Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1906-02-13

Washington Gossip.
BY SHELDON S. CLINE
Especial Correspondence Bismarck Tribune. 8

l VI ss&s Especial Correspondence
Washington, Feb. 12.aThis man
1 Roosevelt" as he is commonly
termed by statesmen of his own and
other parties, continues to sstraddle
the world like a Colossus. and other
men, non ambitious and able, have to
walk beneath his legs whether they
like to or not Z. 81 js5l
Talk about him they simply cannot
help, and though no satisfying answer
has been given, it has been asked a
1 thousand times, upon what meat
4 doth this Caesar feed that he is grown
so create" ...=.5 "a Il 81. i:.4
Congress came to Washington in
| December with stomach strong for
a grapple with the administration.
Congress in February is ready to eat
out of the presidents hand. How
has ne done it? The big stick has
not been conspicuously in evidence.
There have been no threats, at least
no loud and boisterous threats. sges
congress is tame as sucking dove,
and the president seems destined to
get all he has asked of 1t. h z.z ~
It isn't because congress has been
converted; certainly the senate has
no contrition in its heart. It isn't BE.
cause of the presidents popularity
with congress, because he. isn't
popular. In fact, he probably is the
most unpopular man with congress
since Andrew johnson. This state
Ement is made without Grover Cleye-
land and his quarrel with congress
| having been overlooked. s.5ss :s5 .%
z The usual explanation is that it is
because the people are back Of the
president. This undoubtedly explains
in part. but not in whole. Some Of
the things which the president has
forced congress into granting him are
things about which there is no we'll
defined public opinion. The joint
statehood bill was an instance. It
doesn't appear that outside Of the
territories interested there was any
strong public demand for the legisla-
ton. The president wanted It, and
congress gave it to him.
There is, OF course: a widespread
sentiment in favor OF railroad rate
Legislation, but even the demand for
this is more or less artificial. Mr..
Roosevelt himself Is. responsible in a
very large degree for whatever ssenti-
| ment does exist throughout the coun-
| try. When members Of congress
came to Washington In December.
they said their constituents were not
aroused for federal supervision of
railroad rates. It was to their dis
tricts, they argue, and not to Mr..
Roosevelt, that they must go for ap-
proval Of their official acts, and they
didn't propose the president should
force them into support Of any meas.
ure in which they did not believe.
Those same senators and representa-
tives today are for the presidents
program. They are suiky, and even
sullen, in their support OF II, abut they
lack the hardwood to come out ii
opposition to the administrators
policy. 0 5,
Mr.. Roosevelt has grown so tail
that his shadow is more than two
years long. It reaches to the summer
OF 1908 and shuts off the sun from
the budding hopes OF more than one
ambitious statesman In the presi-
dents own party. Whenever the next
republican presidential nomination is
i mentioned, the name Of Roosevelt is
bound to be heard. 1t doesn't matter
that there have been emphatic dis
Chalmers on the part OF the presidents
friends; IT doesn't matter that atten-
ton is called and recalled to Mr.,
/ Rcosevelt's statement issued an cleo
ton night, 1906, declaring that under
no circumstance would he seek OF ac-
cept another nomination: It doesn't
matter that the men who ordinarily
control conventions are opposed To
him almost to q man. nothing, ii
truth, matters but the fact thsss, his
shadow looms so large that II. ana ,ail
the political horizon.
This talk of Roosevelt for the 1903
nomina tion is not mere idle gossip,
nor yet the yaporings OF ,over-en-
thusiastic friends 1t Is engaged id
by brave and reverend statesmen,
who would regard the event as 4
calamity yet are fearful that 1t may
come to pass.
4 y Is asserted, but not generally be-
Iieyed, that there ID ali organized
movement on the part Of Mr. Roose--
velt's friends TO SO keep him before
the public that his nomination viii Be
the only logical thing when next the
Irepublf leans meet In national eonyen-
i fi1rl IN 3f srirh d Mint e 5,ur,rIrtv,,~ ~ III.