Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-06-18
Tbe RooseveIt Dictatorsbip.

In demanding the election OF Sec
rotary Cortelyou as chairman of the
republican national committee Presi-
dent Roosevelt is laying the founda-
ton of an organization that will en-
able him to control the nominating
machinery of the party in 1908. His
obvious purpose is TO renominate him
self. The republicans of the country
are not going TO stand for such a pro-
gram. The national committee is
nearly a unit in the affirmative for
making an issue with the president
that neither he nor the committee can
evade or compromise"
This statement made yesterday by a
United States senator in Chicago, who
is also a member of the republican ma
tiOnal committee, epitOmizes a situa-
ton that is causing President RoOse-
velt's friends keen anxiety. The pres
ident has said fatty and unequivocal-
ly in reply to many messages from
members of the national committee
that he will not withdraw Secretary
Cortelyou's name. The committee
men who sent the messages declare
just as unequivOcally that COrtelyou
will not be chairman. They declare
that if the president does not retreat
from the position he has voluntarily
taken he will be treated to the same
sort of a dose that was administered
to Rutherford B. Hayes after that gen
tleman was nominated for president
in 1876. Hayes named for chairman
man who was distasteful to a ma
jority of the national committee. He
was urged to withdraw the name, and
upon declining to do so the commit
tee elected Zach Chandler, of Michi-
gan, chairman. The revolving mem
bers of the national committee are now
threatening to elect Senator Boies
Penrose, of Pennsylvania, chairman.
Senator Penrose will accept. Their
determination not to accept COTtelyOu
has been strengthened since they
learned that the president did not CON
suit a member of his cabinet, nor, as
far as is known, any of his recognized
political advisers in congress about
his decision to make Cortelyou chair
man of the national committee.
1t has become known during the
past three or four days that when the
news that the secretary of commerce
and labor was to be placed at the head
of the republican national committee
was communicated to other members
of the cabinet they were too astound
ed to comment on it. National COM
mitteemen have also learned from
sources that they deem reliable that
not a single member of the cabinet
concurred in the presidents view of
the wisdom of creating Cortelyou man
ager of the forthcoming campaign.
They fOresaw that the choice of the
secretary of commerce and labor, I'M
der the circumstances, would be con-
Strued as a step on the part of the |
president in the direction of renom- |
mating himself in 1908. One or two
of their number undertook to offer the |
president a bit of friendly advice ON
the subject, but found him unwilling |
to receive it. He was equally unwill- |
ing to listen to the protests of his |
friends among senators and represen- |
tatives who foreSaw in the COrtelyou
affair complications that might easily |
involve the party in unfortunate con- |
sequences. He told these senators |
and representatives, as he has since |
told members of the national com |
mittee. that the appointment of the |
secretary of commerce and labor was |
final and that he would listen 10 no |
suggestions looking toward its revoca- |
ton.
This bosslike attitude on the part |
of the president has done more to
anger members of the national COM
mittee than even the thought of hav
ing Cortelyou, the political novice, as
their directing head. They are will
ing 10 concede the president the right
to boss the convention. but they re-
sent his assumption that he has the
right to attempt TO create a Roosevelt
machine. which he may use for his
own purposes in 1908. The fight that
is now under way. therefore, is not so
much a fight against Secretary Cortel-
you as it is a revolt against the am
bition of the president to perpetuate
his reign. They object to Cortelyou
for many reasons that have been ade-
quately stated, but they object still
more to the audacious attempt to use
the secretary as a medium for Selling
upon the machinery of the party for
purposes of ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
Thoughtful members of the nation
al committeeman who do not view
current affairs with eyes that com
prehend only their superficial aspects
see in the presidents plan TO seize
the party a dangerous precedent,
which, if successful, may in the future
lead to desperate complications. Their
distrust and suspicion of the presi-
dents motives have been increased
by the secrecy with which he yelled
his purpose TO select COrtelyOu as
chairman as much as by the fact that
his choice fell on Cortelyou. The sec
rotary of commerce and labor was the
one man in public life who was bound
to him by ties of gratitude and friend
ship that were too strong to be broken
by the ordinary vicissitudes of poll
tics. He could count upon his loyal
and subseryient support in any emer-
gency that might arise, and that was
more than he would have right to