The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-01-01
THE ONE AMBITION OF
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT
To Be President of the United States--Schem.
ing for This Since His Election as Gov
ernor of New York--His Methods
and Theories-If Elected,
What Then?

intend 10 devote nay four years as vice
president to c~ultivating a reputation
for ~soundness and conservatism am
a candidate for the nomination for
president IN 1904 and I intend to grow
up to it,"
Then Providence intervered, and the
vice presidene became president Then
he was in the commanding position.
His first year, even though he played
his T-oltics ease ssiy ana afhll3lsd
with republican politicians of all kinds,
was not so successful, from a personal
viewpoint. as his frieneds had wished.
The elevation drew out the exuber-
nee he intended to suppress. His old
friends came f1ocking around. He
listened to the counsels of what the
| politicians called the literary bunch"
Some OF his closest advisers were men
like the late Frederick w. Hollis, Al
bert Shaw, editor Of The Review o.
Reviews; William Allen White of Kan
sas! Jacob Riis and others emi:.ent in
literature, but not adopts in politics.
He dubbed over in various ways.
causing much copy for the correspond
ents but doing little harm to himself
in the west, where his friends are
greatest in number Out there they
look on those things as the natural
outcome of great energy. In the east
the opinion Is different, but that op'G-
ion Lever crystalized into all opposition
beyond the point Of standing around
and calling names.
SHELvED AL SERVICE OPPOSE
TON.
Roosevelt's great popularity in his
campaign for the nomination has been
his inSistence upon declarations OF 10y
atty. No man has escaped. You are
for me Or against me" is his motto, ard
- Lii - - Alcn ha ha-
lieves in getting generals from tie
other side. His greatest were
the Payne and Shaw appointments.
He knew Governor Shaw of Iowa had
presidential ambitions. Perhaps those
ambitions focused in 1904. He acted
promptly. AS 500 as Shaw became
even the shadow of a factor the presi-
dent put him in his cabinet as secre-
tary OF the treasury. That eliminated
Shaw in 1904. Payne was chairman OF
the executive committee of the Sc
publican national committee. He was
| Hanna's chief lieutenant. He knew
the secrets of the organization and just
o the machinery runs. President
Roosevelt annexed Payne. He made
him postmaster general, a position 10
which Payne had aspired since 1896,
and which President Mckinley, even
after the inSiStent demands of Hanna,
had twice refused him, saying Payne
was not a fit man to put into the Nc.
Kinley cabinet. Roosevelt put Payne
in charge of his campaign as assistant
manager under himself
A SAMPLE OF HIS POLITICS
Payne took the job gladly. He has
held it since, in spite Of the poStofhcs
! scandals. and undoubtedly has played
! fair" with the president. Later AR
Roosevelt sent Governor Taft to the
L D1;l;npinnc Thara hod hAon tall
about using Taft to defeat Roosevelt,
and the president promptly put his
brand on Taft.
The president knew all about the
! negro delegates in the south. SO did
Payne. They nav been a Hanna chat
tel for eight years and more. 1t was
| necessary to corral them again. On
| the advice Of Payne and Senator Biatt
of New York, he selected James 8
| Clarkson, a gone-tO-Seed politician,
who once had some national commit
tee experience, for the corralling agent.
He made Clarkson surveyor Of the port
of New York and put him at work.
The presidents treatment Of he
whole negro question is a fair sample
| Of his politics. He was avowedly after
| the delegates through Clarkson, ut
he also wanted the votes Of the ne
| groes in the north. The black vote is
a heavy factor in many northern
states. 1t would be going too far to
assert that he invited Booker Wash
tngton to din with him at the Whita
house because he wanted to cement
the northern negro vote, but it is well
within the pounds to say that The spec
tacular insiStence OF the negro Crum
for collector of he port of Charleston,
S. c.. and the postmistress Minnie Cox
incident in Indianola, Miss. had Pc
litica1 possibilities that the president
did not overlook. He knew that, mi
~raculonsly or otherwise. he never could
get the votes of South Carolina and
Mississippi. He played politics for the
vote of the north.
NEXT TACKLED WALL STREET.
in the Northern securities merger case
and in the settlement of the coal strike.
He knew these steps would offend
Wall street, but he decided he would
better have the appreciation OF the peo-
pie at large than the few in New York
and other financial strongholds. He
was advised against both Of these pro-
ceedings by Secretary Root and Attor-
ney Genera Knox They Ii
would be suicide to attack the vested
interests which supply campaign funds
in such profusion. The president was
and is a better politician than either
Knox or Root. He claimed he would
strengthen himself, ASIDE from any
other consideration, and he did
strengthen himself, for in the west
where the votes come from. to- be an
enemy OF Wall street is to make i
friend.
There was method in 1t all. The
president listened smilingly to the pro-
tests from Wall street. He knew he
held the whip hand. And he has sean
the Wall street people come around. nc
matter what they may a privately.
and admit that perhaps he can be-
trusted. although he did take a tTe-
mendous advantage OF them. He mas
told the Wall street people that he Is
not their enemy. and they have come
to believe him, in a measure. The lash |
still stings. but hey think that it will
be as well If it is not applied again |
The president is convinced they viii
take their medicine eventually.
LooPED THE LOOP WITH EASE.