Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-01-20
Ohio Man Makes Fig
ureS on Presidential
Election
You Don't Have to Agree
With Him, but 1t Shows
Troubled Waters in
Ohio

and is undoubtedly hotter every where
than We Of the Pacific coast are
aware. The following letter written
by Hanna factionist, c. c. Williams
OF Columbus, Ohio, appears in the
Cincinnati Commercial Tribune of
Jan. 14th.
To the editor of the Commercial Tri-
bune:
The signs Of the times render the
duty Of the republican party plain
The republican party Is in a position
to make one of the most stupendous
blunders any political party has been
guilty OF since the organization Of
our country under an Independent
government. 1t is also in a position
to bring to the people of this country
the enjoyment OF an unparalleled pros
perity, the blessings OF a peaceful ere
These two conditions stand out
prominently-the first, to warn the
party; the second, as light Of hope
With Roosevelt as the candidate
the republican party is doomed to GER
tain defeat. Even Bryan or Hears;
could defeat him.
But the democratic party has
shown a tendecy to tear loose from It's
recent past environments and gives
promise Of being ruled by wisdom IN
the selection Of it's candidate and the
formation OF it's party platform. Hence
it will never do for the republican
party to nominate a candidate who
has developed such marked weakness
throughout the country as Roosevelt
has done, as a study Of the election
statistics OF 1902 and 1908 will prov :
TO any unpreiudiced observer.
Roosevelt would be compelled to
enter the campaign at the vary out.
set on the defensive. No one will
doubt the honesty Of the president;
against him many powerful men
whose influence will aid his defeat.
The Booker Washington and the
Mississippi postotiice incidents while
they did not increase his popularity
with the negro race, yet It lessened
II in other quarters.
His monopolizlng the credit for the
settlement OF the anthracite strike in
Pennsylvania does not set well with
| nruapf1ad lahor ,t,hf,b onurao{atad
the services rendered upon that oc
casion by Senator Hanna's civic fed.
Grafton and by John Mitchell presi.
dent OF the Miners Association, and
other labor leaders to bring about
peace between the two warning ele.
ments.
For one man TO pre-empt all the
glory for the sake OF an Unsuitable am.
bition is just as wrong in the case Of
a president as IL is in a citizen in
an humber capacity. Another club
used by Roosevelt over the heads Of
the labor unions was in the case Of
the Public Printer at Washington. A
man who does a good deed should
never publish Il TO the world in the
newspapers in the shape OF an Eek
planation" This blunder will cost
him dearly in the ranks of organized
labor in every state OF the union. The
argument has been used that the party
should be loyal to Roosevelt and give
him a denomination. This argument
failed in the case Of all other acct
dental presidents
John Tyler Millard Fillmore, An
drew Johnson and Chester A. Arthur
were all estimable gentlemen in their
way, yet their party failed to renomi
nate them. Why should an exception
be made In the case OF Roosevelt.
The argument will not take that
his public acts should be Nndlcated
for the people never put him where
he is, and therefore expected nothing
at his hands.
II was the deadly asassin's bullet that
placed him where he is. by removing
the one man in whom were eentered
the hopes OF the whole American
people.
Uncertainty in financial circles is
another danger that menaces the par.
ty in the vent of ROosevelt's renomi
nation. With capital and labor both
antagonistic 10 him, whence can
Roosevelt expect sufficient support TO
win the electiOn7
On the other hanrd. there is a man
whom the republicans can nominate
who would sweep the country like a
whirlwind. He is a man in whom the
business interests OF the country have
unbounded confidence. He ia a man