Arizona silver belt., 1904-06-23
0HiCiQ| PQDeT Of GI|Q County.
THE ROOSEVELT CONVENTION

From all accounts there was never q national political convention held in
 which SO little enthusiasm was mani fested as in the convention at Chicago this week, that nominated Roosevelt and Fairbanks as the candidates of the republican party for president and vic. president.
 The program which had been ar ranged as to all important details, in the executive mansion at Washington, important state contests were settled in favor of the corrupt Addicks delega
 tion from Delaware, and the corpora tions delegation from Wisconsin, headed by the administration hench- men, Spooner. Quarrels and Babcock. Mir. Roosevelt had named the gentle men who were to run the convention and lsud the candidate in dights of or atory; he had dictated the platform, named MT. Cortelyou, as chairman of the national committee, in the face of the earnest protests from the leading politicians of the party, and had also selected the secretary of the com miitee. In fact if there was anything of importance Tn connection with the republican durbar that MT. Roosevelt had overlooked it was not mentioned.
 There was only one thing that the candidate to succeed himself was not permitted to do. That was the seec- ton ot his running mate. Mr. ROose- welt needed the sign, 'Look out for the cars, which Governor La Toilette failed to do and was run over by the train. In other words, the selection of the vice presidential candidate aud the state contests were left t1 the rail road interests; as Walter Wellman has said, to "The people of the loco motive and the special car, and the wires which lead to the offices of cer- tain big corporations Ia writing the history of the day it is we'll to adhere to the actual facts, and the truth of his tory compels us to set it down in the record that the railroads are looking after their end of the business with their accustomed skill and assiduity,"
 When Chairman Elihu Roots gavel fell, calling the convention to order, everything of importance had been de- cided and there was little left to do but to arry out the instructions from the White House. No wonder, then, that the delegates and spectators failed to warm to the spirit of the occasion; that the cheering was mild and the hand-clapping listless when Roosevelt's named was mentioned. The whole proceedings was perfunctory The old politicians sat dumb and indifferent As writer expressed it, "apathy frog. eR stiff"
 It was doubtless this listlessness among republican leaders that prompt ed Senator Depew to say. "We need a | roaring, rousing canvass, but the pros pect IS not reassuring. Thers is no disguising the fact that Mir. Roosevelt IS not liked by very many of the poli- ticlsns of his party, aud had Mark Hanna lived it is doubtful if the presi. dent would have received the nomina. tion
 Mir. Roosevelt's success or defeat in the November election will depend largely upon the action of the demo. cratic national convention at St. Louis next month. If wise counsels prevail m the deliberations of that assembly aud a conservative man is selected as the party's candidate, one who will command the confidence of the great . body of democrats, and a platform be adopted denouncing republican dis. honesty, demanding reform and ecou- omy in the conduct of national affairs apd promising tariff revision and trade , reciprocity, particularly with the , countries of the western hemisphere. i; then the republican party will be plac- , ed on the defensive and Mr. Roose- , velts election rendered matter of great doubt
 It IS evident that there is to be con.