Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-09-15
WILL ROOSEVELT TAKE THE
STUMP?

STUMP?
Vice Chairman Hudspsth. o. the
Democratic national committee
gave out the following staten nj To
the New York World dag before
yesterday:
You can announce as coming
from these headquarters that our
Information is dir ct ami positive.
that the Republican leaders have
for ten days been importunlng tn
President to take the stump for
Taft Mr.. Roosevelt has so far re-
fused on the ground that such a
course was at variance with official
tradition, and not i'm consonance
with the dignity OF his high office.
Mr.. Hitchcock is confident, howev-
er. that his persuasions will pre-
vail In the end. The position that
he takes with the president is that
he, Hitchcock, took the chairman
ship against his own inclnations
and upon the strong insistence OF
the president. and now that the tide
is running against his campa gn
that Mr.. Roosevelt is in honor
bound to do what he can TO save
the day. Mr.. Hitchcock deems sue
cess more important than official
propriety and recognizes
that IL is time to bring up his re-
serves. SO you can look for Mr..
Roosevelt on the stump during the
last two weeks of the campaign.
This news needs no comment from
me. 1t is true that Mr.. Roosevelt
has never been stickler for dig
nifty, yet even he would not think
of disregarding the time honoIed
secmliness that has ever marlinA
the conduct of our presidents UNI e.
Mr. Taft's situation was looked up
on as desperate indeed"
When shown The above and ask
ed concerning it, Republican Chair
man Hitchcock replied 81 have
nothing to say"
Mr.. Hudspeth's explicit statement
Is in harmony with many recent
reports. The unquestionably de-
pressing trend of the II publican
campaign as it has thus far proceed
ed is evidently driving the Republi-
can managers to desperate expedi-
ents and IL would seem i'm no sense
surprising that they should call up
on the one man responsible for all
their pres mt woes to come forward
and lend a helping hand.
1t is scarcely conceivable, howev-
er. that Mr.. Roosevelt will give ia
vorable response to the call. True
he is no respector OF presidents,
and seems rather to enjoy than 9th
erwise, the notoriety which some of
his extraordinary utterances ana
proceedings have provoked. But
surely he has sufficient respect for
his office to refrain from trailing its
influence into the bitterness and ac-
rimony Of a heated political cam
paISn. Ine pOSRlOn or CnlSt EXEC
utive Of the nation IS one that d.
mands a certain amount of dignity
on the part of its occupant as well
as the recognition that he holds il
as trust for the entire American
p ople irrespective of their pol.ti
off .iat.ons. OF course President
Roosevelt is not without intense in
terest, nor If you please. intense
bias in the present campo gn-but
he has about as much right to make
fragrant public exhibition of that
bias and to project his official influ-
ence from the stump into a contest
between Taft and Bryan, as he
would have to deliberately assign
White House subordinate to clerical
work for the national Republican
committee. In either case, such
action would be the gross perver-
sion of public trust, and we be
lieve that just American citizens
Republicans and Democrats, would
keenly resent it as such.-Lynch-
burg News.