Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-06-16

ana VINO would not, II he We're pfeSl-
dent, permit any one else to plumber
them
Up Against It.
If the latest press reports are to be
believed, President Roosevelt is ''up
against it, )" to use an expressive piece
of modern slang, in the matter of a
chairman of the Republican national
committee. It has been the custom for
a presidential nominee to select the
chairman to conduct his campaign, and
the custom is unquestionably ground
ed on reason. 1t is difficult to conceive
of a capable man who is obnoxious to
the candidate forcing himself or per-
hitting others to force him upon the
presidential candidate to whom he is
persona non grata. Nevertheless, ac-
cording to the most recent dispatches,
that is precisely what coterie of SEN
ators, headed by Senators Spooner and
Aldrich, are endeavoring to do at the
present juncture. 1t has been under
stood for some time that President
Roosevelt has selected Hon. George
Bruce Cortelyou, once secretary to the
president, at present secretary of the
department of commerce and labor, to
be chairman of the national committee
and ex officio manager in chief of
Colonel Roosevelt's campaign. From
the presidents viewpoint the choice
is unexceptionabIe Cortelyou is
g. ic.A 1,n
of Colonel Roosevelt and has been with
him ever since he came into the presi-
Dental office. He found him acting as
President McKinley's secretary and re
tanned him in that position until he had
an opportunity to raise him to the cabi-
net. President Roosevelt knows that
he can rely on Cortelyou, and therefore
he wants him, and, in my judgment,
if he wants him he should have him.
1t is a most ungracious, not to say
unseemly, performance for Messrs.
Spooner, Aldrich ct al. to object to the
qualification of the presidential desire
in that regard and to force upon him
somebody that he does not want. They
claim-so the story runs-that Secretary
Cortelyou is inexperienced in politics
and unacquainted with those who usu-
ally contribute freely to the Republic
an campaign fund. He has had as
much experience as the late Senator
Marcus A. Hanna had when, at the re-
quest of Mr.. Mckinley, he was made
chairman of the national committee,
and it would be good thing for the
country if no slush fund were used by
either party in the impending contest.
Colonel Roosevelt is more interested in
the result of the presidential race than
any other Republican in the land, and
he would not select Secretary Cortel-
you for such an important and respon-
sible position unless he had implicit
confidence not only in his fidelity to
him, but in his fitness to discharge the
delicate and multifarious duties which
would devoIye upon him.
1t is a thing incredible that Messrs.
Spooner ct al can induce President
Roosevelt to give up Secretary Cortel-
you as chairman if he has really set
his heart on having him, for the pres
ident is a man tenacious of his opin-
ions and his rights. He holds the whip
hand and can be depended on to use it
vigorously. So, on the whole, the
chances are that Mr.. Secretary Cortel-
you will be chairman of the Republic
an national campaign committee if he
is willing to serve and if the president
desires that he shall do so. The entire
incident shows that the much vaunt-
ed Republican harmony is only skin
deep.