The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-04-27


get ava from I'm!
That is the question that Is causing
loss Of sleep o rigks TO every repub-
lican aspiraEt for his mantle. TO say
nothing of thar more numerous host
which for 50 many years has been
powerful If not dominant in the ous-
mess Of naming the party cadida.ss
i large element CT these favored nis
nomination two years ago. That
before 1t was rea'..yad that he was not
a s~tandpatter. II was thought that he
would be calm. content and satisfied
With election. Il - useless more TO
call attention to ii. fact that in sais
regard he has been a distinct dEap-
pointement. That he - tronger to-
day with taat indetermiaate quantity
in politics called 'rhe people" i un.s-
niable.
II there exists aay serious doubt of
his consider foc i moment the anon-
alous situation in Tennessee. where
Senator CarInack. 4 radical democrat
and 4 nan Of parts. is in a desperate
struggle for his political life because
he IS charged With having harshly
and unnecessarily criticised the pres
ideLt.
PRESIDENT AGAINST "BREECH-
ING WORK"
Mr.. Roosevelt's relations wsh the
oldline leaders OF mis- party. never too
cClGlal. are LOW under a grown
strain. In his fight with the senate
for what he is convinced is efsS:ive
railroad tate legislation he has stead
lily ma!n:a'a@d n coed temper and
GEMS determined to continue in ihis
mental condition. He will not aadge
a inch from tie advaced position. ne
has taken on this gu, Stion. and va.i-
GUS people who know him well a~e
almost convinced tha. he will ve.o
the bill II II is sent u: him in sush
form rs woHI make the courts aud
not the commission the rate making
power.
Every one of the men in 10Th
branches of congress who a attained
the distinction of leadership in his
respective party fiouts this suggestion.
So do nearly all OF that element OF
persons in Washington who have for
years formed their conclusions from
the talk ami conduct of these leaders.
Hence, If the president shall veto the
rat bill, if the conservatives of the
senate Wild, that act of itself will be
evidence of his fixed determination To
cross swords with every man who Is
doing more preceding work than
collar work" as he phrased it in his
speech Saturday; for be IL remem
bered that in his parlance those aho
are doing the preceding work are
the much vaunted and still excessive
~ confident conservatives. Then
would come chaos politically.
The old guard in the presidents
party would ave TO go To the rear
n remain there, or start a ruinou
movement in the republican fold. like
that headed by Palmer and Buckner
in the democracy in 1896. Such a
movement would be sure TO resul; IN
forcing a denomination upon Mr..
Roosevelt in 1903. II Is not cal
to be intimated here that the presi-
dent is scheming to precipitate a scn-
satiOnal situation Xix this. In that
sense is not a schemer. II Is true
that what Plutarch said of the Greek.
Lysander, can be said of Theodore
Roosevelt; that, where the lions
skin falls short he ekes it out with
the fox's." But this applies 10 Mr..
Roosevelt only when he is engaged IL.
such a struggle against tremendous
odds like that which he was at first
facing in the sena when his fight
for effective rate legislation was
transferred from the lower TO the up
per chamber and when probably, ne
is still facing.
1t is, of course, possible to conceive
of his refusing unalterably TO accept
the nomination should IL % forced
Jpn him; and then again, IL Is posi-
BILE 70 conceive of his accepting it.
This vitality important fact is sig
nificant TO wit: No man has ever
vet been powerful enough TO refuse
to stand for the presidency when a
great body of his fellow citizens nave
insisted on his doing so.
MUCH DEPENDS UPON RATE BILL.
Should he be forced TO veto the rate
bill his action quite probably would
be disastrous to the republicans in
the forthcoming contest for control
of the ncxt house. MOI that IL would
per Sc cause a wide bI'eech in the
party, but that the controlling ele-
ments in the present house would be
held directly responsible by the people
for the failure Of the presidents rail-
road programme.
1t goes without saying that the peo-
pie are following him and not their
representatives in congress in h a
fight. Speaker Cannon and his lieute-
ants would have II in their power
to save the president from defeat,
should that come TO him in the senate,
by resolutely declining TO yield 10 the
amendments 10 the house bill which
are known to be objectionable TO the
executive. If they should yield the
prospects would favor the voters
turning savasely upon the republicans
in the congressional elections next
November, just as they did pom tho
democrats when Mr.. Cleveland's taTih
reform fight was defeated by an OBJ
~structive senate and concurred in by
the house. And In that case the ex-
ecutive did not veto the bill. He with
held his signature, but permitted II to-
become q law By failing 20 dLsapprovo