New-York tribune., 1907-08-07
Mr.. ROOSETELT IN 1909.
Talk of His Going to Senate Re
7iCed-Ofhfr old Stories.
[Py Telegraph TO The Tribune ]

l.or Do. Aug s-If President Roosevelt ia
Manning to succeed Mr. Platt in the Cnited
States Senate in 1909. as was reported from
the political gossps' headquarters in New YORK
this afternoon no confirmation of the story was
obtafnable at the executive Office Neither couId
a denial be secured Secretary Loeb refused 10
make any comment on the story beyond re-
marking that it "a pretty old yarn ana 'he
weather was hot
II do not intend to bother the President WIN
any political rurnors this summer" said the
secretary. "and if he learns OF this story it will
not be through me- The year 1909 will take
care Of its own political troubles when it comes
Just now we are living in 1907
The succession story IS not a new piece OF
political prophecy by any means II has ap-
peared in various forms at various times since
the night OF last election. when the President
said positively that he would not be a candidate
10 succeed himself The gOssips and knoW-lt-
alIs have felt compelled TO plan UP some sort
of a future for the President after his present
term expires and Mr. Platt is a feeble old
man and out OF the himself. the Senate was
naturally one Of the first places the prOgnosu-
Gators hit upon.
The fact that the President has sometimes
said to his ntirnates during his frequent tussles
with Congress. I'd just like 10 be in the Sen
ate" or I'D like be in the House TO fight
this thing on the floor" has given the future
makers opportunity 10 assert with more or
less show OF probability that If the opportunity
offered the President would gladly accept a
seat in the Senate he made brilliant record
in the New York Legislature, and there is
every reason To believe that il the political or
patriotic necessity arose he would make even
Il greater record in the more important law
making body
Just about often as the successiOn-to-Platt
story has been sprung the report that the Pres
has found its way into print II elected 10 sue
Ceed President Eliot. the originators OF the
dream have contended. Mr.. Roosevelt would
soon place the Cambridge Institution I'm the
front rank of world universities. Few in Europe
and certainly none in the United States would
be able TO keep pace with the progressive pol
icies that President Roosevelt would begin as
soon as he donned the cap and gown
Whether the President is TO become Senator
Congressman. college head. business man or
builder Of the Panama Canal after his term Of
office expires will in all probability depend
purely upon circumstances. Up 10 within
few weeks. II may be said with authority the
President had not made any plans on the sub
iect and II is not NJ all probable that since
coming Oyster Bay for his vacation he has
been able to come 10 a more definite decision
II he believes that the party interests "a well
the good of the state would be served by his
assuming the toga relinquished by Thomas c.
Platt il is likely that he Will become a candidate
for the Senate. If. on the other hand. when the
time for his own retirement from the White
House there is ample Senatorial ma
terial ut hand II may be that he Will prefer 10
take a long and well earned rest. In that case
he will he likely 70 hunt big game in Africa
India and Australia before returning 20 the
United States. When he does come back after
n retirement from the lmelight Of publicity for
a space Of years. some friends think II would
he natural for him 10 plunge again into the
arena OF national affairs and become his partys
standard bearer in 1912 1916. Some who
know him well are saying TO each other that
this programme is the one best suited To his in
cItu