Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1904-09-23
ROOSEVELT AS AN ISSUE

The Washington correspondent of the
Baltimore Sun, a close and unbiased observ-
er Of the trend OF political affairs in the
country, gives the following analysis of the
present political outlook;
at will not do TO overlook the anti Roose
welt Republican vote In figuring on the re
suit Of the Presidential election. Through
out the country there are many Republicans
to whom the Democratic platform is not
repugnant and who look with more favor
upon conservative revision of the tariff
than upon stand-pat policy.
"In some quarters the charge is made that
the Democratic platform does not give
promise Of sufficiently radical change in
the economic conditions at present existing
The fact is that Republican Senate being
assured during the next four years, the
Democrats cannot promise more than a
moderate revision oil the tariff and can give
guarantee Of nothing In the way Of legisla
ton opposed by solid Republican vote in
Congress, except rigid economy 10 expendi
lures. II Judge Parker be elected President
he can compel economy of expenditures,
prevent dangerous legislation and guaraD-
tee sane, common sense policy of execu
tive administration. Many Republicans are
more apprehensive Of what President Roose
Welt will do, II elected, than they are of what
the Democrats can do along lines which Re
publicans who are not politicians would
object to.
Beyond the fact that he is the regularly
nominated candidate Of their party, there
ls no special reason why the business men
who are Republicans should feel we'll dis
posed toward MIR. Roosevelt. On the con.
trary, the objections raised to him should
appeal quite as strongly to the conservative
business man who is Republican as to one
who is Democrat. The gravest issue OF
the campaign is one which should not be
partisan and which is likely to rise far above
any party question In the minds OF thinking
men whose patriotism is Of the quality which
places the interests Of the country above
every other consideration.
"The least conspicuous characteristic OF
Mr.. Roosevelt and his policies is their Re.
publicanism. He stands no closer to Lin
coin than to Tom Watson. The two great
parties have never before been divided upon
the issue which his candidacy presents He
has never been in full accord with his own
party on the vital issues which have dis.
tinguished it in the past 1t is we'll known
that his personal views on the tariff and the
trust questions are not those which have
distinguished the Republican party He is
Republican through chance. convenience
or strategy. He might as well have been
Democrat OF Populst or Prohibi,ionist,
had either OF these parties afforded him the
same opportunity TO make use of it for the
promotion OF his own ideas. Republicans
both n and out Of Congress recognized this
before II became manifest that he had got
the party in his power aud would be the
candidate, whether they liked it or not
"The party organization in surrenderiue
TO him yielded itself to the support of an
entirely new theory Of government, as dan
gerous 10 the business interests which are
Republican az to those which are Demo
cratic-if such distinction can be made in
business interests-and repuguant to the
fundamental principles OF this Republic,
which no party has heretofore dared to as
sail In the open. His attitude il 10 repudia
ton Of the wisdom OF Washington, Jeffer
son, Lincoln, Cleveland and Mckinley. al.
most without discrimination In favor of
either. He has captured the Republican
party and Is making use Of its credentials.
To Republicans who believed his nomina.
ton would be menace TO the party and to
the country there appears no reason why
he should be more acceptable because he
controlled the convention at Chicago.
THE party organization is captured and
bound, aud men seeking political prefer.
ment within the party feel that they must
De regular, but voters influenced only by
patriotic considerations as they see them
and Interested only 10 the welfare of the
community are confronted with the same
problem which coniro ITS the rank aud die
Of Democratic and Independent voters.
Oonsluetatloh which leads Mr. Cleve.
land and Mr.. Bryan to support the same
ticket Is one 10 appeal To any American of
any party who believes in the theories of
government entertained by every President
OF the United States before Mr.. Roosevelt,
Perhaps no Republican is welded to his
party more than is Mr.. William J. Bryan
welded 10 the theories Of his own cam.
paigns, which have been set aside 10 the
present national emergency, but be recog
nizes the insignhcance OF economic poll.
cIes when compared with the question Of
whether the fundamental principles Of the
Republic shall be preserved or whether eE.
ecutive caprice shall be substituted for con
sltutional government"