Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-22
THE ROOSEVELT ISSUE

The chairman of the Republican ma
tional committee says "a new issue
must be found; that issue will be Theo-
dore Roosevelt: the man announced for
the Office in 1908 must be a Roosevelt
supporter"
In this forecast of the Republican
nomination for the presidency we have
reversal OF the time-honored political
doctrine that principles are primary
and men secondary. The declaration
is made now by the highest authority
in the Republican organization, and q
year in advance of the national conven-
ton, that an individual will be the is
sue in the presidential campaign.
From the present outlook the FORE
cast of Chairman New seems highly
probable. 1t is based on the assump-
ton that President Roosevelt will stand
by his non-suocession promise at all
hazards, but it leaves no question that
the president will control the nomina-
ton of the Republican candidate.
Who is the man capable of meeting
the requirement outlined by Chairman
New? Who among Republican aspir-
ants or receptive" favorite sons can
measure up to the prescribed political
height of Theodore Roosevelt?
Secretary Taft is recognized gener-
|ally as the presidents political heir ap-
parent, but it is question whether
that ponderous aspirant fully meets the
specification. Evidently q most COM
petent judge of such qualities has
grave doubts on that point That judge
is William ]. Bryan. In speech de-
livered in a Kansas town last Wednes-
day, Mr.. Bryan, as reported, urged
Secretary Taft, who will speak here
tomorrow, to indorse Roosevelt's stand
swollen fortunes"
If Secretary Taft brings himself UP
to the political stature of the president
he will be obliged to renounce several
Republican points of policy and instead
to indorse several that are recognized
as leading Democratic principles. As
intimated by Mr.. Bryan, Secretary
Taft is inclined to dodge the issue on
some Of these points, thus essaying the
difficult political feat of carrying water
on both shoulders.
But neither Secretary Taft nor any
other Republican aspirant for the
presidency could expect to win the
nomination on what Chairman New
calls the Theodore Roosevelt issue, in
it's essential character. The nomina-
tion of any Republican on the Roosevelt
issue would be equivalent to an un-
conditional surrender to the Demo-
cratic party.
Why?
Because all the vital elements of the
so-called Roosevelt issue are composed
of standard Democratic principles. Not
only the income tax and the treatment
of swollen fortunes, to which Mr..
Eryan especially calls attention, but
nearly all the salient points of public
policy now advocated by the president
are essentially Democratic. 1t is not
necessary to recount these points sew
orally, at this time, as they have been
presented heretofore in these columns.
There is only onesman in the public
limelight today who really fills all the
requirements as representative of the
chief points in the policy of President
Roosevelt. That man is William ].
Bryan. He personif1es, as no other man
does, the chief features of the Theodore
Roosevelt issue,'' but that is because
the said issue is an adaptation-large-
ly an exact copy-of Democratic prin-
ciples whereof Mr.. Bryan has long been
the chief exponent.
Chairman New and his confreres in
the front rank of the Republican party
can best secure the triumph of the lead
ing Rooseveltian principle by causing |
their national convention to indorse the
Democratic nomination of William ]. |
Bryan for the presidency.