The Washington herald., 1907-12-10
The Republican presidentiaI Contest.

The American people are so continually
immersed in Presidential politics that it
scarcely required the call for the national
convention of the Republican party 10 re-
mind US that seven months hence VIC shall
be in the midst of another campaign for
the election of a President Active dis
cussion of Presidential possibilities has
been going on for year or more. and
several booms have waxed and waned in
the light OF public sentiment. It appears
"a good as settled that Mr. Bryan will be
the nominee Of the Democratic party; the
real political drama is being enacted on
the Republican stage. Here M RoOse-
welt Is engaged in an effort to impose
upon his party both a candidate and a
PLATFORM role precisely the same as
that Mr. Bryan is accused Of playing Mr.
Bryan, however. has achieved success;
Mr. Roosevelt's triumph is yet in the
balance His task is immensely greater
than that of Mr.. Bryan. for the Ne
braskan has sent to the rear those per-
sonal beliefs out of harmony with the
larger body of party opinion. and stands
on the main principles of the Democratic
platform. which have been sufficiently
radical for a number OF years. But the
President has recanted nothing. and his
demand is that the Republican platform
shall be recast in accordance with his
views, and that candidate shall be
nominated suitable in all respects to the
platform Naturally enough. the dues-
tion arises, why should not the Presi-
dent himself be the nominee? As Demo
Gratis say If we must have Bryan plat
form, We might as well accept Bryan as
p candidate, so many Republicans admit
that if the platform is 70 be Rooseveltian,
the candidate ought 10 be Roosevelt. The
analogy is defective in an important re-
Epect-Nr. Bryans platform was adopted
In 1900; whereas Mr.. Roosevelts remains
TO be accepted by his party. This fact is
the vital one in the Republican contest for
the Presidential nomination.
Mr.. Roosevelt sees in the opposition
that has arisen within his own party TO
what he calls my policies" evidence of
a conspiracy of various interests to bring
to naught the corporation reform move
ment he has initiated. but has not yet
completed. Whether there exists in reality
@--S SUN NcAiSFAAcAN9 as II suspected may
be doubted. but there are unquestionably
number OF factors moving contem-
poraneOusly, If not in concert, for the
Presidents undoing. In this matter the
Presidential ambitions Of certain men may
conceivably coincide, though accidentally.
perhaps, with the desire Of vast moneyed
interests" to get Mr.. Roosevelt out of
the way. There is noticeable, also, a mild
reaction against the anti-corporation
propaganda, of which Mr.. Roosevelt's
enemies have been quick 70 take ad-
vantage. All these things put together
may not constitute a conspiracy, but they
do constitute an opposition with which
Mr. Roosevelt will have 20 reckon. The
overcoming of this opposition and the
imposition upon his party of his master
full VIII is the task Mr.. Roosevelt has
undertaken. 1t is an undertaking that
makes the Republican contest of extraor-
binary interest
If the President shall succeed in Il, he
viii have accomplished not only a revo-
luton In party ideals and purposes. but
prot sS'Y also d revolution in our domestic
policy, If not In i;le nature Of our govern
ment itself