Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-05-13
Shall Roosevelt Be the Issue?

The san Francisco 4 tdondm says
that Roosevelt is the only issue OF
interest to the Democrats, and it must
be admitted that he is the embodiment
OF many issues that do not please the
Republicans any more than the Demo
Gratis. In fact Roosevelt has probably
less friends and more supporters than
any man who has ever aspired to the
Presidency. The means at his com.
mand, and his disposition to use them,
Is revelation to the people. Mr..
Hanna saw this long before it was ap.
parent to either his chiefs or the
masses, and went through a trying
ordeal in adapting his course to cir.
cumstances he could not control, nor
afford to sntagonize by direct methods
and that is precisely the condition on
Wall street and with the Federal of.
fce-holders now.
To specifically epitomize the issues
involved in the candidacy OF such a
man would require an endless chain
OF negations, surmounted by the great
est OF objections that nobody is sure of
his stability on any of them, or Of any
certainty that others may not be pre-
scented ere the morrow's sun has added
another day to the rapid kaleidoscope
Of political events. Capital and Office.
holders know he is unsafe" from his
record since he was thrust forward as
Chief Executive, and his party oppo.
nents have known him to he L" unsafe"
from closer analysis OF his predomi-
nate traits rs possible leader of the
opposition long before those now inter.
ested regarded him as q rival of their
most probable leading men.
Mr.. Roosevelt has been lucky as few
few mortals are, in the happening Of
the unexpected. The very act that
was to relegate him to obscurity, DELHI.
erately planned, has resulted in plac.
ing him in the foreground. His force
OF character has built up a prestige,
despite his errors Of judgment, and has
brought to the fore all the hitherto
theoretical objection to a second term,
without bis having entered upon a
first term by will of the people. Had
there been the slightest thought OF the
possibility of assassination of the idol
Of the party when the Baltimore Con.
vention was in session, Roosevelt
would not have been his running.
mate.
1t seems quite safe to accept this
Republican gauge of party issues and
to assume that, after stripping the
Presidential policy of all pretense, 10
accept Roosevelt as the incarnation oil
all the true friends of free government
have fought from Hamilton's time Ia
the present day. He is ostentatious,
exsravagant. williul, conceited, auto.
cratic, impulsive. disrespectiul to those
who have by well-earned merit and
length of public service made them
possible rivals for the Presidency, and
an usurper of power not conferred by
constitution or statutory law.
1t WAS more good luck than sound
craftsmanship which averted war with
Germany over the South American
embroglio. and it is probably owing to
the tide of battle being so strong
against Russia that the famous " Hays
note" has not involved our govern.
ment with the Eastern complications
With Roosevelt for President, there il
no telling when we may not have q
war on our hands, and the imperative
necessity OF carrying a "big club" j.
readily admitted with, all the lavish
expenditure that is involved in Great
ing . navy equal to the leading first
class power, with which to test tn.
chances OF battle, and be under neces
sity to renew it every decade, which il
the average life Of costly battleships.
ALMOST panic ensued from thu
appearance Of as harmless q littl,
creature as Q mouse. in q New Yorl