The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-12-29
Many Think That Roesevelt's Popular
iy Is on the Wane
Members Playing Waiting
Game. Expecting Him to Make Fa-
tai Biunder Which VIII End His
Popular CONGRATULATIONS Policy
as Il Appointments May Result Dis
astrou~ly-Thc Case of the Canal
Press Asent-Some Interesting po-
litical Gossip From the Capital.
Gossip From tile Capital.
tBy ". A. Hildebrand in Charlotte
sObserver.)

"dsLliIlH bOI. bSGtIIIbtI %1s-" III
President Roosevelt continue indeh-
nitely to bear the relation Of n popular
lido to the American peopleT IL is he
deliberate opinion OF a good many
students OF current events at the White
House that he will not-that he a
had his day; that his popularity is not
resting pon a frm foundation. and
that his course has been pretty well
run. There are daily rumblings Of dis
content. but as many of these rumo-
lings get little further tina the con-
tines of the District of Columbia. the
raising Of this question will perhaps
produce little more than a smile OF an
credulity.
THAT President Roosevelt has made
d mess of things in New York is be-
lieved by many. and is openly con-
demned by not a few. MIR. Odell pro
duced d sensation in the Empire state
by declaring in print that the Presi-
lent was meddliig III the politics in
The state with a view to promoting his
own personal ambition, and charged
that he was attempting to wreck the
party in that state. The Washington
Post has suggested that h New
York sun take five minute of some
DAY ana tell the country WHY ISS4~
lent Roosevelt's policy. announced last
March with such a flourish of trum-
pets, has been set aside in almost
every important respect. BY the canal
commission without eNtorting from
that great moral and Intellectual en-
CINE, a single scream Of protest. Ten
months ago. The Post added. the Pres
ident decided upon a course which had
every merit of propriety and common
II "a ,1AoInrAl fhn+ IN Arla- IN
construct a canal across the isthmus
of Panama. it was important, if not
Indispensable. to locate not only the
actual working force. but directing
agencieS-the commission itself, In
fact. upon the Immediate ground OF
our activities. Today. The Post con
cluded. the Roosevelt hypothesis is
dead, and we are buildin% the canal at
Washington. just a. we were under
the old. futile and preposterous dispen-
SatiOn.
The Washington Star is the organ
here of the administration. 1t is more
than that. 1t has never failed. when
opportunity offered. or could be ere
ated. to go out of its way to promote
a normal public sentiment to bor-
row a phrase from Mr.. Bishop. the
late lamented press agent of the canal
commission. in behalf of the President.
peI suitably. whichever IL iloDIcSS IleIII-
Der of Congress ventured to question
the Chief Executives wisdnm. Today
the political representative of The Star
is permitted to publish the undoubted
fact that the Senators who cannot
agree with the President in all his
policies are thus classified: The Santo
Domingo treaty insurgents: the beet
sugar and anti-Phillippines tariff in
surgents; the railway rate insurgents
-shnnn E1anfv.S tho fafahnnI inctr-
gents: the isthmian canal insurgents.
If these separated groups should
unite to make common cause against
the Executive continues The Star.
1T is said they could produce a great
deal of friction. The next two weeks
are expected to be prolific Of confer
ences, and there will be Strengthening
of the administration forces as well as
some alignments of the insurgents.
The coming investigation of 18TH
milan canal affairs and expenditures
was fO~recaSted in The Star three
weeks before Congress met, and prom
iSeS to be as thorough as threatened at
that time, Congress has given the
canal commission sufficient money and
will provide it in the futur as ii is
needed. Tut it can be set down as an
absolute fact that Congress intends TO
watch with a hawks eve every move
of the commission and every expendi-
ture and salary.
More than that, there is disposition
in some quarters in CONGRESS TO relieve
the Executive of surr@ II the latitude
given in the past and tn &ssume more
responsibility in the control If 18TH
milan affairs.
An interesting ca. IRE Of the situa-
ton in the Senate for the past ten
days has been the tendency Of Re
pnh1ipan Senators tn LOT rritic{c-o ~
the Executive proceed with less chat
longing than usual. T. Is probable.
however. that the administration
forces will be rallied during the recess
and hat there will be some pretty
brisk oratorical single-stick play if the
insurgents come into the open.
The opposition to the confirmation
of AIR. Bishop. formerly literary secre-
tary of the commission. which was
noted in yesterdays Star. is on the in
crease. Grave doubt is expressed to-
day whether it will be possible TO con-
firm Mr.. Bishop. The opposition has
been intensified. it was aid today. by
the feeling of some Senators that the
President had defied h Senate In pro-
noting Mr.. Bishop from q secretary
TO a commissioners at a time when Mr..
Bishops original selection had been
under criticism"
The Chorus Changes.
The great significance IF these adj
missions cannot be doubted. 1t Is a
fact that a great many Congress men,
hers do not care how much the Presi-
Gent is criticised. A year ago a hun
dred Washington correspondents be-
Ionged to the chorus, whose chief end
in life was 10 sing the praises OF the
President Today these correspond
ents content themselves with record
ing facts. and whenever there are any
praises To be sung they are sounded
through the editorial departments at
nome. 1t was remarked here this week
that If Odell or Platt. OF some boss
had been guilty of the Bishop perform
ance. whereby the President created
the job of press agent for a personal
friend at a salary of $4,000 a year.
he would have been denounced
throughout the length and breadth OF
the land as q graft The
President was forced to back eddie.
but he has pnt Bishop on the canal
commission and rha chances ora that