Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-01-26
ARE SIZING HIM UP.
The Republican Party Are Now Doing Con-
siderable Patient Thinking.

The Republican Party Are Now Doing Con-
siderable Patient Thinking.
Lincoln Commoner.
Some of Mr.. Roosevelt's friends pro.
fess to be greatly disturbed over a cir
cular in which the President is criti-
cised for the disaster he is alleged to be
bringing upon the republican party.
"What does President Roosevelt and
his political advisers intend to do with
the Republican party?" is the chief
question in this circular.
The Omaha Bee a Republican paper,
referring to this circular says:
Reading between the lines, the dis
QUESTION on Roosevelt's relations to the
Republican party is manifestly an at
tempt to pave the way for members of
corporations to find an excuse for side
stepping on the question of railway regu-
lation and other vital issues in the ad-
vocacy of which President Roosevelt
simply voices the known sentiment of
the American people.
Mr.. Roosevelt's friends need not be
alarmed by any attacks OF this char.
acter. He will be judged by the
American people who are considerably
more interested in knowing what Mr..
Roosevelt will do for the people than
they are in knowing "what Mr.. Roose.
velt intends to do with the Republican
party"
Such attacks as these will not pave
the way for members of Congress to
sidestep" On the question of railway
regulation. Criticisms OF the President
from the standpoint of the Republican
partisan will not affect the situation
either by way of providing an excuse
to "side-stepping" Republican men,
bers or by way Of injuring Mr.. Roose.
velts prestige in the great reforms he
has publicly sanctioned.
Mr.. Roosevelt's prestige in this re-.
spect may be destroyed. His present.
day personal popularity may become
greatly impaired, but this will result
not from the acts of Mr.. Roosevelts
enemies, but by the acts of Mr.. Roose-
welt himself. The simple truth is
that what Mr.. Roosevelt's friends have
to fear more than anything else is Mr..
Roosevelt's disposition to compromise.
It is Mr.. Roosevelt's tendency to yield
in serious battles for reform, giving to
the opposition all substantial results
while reeerving for himself sufficient
margin upon which his newspaper
champions may claim victory for the
public interests. OF course it would
be an approach to lese majeste for any
one to intimate, in the vernaculsr
which Mr.. Roosevelt understands 80
we'll and in which he occasionally in.
dulges-that he is "a gutter" But
in spite OF all his boasted iearlessness
and independence he has, since he
entered the White House, frequently
shown himself to be q mere man.
While the Omaha Bee is claiming
that Mr.. Roosevelt is being attacked
by members of his own party because
of his devotion to public interests, the
ST. Louis Globe e-Democrat-another Re.
publican paper-assures US that 1.-THE
Republican line is solid," and that
even Senator Elkins may be depended
upon to give support to q railway rate
measure that will be satisfactory to
Mr.. Roosevelt.
There are many men in this coun.
try who having a very kindly feeling
for Theodore Roosevelt, have not salts.
fed themselves whether he may be de.
pended upon to stand resolutely and
seriously in behalf Of the people against
the entertainments of powerful in.
terests. He is undergoing trial to-day
and those who, regardless Of political
prejudice, have given him support
hope that he will scquit himself
proudly.
There are, however, disquieting ri.
mors and some very good friends OF
the President fear that as a result of
railway rate agitation the President
and the Republican Congress will
agree on q measure which will repre-.
sent not the wishes of the American
people nor the views so often expressed
by Mr.. Roosevelt, but will represent
the will of the railway magnate and
will fail 10 provide the people with
material relief even so far as actual
railroad regulation could give relief.
It is significant that 80 far as re-.
sults to the public are concerned Mr..
! Roosevelt has made small progress in
, bis bossted campaign against special
interests. His proceedings with re.
spect to rebates have been character.
lied by disposition to ignore the law
where influential Republicans were in
volved, and his policy with respect to
that law has been so variable that
where be makes what would seem to
be business.like moves-such, for in.
; stance, as his order to district attorneys
} to proceed under the conspiracy stat.
ute-his plans have neither reinspired
the public with confidence nor fright.
ened the railroad magnate. His far.
: famed campaign against the Northern
J Securities company resulted merely
in change of organization, and we
find tho same old men heaping upon
the people the same old impositions.
: In the face of his prosecution OF the
beef trust, that trust has continued to
: pile higher and higher its impositions.
Does any one imagine these men would