East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-04-02

character of administration Mr.
Roosevelt would lnaugurate, shoulC
he be elected president, and thus be
come free to carry out his own poll
ces,
AS a matter of fact, however, III
never lost sight of his declaration
/ made in all solemnity at Buffalo, "tC
carry out absolutely unbroken thu
policy of President Mckinley" How
then, can his reelection violate the
substance any more than it does the
form of the custom? 1t violates
neither.
II the great mass of the American
people, regardless OF party afficia'
tion, desire that the president succeed
himself, and l believe they do, un'
questionably, 1t would be folly for
them to regard the statement of Mr.
Roosevelt as conclusive. The office
of President of the United States Ia
so exalted, and its administration so
affects the welfare of all, that the
people will never concede that any
citizen can refuse to accept 1t when
rendered.
Mr.. Roosevelt, however, has not de-
clared that he will decline the office
should he receive the electorate v0te
of the nation. We need not fear that
he would think of refusing 1t. He is
too good a soldier and too patriotic
an American to refuse to obey the
command Of the people to stay in the
harness until he finishes the good
work he has inalgurated.
II the American people will stop
to think for a moment they will real
ize that, barring death or serious
illness, President Roosevelt must and
will be selected and elected for sec
ond elective term"
The people are with him in the
great work he has undertaken. They
have the utmost faith in his honesty
of purpose. They appreciate his
transcendant ability to deal with the
great problems now confronting the
state. They realize his courage, his
initiative, his vast experience. his
tremendous capacity for effective
work. They believe in his purpose
TO enforce the law impartially, with
0ut respect to person, wealth or sta
tion. They have an abiding faith IN
the ultimate good that will result to
this nation from his persistent cam
paign against legal and moral wrong
doing. They comprehend the value
of having such a man as chief execu-
tive.
The People Know Roosevelt.
No other man has sucn a hold up
on the confidence of the people. No
other man can gain such confidence
without years of trial. The people
know what Roosevelt is; they do not
know what some other man may be-
come. The policies of Roosevelt are
in course of execution. Few, at this
time, have reached ultimate conclu-
sion. To place another man at the
head of this government would mean,
for some time TO come, delay. uncer-
tainty, if not possible disappointment
in the successful carrying out of the
problems of government the presi-
dent has essayed to solve.
For President Roosevelt to be per-
mtted to give up the reins of gov
at the end of his first cleo
tive term because of such illogical
and paltry reasons as have been Of
fered against the wish of the great
mass of the people, in the present
of governmental affairs,
would be worse than folly.
There is but one logical and rea-
sonable thing to do under the cir
and that is for the re-
publican national convention at Chi
lago to nominate Mr. Roosevelt as
he choice of the republican party
for president. 1t might not be so
logical, but 1t would be the sensible
hing for the democratic convention
10 take a similar course. II Mr..
Roosevelt feels that he cannot con-
istently accept another nomination,
he people will not insist that he do
TO. They will, however, insist that
le be on hand when the time comes
or his Inauguration.