The Irish standard., 1908-05-09
Roosevelt, Sometimes Thought to Be Out Of
Line, Has Always Filled Office
as Republican.
Previous to the Civil War Grant Voted in
But One Presidential Canvass, and
Then as Democrat.

"Ths president spoke to me just like
as II he was party man," said Rep
resentative Watson Of Indiana, the
Republican file closer in his branch
Of Congress, just after he had an in
terview with Mr.. Roosevelt regarding
the work which the president and the
Republican leaders in each branch Of
Congress would like to have enacted
before the end Of the season in the
middle Of May. says Charles M. EIar-
vey, in last Sundays issue Of the ST.
Louis Globe Democrat.
And the remark seems to excite some
surprise. The only surprising thing
about it is that anybody should be
surprised. All his life Mr.. Roosevelt
has been a strict party man, and his
political life has extended from the
beginning Of January, 1882, when he
entered the New York legislature. He
has held offices Of many sorts since
then, but every Office which had any
politics attached to It found him a,
Republican incumbent. 1t was as q
Republican that he was chosen to the
New York Assembly for several terms,
beginning in 1881. He was the Repub
lican candidate for mayor Of New York
in 1886, and as Republican he was
appointed assistant secretary Of the
navy in 1897. He was elected gov
ernor Of New York as a Republican
in 1898, and it was as a Republican
that he was chosen vice. president in
1900. In that canvass he was a decid-
ed element Of strength to the Repub-
lican ticket. The second end Of the
ticket had much more influence than
the front end Of 1t in carrying for the
Republican party the Western states
which Mckinley lost in his first can
vass. His canvass was more remark
able for the territory covered, for the
number Of addresses which he made
and for the interest which they called
out than was that Of any other men,
ber of a presidential ticket before or
since his time, with the possible ex-
ception of Mr.. Bryan's in 1896. As q
Republican candidate for the presi-
dency in 1904 he had popular ma
jority three times as great as that Of
Mckinley in 1900, which led all the
margins along to that date.
Tee x1,I,, oI, hn
prised that Mr.. Roosevelt talks like
Republican in the present exigency
is hard to see. He is the leader Of
the Republican party. Every Republi-
can convention to elect delegates to
Chicago this year has extolled the
Roosevelt administration. He will
get high praise in the platform which
is to be adopted there. The candidate
who will be nominated to succeed him
will champion the Roosevelt policies
and promise, if elected, to carry those
policies out in letter and in spirit. SO
far as they may apply to the condi-
tions which will present themselves
when he takes ohice on March 4,
1909, If he should be elected. On many
Of the presidents measures which
have gone through Congress, like the
pure food, the meat inspection, the
national quarantine, the railway rate
regulation and others, party lines were
not drawn either in the discussion or
in the voting. On most of these the
vote was nearly unanimous. Never
theless, not for single moment did
Mr.. Roosevelt lose his identity as
Republican leader. He will act as 4
Republican during the remainder Of
this session, and during the three
months session which will begin in
December of this year. The candidate
who will be put up at Chicago will
have many consultations with Mr.
Roosevelt between the convention and
the date of the election. He will re-
ceive much wise and sympathetic
counsel from the White House
Mr.. Roosevelt has always been rath-