Arizona republican., 1912-05-22
MT. Roosevelt as a Fighter

MT nooSeNelI as Tighter
 Mr. Roosevelt has sought to give Inc impression that he is a fighter. He says he is. His supporters say he is, and a few years ago d majority of tho people of this country thought he was, and many think so yet. though they do not know why they think so. But those of us who more closely watched events, were early led to suspect that he was a blufrcr rather than a fighter and we were 1t last brought face to face with the most convincing evidence that he was the most easily panic-stricken quitter that ever occupied the White House.
 The weakness of MT, Roosevelt in this respect was disclosed in two conspicuous instances in 1906 The first was in the case of the Philip pines tariff bill prepared by Mr Taft, then secretary of war out of his intimate Knowledge of the needs oG the islands The measure was a mcritorious one, but it met the oppo- sition of the sugar trust and the to- bacco trust. Speaker Cannon, how ever. damned it through the house without amendment and it was sent 10 the senate where the two trusts made another stand on more adyau- tageous ground
 
 by members of the so-caIed olfgarchy that with a few changes the bill would be acceptable NIr. Roosevelt replied furiously that he would not submit to an amendment of the measure in the slightest particular lie caused his reply to be printed in all the Washington newspapers, This was precisely what the gray wolves" wanted. The document went into a pigeon hole whence it has never been cxtricated, though, month later, MT Roosevelt capitulated and signified his readiness to accept the proposed amendments. It was too late.
 The next surrender was in the mat ter of the Hepburn rate bill which also, Speaker Cannon forced through the house despite the most stubborn opposition of all the larger railroad companies, with the exception of the Pennsylvania system The bill en- countered expected obstacles in the senate Again MT. Roosevelt ragged and refused to consent to the ernascu- lation of the measure He went so far as to send a proposition to the democrats who were generally in favor of the bill, for help against the leaders of his own party The go- between was w. E. Chandler, who conferred with Senator Tillman and others. The asked for help was prom ised and the passage of the bill in the shape in which it had come from the house seemed assured.
 Word of these negotiations reached Senator Aldrich and shortly thereafter Mir. Roosevelt was seized with panic. He denied that he had made overtures to the democrats. He said that Chandler was a liar though all the circumstances supported the dec laratiOn of the latter that he had been solicited by MT. Roosevelt to appeal Co the democrats.
 But the incident ended in an in glorious surrender to the Rhode Island senator. As the bill was passed it was worthless and remained so until the, law was given vitality two years ago.
 Could we fancy Mckinley so ab- jectly yielding? We know of no other instance of such a craven abandon ment by a president of a fight with congress.
 If MT. Roosevelt had had the cour- age to keep faith with the democrats four years would have been given to the effective operation of the Hep- burn law
 Taft did not hesitate to accept democratic assistance in the passage of the Canadian reciprocity measure. He threatened a hostile faction of his own party that he would appeal to democratic patriotism and he prompt ly executed the threat
 In these two supreme struggles, Mir. Roosevelt certainly did not betray the ear marks of a fighter. Where and how did he get the reputation of being one? We do not know.