Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-01-28
IN A BAD PREDICAMGNT.
The Republican Party Is Between
h Devil and the Deep e
over Hanna.

INOOSeNell ana the QOuDllul d|NdlldDlllIv
of Hanna the republican party finds it,
self in a desperately weak situation; a
situation which is badly disclosed now,
says the st. Louis Republic, with Roose-
welt being pounded all along the lines
of the organization and the Wall street
influence going with the organization
in the effect to develop Hanna's boom.
Distrust of Roosevelt has crystallized
into open opposition by the business in
t%erests, not only of Wall street, but of
the country very generally. The great
part of the business of the country does
not possess either the interest or the
influence of Wall street in politics; but
is conservative; desires to follow the
established commercial conventions:
relies substantially upon a secure and
conservative administration; and re-
sents vagaries which are apt to disturb
and unsettle its whole basis of opera
lions. Uneasiness perhaps best describes
the attitude of Americas commercial in
terests toward Roosevelt; not so much
uneasiness for his further acts during
the present term as for his course should
he receive the office upon his W ae-
count by the vote of the people.
In contemplating the Roosevelt of now
and the Roosevelt of the future a clear
distinction is made. Mr.. Roosevelt, sud.
denly elevated to the presidency by tho
tragedy at Buffalo implicitly assumed
a continuation of McKinley's policies;
these constituted a tacit i~ncumbrance,
as it were, and the obligation rested upon
the successor to carry them out. I'm
questionably this obligation has had a
restraining influence upon Mr.. Roose-
welt, though he has by no means kept
within the limitations of the Mckinley
conservatism at all times. He has been
sufficiently impulsive, radical and err
ratio on several occasions to demon
strate what he might do if placed in Of
flee upon his W responsibility and
without the superimposition of re-
straining influences.
Given a clear title to the presidency
by popular suffrage, what would the
pride, the egotism and self-will of this
extremist lead him to? This is the ques-
ton which the financial, industrial and
mercantile communities are asking
themselves.
The answer is indicated by the forces
which are rolling up for Hanna. Ohio
and Indiana are for Hanna. New York
goes without saying. Pennsylvania
would be for him likewise. Probably
T1ltpnic would Tho irH,ornoe IN +hooa
states are strong enough to dominate
the machine, or Organization"
Would Hanna make a stronger candi-
date than Roosevelt? In one sense he
would. Behind him would be united and
thorough organization. Behind him
would also be the republican inteSests
known as "Wal street." which have
withdrawn from Roosevelt. Business
interests" generally would perhaps &C
cord to Hanna, If president, a greater
confidence than they now repose in Mr..
Roosevelt.
But from the standpoint of the peo-
pie, Hanna would be no unmixed bless
ing. RELOCATED to Hanna for it's nomi-
nee, the republican party would have
to face defensively the great national
question of corruption in the federal SER
vice. The department scandals have
c~onclusively revealed the link which
connects Doodle with the machine with
which Hanna is associated and has been
largely instrumental in perfecting.
Yet the fact remains that Hanna is no
more identified with the organization
than was Roosevelt up to within recent
weeks. Roosevelt ~assiduously culti~
waited machine strength by every meant
in his power; by appointments, by capt.
ulations to the machine, by concessions
even by the abandonment Of previously
expressed convictions and intentions
concerning vital issues. And by these
means he succeeded in developing and
possessing a no inconsiderable pull with
the powers that be. Nor did his machine
strength wane until the distrust of the
financial and mercantile interests geESE-
ally became manifest and Wall street
threw it's influence into the opposing
scale.
Thus the republican party stands be-
tween the devil and the deep blue sea;
between unsafe radicalism and machin .
concentration-the former dangerous to
commercial, industrial and financial
health; the latter lacking, even in great.
er degree, the confidence of the masses.