The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-03-06
THE FIGHT ROOSEVELT MUST
MAKE

Colonel Roosevelt is in the nEnt
After the manner of the old time
prize ring challenger, he has shied
his castor in the ring and ts ready 70
take on all corners, and no one knows
better than he how much Of fight
has to be made in order to secure
first the nomination and later the
election. There are elements enter
ing into this fight that have never
entered into a nomination fight in the
history of the nation.
1t is conceded that Roosevelt's ten
tative strength hes with the people
rather than with the politicians. This
has been true for most of the time
in his political career, but more es-
peciaf1y true at this time. Roosevelts
tilts with the New York machine ex-
tends even farther back than his
nomination and election for governor
of the Empire state. 1t was the
machine that hoped to shelve Roose-
welt by making him vice president,
and the machine again that hoped toI
defeat his nomination for a second
term, but the pressure of popular ap-
prevail made Roosevelt such factor
that his nomination and election were
almost by reclamation.
Throughout his career Roosevelt
has been fighter and has made enc
mics who are powerful but still there
is a contingent Of the people, and
how large will now be fully deter
mined, who love him for the enemies
first by his personal enemies, he will
be opposed next for the nomination
by the national organizat ton that is
centered about the administration,
and which is all powerful in many
parts of the union and a force to be
reckoned with in all parts.
In the southern states where the
republican party is built up and kept
alive by the army of federal office
break in upon the solid south for
delegates will be as hopeless as 1t
will be, if he is nominated, to secure
a vote in the electoral college. In
the states where there is no prefer
entail primary the machine strength
is for the administration, and con-
ceding that the popular foice is for
Roosevelt, the crucial test Of strength
will be whether or not the popular
state machine that will give Roose-
welt anything like square deal in the
fight for the delegation.
If the people are with him as they
have evidenced ON many occasions, it
must be conceded that in states where
there is a preferential primary he will
have a decided advantage and this
will form the basis of strength in the
opening ballots of the convention
Aside from this fight against the
machine. Roosevelt has a fight against
historic precedent. He is not the
only president whose friends rallied
to his support for a third term
Chant had that honor, and one of the
stirring chapters of our political his
tory is the Waterloo OF the Grant
forces at the Chicago convention,
where the stand of the gallant 800
was as heroic and as hopeless as the
last stand of the "Old Guard" against
the ons,sughts of Wellington's Penin-
sula veterans.
Grants third term campaign diff
fers from Roosevelts in that It was
q continuous third term, and on this
slender thread Roosevelt hopes to
sidestep the power Of precedent This
is an element of the fight that will
not only be a factor in the nomination
but will also be a factor in the cleo
will be in many cases stronger than
party affiliations and the majority
party vote will be split on this ques-
ton If Roosevelt is the nominee.
This is the main outline of tho
Roosevelt fight for the nomination
there are lesser factors which may
help or hinder in the balance and
counter-balance of forces, but the
main points at issue are whether the
personality of the man, whom all
must concede is a dominant force in
our national life, will overcome the
handicaps that have been indicated. 1t
is one mans personality backed by a
record of glorious achievements,
against the power of an organization
entrenched in office; against the ira
ditions of historic precedent and
against interests antagonized and
many times defeated but indomitable
and always to be contended with.
This is what it means for Roosevelt