El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-07-03

During his term of office he advocated
the franchise tax bill, a measure that
won him much enmity among politi-
clans and set afoOt plan to bury
him in the vice presidency of the Unit
ed States
Roosevelt saw through this ruse and
time and again announced that under
no circumstances would he accept the
office. In the national convention hall
IN 1900, however, popular sentiment
proved too strong and he was given
the second position on the Republican
tlcket by reclamation The assassina-
ton of president Mckinley followed on
Sept 6, 1901, and Roosevelt, the man
who was supposed to be politically
buried, stepped into the chair of the
chief executive of the United States.
There has been both criticism and
praise for the two Roosevelt admins
trations- But there can be no doubt
OF his cOSent generalship Of a difficult
political situation.
Becomes President.
Hardly had he taken his seat as
president at the white house, when
the coal strike threatened TIE welfare
OF the country. Roosevelt inaugurated
an arbitration commission that finally
succeeded in settling that industrial
revolt on Oct Is, 1902.
Another notable achievement of the
Roosevelt administration was the clar-
1fication of the railroad situation
through the passage, in the 57th con-
Sress, of the Hepburn rate law. Other
welt regime was the safety appliance
law, the employers liability law and
the law limiting the hours of labor Of
railroad employees
HIS prosecution Of the Northern Sc
curltles company was another act that
brought wide publicity and attention to
his administration. In this prosecu-
ton the bittereSt VituperatiOns were
vented against Roosevelt by men of
wealth throughout the country. They
claimed that his endeayOr to dissolve
the great holding company was d blow
at the financial safety of the nation"
The supreme court upheld the govern
ment's action, however, and the prose-
cutiOn of this case has since come to
be viewed as one of the greatest
achievements Of the Roosevelt tenure
of office.
The Hay-Herran treaty, which made
the Panama canal possible of construc-
ton by the United States, is another
much attacked act Of the Roosevelt ad-
ministration. It has been claimed that
without his cOgnizanec and help, the
revolution that resulted in the indie
pendence of Panama could not have
been engineered. 1t is generally con-
ceded, however, that Roosevelt was en-
trely innocent of this charge, and suS-
picion has even been extended toward
the French company, who was also
bidding for the honor Of constructing
the great witch, as a possible insti-
gator of the imbrogliO.
Increases Naval Strength.
navy resulted in the establishment Of
a program that practically doubled the
strength of the water forces of the
United States. He supplemented this
achievent by an active interest in the
act that Incorporated the national
guard as a part of the national forces.
Though president Mckinley had
paved the way for the transfer of ad-
IninistratiTe power in the Philippines
from the military to civilians, it was
under the rule of Roosevelt that this
change actually took place. In addi-
ton to this move, Porto Rico became a
territory of the United States, and the
of Cuba was returned to
the Cubans while he was in office
The presentation of the Nobel peace
prize to Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 IN
covers another act of preeminent and
worldwide Importance which was per-
formed during his administration. The
peace prize was awarded him because
of his activities in bringing together
STA at Portsmouth. This meeting be-
tween the warning factions resulted in
the cessation of hOstilities in Man
churia.
It was also at the instigation of
Roosevelt that the European powers
were gOaded into action that led to the
resumption of the Hague conference in
1900 This body had fallen into dis
repute through the RussO-Japanese
struggle, but interest was renewed I
invitations issued by the Unit !
ed states Tor announcer meeting 1neSe
Invitations were later recalled and the !
conference convened at the invitation |
Of Russia. 1t was the United States |
tender, however that set the matter !
again before the international public.
Establishes New Departments.
But if Roosevelt's activities in mat /,
terS relating to foreign matters were
great his activities in regard to in |
ternal problems were still greater. The |
department of commerce and labor !
came into being during his administra-