Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-26
PRESIDENTS FRIENDS
Effort to Force Him to Be Re-
publican Nominee
IF BRYAN is HIS OPPONENT
Compel Democrats to Held Convention
First.
ROOSEVELT NOT A PARTY
To the Scheme, But They Think He Is
the Only One Who Can
Beat Bryan.
IF BRYAN is HIS OPPONENT
]OSEVELT NOT A PARTY

| VIII the next republican national CON
ventiOn be held after the democratic ma
| tional convention?
| The answer 70 that remains in the hands
| of President Roosevelt's friends and there
| is an inside tip that the Roosevelt people
are determined to force the democrats to
| hold their convention first. If possible, and
| they believe they Will succeed.
The motive for this is declared to be that.
in case Bryan is nominated the Roosevelt
people will use every pressure to have the
President renominated, despite his re-
iterated statement that nothing can induce
him to accept. The Bryan bogy, it is
limited, is to he used for all it is worth to
scare the conservatives of the country into
the idea that Roosevelt is the only man
who can defeat Bryan, and that between
these two It is the duty of the consarva-
tives to relinquish their personal opposition
to Roosevelt and unite In crushing the
raskan for the third time If the re-
publicans hold their convention first 1t may
not be so easy, it thought to wave the
Bryan hcgey and bring about the nominal
ton of the President. Already there are
signs, it is said. that the country is be-
ginning to accept the President at his word
and that strong men will be sent to the
convention who Will not permit themselves
10 be swept off their feet by Roosevelt
Roosevelt boomers, and they want the
nomination delayed as long as possible.
A Short Campaign
Besides the use that would be made of
the Bryan scarecrow. the Roosevelt people
believe that a short campaign would be
to their advantage should they succeed in
their pans to have the President nomi-
mated to succeed himself. 1t is practically
certain OrOrnppDt
that if Roosevelt should accept nonina-
tion the democrats would make the cam
paIgn almost wholly on an anti-third term
platform. in which the horrors of a monar-
chiCal government under Theodore would
be pictured and the people would be aroused
as never before with the idea that real dem
ocratc government was slipping away. The
Roosevelt boomers are said to anticipate
this. and that is one of their reasons for
wanting short campaiGn-in fact the
shortest ever known In this country They
fear that Bryan, whoever is the demo
cratic leader, might succeed in impressng
the country with the cry of the dangers
of third term. If their convention Is
held early and Roosevelt should be nomi-
mated Bryan would have opportunity to
stir the country with his eloquent denun-
Citations of third term possibilities. He can
tax consistently on this subject, too in
asmuch when he was first nominated
he expressed his belief that no President
should hold office longer than one term and
promised that he would not seek or ACCEPT
another nomination should he be elected.
Will Control the Committee
Whether President Roosevelt is aware OF
the schemes being worked by his friends
can not be stated. 1t is at least certain
that he will be able to control the republi-
can national committee, and that he can
have the date for the convention fixed as
he personally desires. Six months ago
there was great conspiracy to capture the
national committee and elect Senator Pen
rose of Pennsylvania chairman. That
would have been administration set
back, as Penrosc is not liked by the Presi-
dent and his friends The weak -kneed
members Of the committee who stood ready
TO join In the conspiracy have fiunked since
then and given the whole snap away to the
Pres dent. There is now no doubt that the
administration Will control the national
committee when it meets here in Decem-
Der TO select a time and place for the next
national convention Then Will be fought
out the question of an early or late con-
ventiOn. The attitude of the Roosevelt peo-
pie on the committee is a foregone conclu-
sion, unless their program is hereafter
changed.