Arizona republican., 1908-06-18
PHoENIx, ARIZONA, JUNE IS, 1908.
A CONVENTION DENOMINATION.

Of the great popularity of President
 Roosevelt there can be no doubt
 That demonstration in the conven-
 tion yesterday must not, however, be
 regarded as significant of his popular
 ity. The 400 officeholders who sat in
 the convention were capable of ere
 ating an uproar and were at the
 same time capable of sustaining the
 ululation for fortyfive minutes.
 Doubtless they felt that that if they
 had kept up the tumult for any period
 less than forty-five minutes, say for
 only forty-four minutes, they would
 have been guilty of official ingrati-
 tude.
 No fault is to be found with them
 for the prolonged and noisy tribute
 to the president. The time consumed
 cannot be said to have been precious
 or to have been wasted.
 We would point out, though, that
 this expression was their own and not
 in any sense an expression of their constituents who sent them, not with instructions to applaud the presidents name for forty-five minutes, but to
 vote for Secretary Taft, first, last, and all the time.
 Comparatively few of the 400 are sincere in their enthusiasm for the secretary of war, and comparatively few of them would remain loyal to their instructions were an opening created for a stampede to Roosevelt With Roosevelt in the presidency, their tenure of office would be req sonably secure. But Taft, while he is committed to the policies of Roose- welt, is not committed to the continu- ation in office of all those who are now there. As president he will be surrounded by other advisers, with different heads of executive depart ments, who may know nothing of the faithful 400, but whose relations with persons now in private life are more intimate.
 It is no wonder the 400 cheered . forty-five minutes yesterday. They . cheered continuously for forty-five { would have cheered continuously for . forty-five months. Yes, for forty 1 eight months, another full presiden- l tial term, provided their official sala- | ries were permitted to run along un- obstructed through such a period of ! laudation.
 Now, let it not be understood that the wild applause yesterday poured forth only from the throats of the 400. If the truth were known, every delegate in the convention contribut- ed to it, for when has there been a time when the name of a popular re- publican president has failed to evoke the highest enthusiasm of a republi- can national, state or county conven- ( ton? IC
 Again, though, if the truth were known, those chiefly responsible for the prolonging of the demonstration were the lilly whites" of the south, f who have never had a voice in the ( election of president and never will ( have so long as they regard spells and party success as synonyms. The majority of the convention ap- r 'lauded President Roosevelt for what le had accomplished and not for C what he was expected to accomplish. | As a willing candidate, they would A lave supported him. But they be- c ieved with Chairman Lodge: That s nan is no friend of Theodore Roose- -elt and does not cherish his name H nd fame, who now, from any motive eeks to urge him as a candidate for ., he great office which he has finally eclined." I'M Thus, those who prolonged the heering for forty-five minutes were df ot only not representatives of popu- a ea r sentiment with respect to the c, residents popularity, but they were al 1t friends of the president. They of ad temporarily laid aside their ale = ance to Secretary Taft and they we proof that they would perma- q ,ntly lay it aside if they could force s ODDOrtunifV fn do