Washington, the Da-
kotaS and Kansas.
These declarations include public
interviews In favor Of Roosevelt, and
In many Of the states 1t Is further
announced that early conventions will
be held to select delegates who Will
be instructed for Roosevelt.
It Is interesting to note that num-
Der of southern states are among
those to go thus early on record. Ar
kansas took the lead, and has been
followed by Tennessee, Alabama and
Virginia, The entire block of south
ern delegates Is supposed to be In the
control and keeping Of the chairman
of the national committee; but IN the
present instance such is evidently not
the case. 1t Is positively known that
all summer and fall private agents
Of Mr.. Hanna were at work in the
south, presumably to keep the dele
gates In line. But their labors, 1t now
appears, were not entirely successfully;
and It may be found that the Booker
T. Washington and Collector Crum in
Ctdents were not entirely bad In their
political effects 1t looks now, at any
rate, as If Roosevelt will be able 10
rely on very considerable body Of
delegates from that section.
To Fight In the Open.
The president feels, however, that
he may properly call upon his friends
In all parts Of the country to come
into the open. II there Is no dis
loyalty In the party, then no one can
take offense ct the challenge, and no
harm will be done. If there Ia to be
fight on his nomination he intends
to force the fighting now, and have 1t
In the open.
That's the argument from the
Roosevelt point of view.
From the Hanna point Of view there
ta Stn AGS tA1 Inv. Seas 10 {c
not a candidate. and the platform Of
injured innocence. Hanna says he
ought to be trusted. In Ohio he asks
for uninstructed delegates who will do
what he tells them to.
The president Is managing his own
campaign. While he has declined to
talk politics with the general run of
visitors to thu White House, he does
talk politics to trusted friends. The
president Ia selecting representatives
10 look after his interests In every
state, These men are personal friends.
on whose loyalty and judgment he
feels he can depend. For the most
part they are not senators and repre-
ssntatives.
Payne, who Is vice chairman of the
national committee. and was supposed
TO have been invited to join the cab
met in order that he might act az
political adviser to President Roose-
welt, Is not acting in that capacity
The reason Ia moro or less obvious
Mr.. Payne Is @ close and loyal friend
to Hanna, He was associated with
the Ohio senator before he met Roose-
welt. and his allegiance is to Hanna
While there has been no break be-
tween Payne and the president, the
latter naturally docs not feel that he
can take any such close friend OF
Hapna's into his political confidence
Makes His Own Fight.
There Is no one who can be said
At present to be President Roose.
yelt's political lieutenant to look after
the general anteconvention campaign
Orders issued by the president are
executed by his secretaries, Mr.. Loci
and Mr., Barnes And it may be added
that a considerable margin of discre.
ton is entrusted to both these subor.
dinatss in matters political,
A recent and more important de-
yelopment in the republican situation
is the discovery that an effort is to bs
made by the anti-Roosevelt following
to persuade Governor Taft, upon hi
arrival, TO permit his name to bt
used for the presidential nomination
Next to being the nominee himself
Hanna would like to name the man
His old position of king maker. heit