The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-01-10
The Power of the Machine
Methods of the Anti Roosevelt Faction
Curious and Weak.


The methods which certain people,
not named in the public prints, are
HOW using to convince the people that
somebody who is not Roosevelt will be
named as Republican candidate for
President, are most curious, and incl
dentally not quite as successful as
certain earnest promoters would have
us think. Their weakness lies in the
fact that they do not take sufficient
account of popular sentiment, and the
reasons on which it is based. Their
strength is, perhaps, mainly due to
the fact that they are as yet. unrecog-
nized.
The fact is that there are certain in
terests in this country which would
give almost anything for the certainty
that somebody either a Republican
en- Democrat-could be produced
who could Gust President Roosevelt
from the White House. They do not
Ike to have him there, because he is
too ineonvenient. They did not want
him to investigate the postoffice scan
Gals, nor do they want him to engage
In other proceedings of that nature.
One need only notice how the postof-
flee scandals were tangled up with the
affairs of large business firms to see
reason for this. 1t is becoming COM
mon talk that graft" in all depart
ments of business is common In this
country, especially where the Govern
ment is concerned. Of course, it Is
rot universal, or anything like that.
but it ought not to exist on any such
scale as it does. The "grafters" find
President Roosevelt announcement,
and they want somebody who will not
be so announcement, not necessarily a
dishonest man, but one not quite so
aggressively honest. That is all.
These large business interests care
very little which party elects tie
President. so long as they are not in
terfered with. They control, so far as
their interests are concerned, many
newspapers, Republican as well as
Democrat. They encourage the Dem
ocratic papers TO hope for success,
and they induce Republican papers to
~s-,.,.I-
can be called "safe"-t that is, safe for
purposes of "grsft." Their idea of
the right sort of President is one
who is
ITO their faults little blind.
And TO their virtues very kind
The assumption that all the iere-
iniads about Mr.. Roosevelt's not be-
ing able to carry New York, and not
being able to win the election. and the
need of "safe" man for the candi-
dacy are expressions of popular opin-
ion, is simply nonsense. One need
only move about among the men in
the street to see that no man in his
generation has aroused such wide
spread interest, and created so great
a confidence in his honesty and judg-
n,ent, as President Roosevelt. The
desire of the American people for 8
man whom they can absolutely trust
i too often underestimated by profes-
sional politicians. and it is the one
mistake most likely to be fraught with
disaster to them. The popularity of
Roosevelt has been compared to that
of Blaine. There is this difference be-
tween the two: all through the Re
publican States Roosevelt is much
stronger with the plain people than
Blaine ever was, for the reason that
bis reputation rests not so much OF
brilliant political achievements and
personal magnetism. as on uncompro-
missing honesty and straightforward
ness. The ordinary American may
admire brilliant man, but he is a lit
tie bit distrustful of one who is too
brilliant, too magnetic. He prefers
e;t,roiioifx- and oc,,,-aoro