Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1907-02-25
RoOSEvELT's FIGHT
HAS MERELY BEGUN

This session of Congress is draw
ing To its close without having re-
ceived any White House bombs TO
speak OF. This is not due TO any
diminution OF ammunition at the
White House. but simply TO the fact
that In a short session nothing of
any consequence can be done, and
IL is useless to make recommenda-
tions. A "shont session" actually
does not begin it's work until Janu-
airy, two months before it's legal
termination, and practically does ali
Its important work within the last
month or six weeks.
Hence. a President who wants any,
thing done might as well save his
ammunition until the real session.
This Is, I'm fact. what President
Roosevelt is doing. He has been not
at all secretive about the general
nature of his campaign next winter,
and the friends OF the railroads In
the Senate are preparing for a bat
| tie over n demand for an inquiry
into matters OF valuation and cost
OF operation OF railroads as a basis
for rate regulation.
IL is possible that this will not be
the only important recommendation
OF the kind which the President Will
make at the next session although
his usual course Is TO embark on on
ly one big fight at a time He has
only one more long session I'm which
to fight for his -favorlte reform IL he
quits the White House In 1909, but
this fact does no, make IL necessary
for him TO fight for all his reforms
at once, for his career will not close
when he Quites the White House.
| This is, in fact. phase OF the sit
uation which the President has often
considered, and is not reticent about
His idea is that he has entered on
war for economic reforms," and
that his Presidential term is mere
ly incidental to that war He does
not intend to end 1t as long as he
lives.
What will be the arena in which
he will carry on the war after his
term ends is n question about which
he is more reticent. His repeated
and earnest declarations that he
would not run In 1908 have been ac-
cepted at their fGce value In Wash
ington at last He has not said.
however, that he would never run
for President again, and I'm 1912 he
would be only ffty-six years old.
That he would not refuse an cleo
ton to the Senate to succeed Mr..
Plat is common knowledge.
The President, while he has
high idea of the dignity OF his Of
fee. has no false pride about it, and
does not consider that the dignity
OF the Office would be lowered by
taking a less exaltel Office after his
term expires, John Quincy Adams
J became Congressman after he left
the White House, Andrew Johnson
/ 'N'1 W hhb pNioAtf anu ~ hdh BtHt-
rally understood that President Ar
thur would have accepted a Senator
ship If the New York Legislature
had shown any disposition to give
II to him
President Roosevelt has been an
ofiiceholdcr since he entered public
life, with an uncomfortable inter
mission Of about four years which
he enlivened by running for Mayor
OF New York. Politics is his field
He does not dream Of abandoning f..
He is convinced that economic re-
| forms are urgently demanded that
| they cannot be attained all at once,
or even In a few years, that It is a
mans duty In this age to do what he
can toward bringing them about, and
that such a fight furnishes not only
| a good life work for a man, but one
that Is likely to last out his life He
often talks OF this determination. or
ambition, OF his as settled thing
His way Of talking gives on n better
understanding OF that which IL a
mystery TO many--how he can recon
cile himself easily to departure In
1908 from the White House work
which he 50 enjoys.
The amazed and discounted cor
Doration men have never got the clew
TO Roosevelt. They have never con
sidered his acts as the product OF a
definite and consistent line OF policy.
aimed at the accomplishment OF a
particular result. but have regarded
each attack on them as a separate
and detached event, having no rela-
tion TO the others, and merely indi-
eating yagary OF the moment To
oppose an adversary successfully #
is well to understand him, and there
fore the financial people should get
a correct line on Roosevelt Wash
/ ington Dispatch.
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WANTED 1T IN STYLE