Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-19
HIGHEST OFFICE BHsNlRcHHD

on more than one occasion The Her
aid has stated, in its editorial columns,
that the sole purpose Of the Republican
majority in congress in demanding Joint
statehood for the remaining territories
was IN order to maintain Republican
supremacy in the senate, and that II
proposed no other basis Of argument.
Some Of our good Republican friends
have not acquiesced IN this statement,
but have never been able to give a
reason otherwise. The Herald, on the
contrary, has teen in pc sssssion of the
facts, which, by the way the Repub-
lican leaders are at no pains to con-
ceal. TIE only strange thing about the
situation is that President Roosevelt
himself product Of territorial growth
and developmenf-sho have fallen
headlong into the political mess, turned
against his most persistent friends and
is still demanding joint statehood for
Arizona and New Mexico.
A curious corroboration of these facts
is found in long special dispatch
from Washington, published in the St.
Louis be-Democrat-an administra-
tion organ-of Saturday, January 1S.
The dispatch is headed: president
warns Missouri members against re-
volt; strong for statehood tells dele
cation new Legislators should not fight
the party" Then it describes in detail
how "the nine Republican members
from Missouri called at the White
House this morning, in response to a
telephone summons which each re-
ceived yesterday from Secretary Loeb"
how they remained an hour and lis
tened attentively while the president
whipped them into line for joint state
hood, and how two of the members re-
fused to be whipped into line. Then
comes this remarkable statement:
The president did not disguise his
very great interest in the passage of
the statehood bill as proposed in the
Republican conference of the house.
He told the members that the two-state
proposition out of the four territories
was Republican measure and was
favored by the administration. The
president said that for the first time
in many years there were now nine Re-
congress
Missouri. He believed they were elected
because of the belief and adherence to
the principles for which the Republican
party stood. He asked the Missourians
If they thought, with the great oppor-
tunity they had in the present congress.
1t was well for a new Republican dele
cation to help in breaking up the Re-
publican organization in the house of
representatives. He assured them that
q hQ1 10 a yhn,
tion of the subject, and this was true
of some of the ablest and most con-
servative senator's and representatives
in the Republican party. These men
had advised him to take the position
he had taken, and he hoped the new
Republican members from Missouri
would not stand in opposition to the
wishes of the party Organization.
Want any more proof than this?' Or
is this not sufficient to show that the
president has descended from his high
position, at the behest of party leaders,
to lobby and bulldoze and bullyrag
members of congress to commit a po-
litical crime?
The president makes no argument
concerning the welfare or the interests
or the wishes of the people of Arizona,
New Mexico, Oklahoma or the Indian
Territory. He simply says it is a Re-
publican party necessity that joint
statehood shall prevail; that the men,
bers of congress must yield their right
of private judgment based on informa-
tion, or be considered party wreckers.
and that he is actively engaged in
welding personally the whole power of
the presidential office to see that the
greatest of wrongs is committed against
the territories in order that the Repub-
lican party may continue while longer
in the ascendancy.
Is this the Theodore Roosevelt for
whom the conservative merchants and
business men of California shouted
themselves hoarse only one year ago.?
is this the Roosevelt in whom the plain
people have expressed such marvellous
confidence?
The facts are there, and they cannot
be disputed. What think you today of
the debonair rough rider who is willing
to sell all that he has in order to save
himself from party shipwreck!