The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-05-25
WILL IT BE ROOSEVELT IT,

WILL IT BE ROOSEYELT:
Under the heading Of The Fight OF
His Life" the Minneapolis Tribune
discusses the probability of Roose-
velt's omination in 1908 as fol-
lows:
1t looks as if Theodore Roosevelt
were going to have the fight of his life
to escape denomination and re-elec-
tion to the presidency in 1908. We
have not the least doubt that he is
sincere in his announced and repeated
refusal to be a candidate. Doubtless
he has his share of ambition. But he
is; chiefly ambitious to make an i'm
mortal record in this term Of office.
He knows, from personal experience
as we'll as from history, how impossi-
BILE it is for president to realize his
own highest aspirations when he is
seeking reelection.
s The president cannot turn in any
direction without running foul of
some expression Of the popular desire
for his denomination three years
hence. We are told that his short
"trip to the extreme south in October
will be the last of his presidential
tours, though there may be another
reason for this than his desire to es-
cape Importantly to accept a renomi-
nation. It is said that the presidents
sensitiveness to criticism led him to
pay all the expenses of his last out
ing and that he found the pleasure
too costly to be repeated. The story
is that he will stay in Washington and
work hard for the: rest of his term,
taking his only recreation quietly at
Oyster Bay. -
but we doubt if he will escape great
peril of a denomination in this way
The Republican party does not know
where else to turn. It distinctly does
not want the Fairbankses and Forak-
ers who are seeking the nomination.
It has no great objection to the
Roots and Tafts, who are modestly
receptive: but it does not warm up to
them as it does to- Roosevelt. If he
keeps the promise Of the beginning of
his term, his popularity will leave
that of every other Republican leader
in the blighting shade.
''This is not the worst Of it for Mr..
Roosevelt. He has not only the Re-
publican party'to deal with. The bet
ter, though we regret to say the
smaller part of the Democratic party
looks to him as the only refuge from
Bryan and Socialism. The conserva-
tive Democracy learned it's lesson
thoroughly in 1904. It can control
national conventions but not cleo
tions. It can name candidate of
it's own kind only for overwhelming
defeat. Wesdoubt if the conservative
Democracy will have heart to try to
control the nomination in 1908. We
think it will leave the convention to
the Bryanites and vote against their
candidate at the polls, as it did in
1900.
"Outside Of Wall street, whose sup
port is fatal unless the business of the
country is united by common peril,
as in 1896, the conservative Democ-
racy looks to Roosevelt with more
hope and confidence than to any
leader of it's own. His reception by
the Iroquois club in Chicago has not
received the attention it's significance
deserves. It took place in the hurly
burly of a great strike as an incident
in a hurried homeward journey. It
has been considered purely social, but
1.-THE president was obliged torepeat his
5refusal to accept another nomination
several times in the course of the
formal and informal proceedings.
IF the Bryanites should defeat Folk
land nominate "a man like Dunno, we
should not be surprised to see large
Democratic element make the renomi-
nation of Roosevelt condition of
their support Of the Republican
ticket. -
There are always outcries against