Truth. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1901-1908, 1905-01-07
mi PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT
RULE HIS PARTY?

u
toral .o,o seem inclined to pre-
i ,ist that the leaders OF the Republ1'
ulo' Marty in congress, though they
eau hesitate and delay, will ultimate
ma! oorrv out any plans deliberately
O and earnestly advocated by
ViH nrocident 1t is an interesting
eue that tbe forecast is not warranted
law o orr political history. In 1908
~ lanes Madison obtained 122 against
% electoral votes. yet he was so far
from SD dominating the Demcroatic-Re-
nnhlican party that Henry Clay and
pthor rising men in congress forced
' U,~,, him against his will the Young
Mans War" of 1912. Indeed, it looked
~ one time as if his party would re-
Snce to give Madison denomination.
in 1852, Franklin Pierce got 254
AGAINST AZ electoral votes, yet, far
from dominating his party, he was
dominated by it, the leaders compel.
inc him to champion repeal of the
Missouri compromise. In 1864 Abra-
ham Lincoln was reelected by 212
electoral votes against 81. Did he
rule his party? On the contrary, he
could not even rule his cabinet. In
the winter of 1S64-5, he read to his
cabinet the draft of a message to con-
gress embodying proposal to distri-
butte S4OO0O0,000 in United States
bonds among those Confederate states
which before designated date should
adopt the Thirteenth Amendment
Ill. eli Evunrtr H.
Of the cabinet opposed the message,
which, accordingly, was withheld.
Ulysses S. Grant in 1868 received PA
against 80 electoral votes. So far
was he, however, from exercising as
tendency over his party that not few
of its most eminent leaders revolted,
held in 1872 so-called Liberal-Repub-
lcan convention, and nominated Hor-
ace Greedy for the presidency. In the
year last named the electoral college
gave Grant 2S6 against GO electoral
votes, tremendous majority, yet
Grant, in his second term, proved I'M
able to carry out his San Domingo
project. Mr.. Cleveland in 1892 had a
majority of ITO electoral votes over
his Republican and Populist compel
ltors combined, and, as his popularity
was attested by his carrying states
never before since the Civil war car
ned by a Democratic nominee for the |
presidency, it was taken for granted |
mat he would be able to shape legis-
auon' AS a matter of fact, the Will !
son tariff bill, which embodied his
lScal views, was subjected at the
lands OF the Democrats in the senate
% degree of mutilation that the
PRESIDENT witnessed not only with dis
approval, but with indignation and
llsgust So far, then, as precedents
~ we cannot assume that. because of
W. hoosevelt's amazing triumph at
ne ballot box, he can count upon the
'Oeulence OF his party in congress. 1t
uue mat he possesses a resolute- |
lHss OF character to which neither
lou nor Pierce could lay claim.
Do.n Grant and Cleveland, however,
,ere men of sturdy and firm will, |
o ~ with Mr. Roosevelt's own:
oor 'o'h mad to succumb, as we have |
Oo unless, therefore, Mr.. Roosevelt's
v ycOna administration should prove an
,iu In our political history, it
i rm uepend mainly or largely upon
~, rS,unstances beyond his own con-
,rin whether he shall succeed in as
a a,ns the execution of a program
rana ,.e,y formulated by him, and COM
,icn ueu oy him to congress. Con-
in Io among these circumstances
rn W. az me intrinsic merit or political