Arizona republican., 1916-06-05
Why Roosevelt


The chief object OF a national party convention
nominate candidate for the presidency who
be elected. Otherwise the convention serves other
purpose than keep the national party organization
alive 1t is presumably the object of the convention
which will meet at Chicago on Wednesday to name
man who will become president of the United States
Leaving the discussion entirely superfluous
the question of the qualifications of Theodore Roose
welt believe that he easily be elected against
President Wilson.
Generally the party holding the first convention
proceed somewhat in the dark 1t does not know
who the candidate of the other party will be what
issues will be raised But all that is well known
by the republicans if the democratic national
convention had already been held They that
Mr. Wilson will be the candidate and that the main
issue will be preparedness There will, of course, be
other issues but in which the voters will feel
vital interest The tariff the trusts and all matters
which have served politicians and demagogues in the
past will be put aside.
Though President Wilson has wobbed good
deal the question of preparedness his
paredness program is definite than that of any
other candidate than Mr.. Roosevelt, whose will
be before the republican convention On that issue he
will be at least as strong candidate the repub
licans can nominate except Mr. Roosevelt.
We will suppose that Mr.. Roosevelt is eliminated
aid then compare the chances of Mr. Wilson with any
of the other republican candidates. Mr. Wilson's chief
weakness lies his international policies and have
assurance that the untried republican nominee
would make a better record. Thus the republicans
could avail themselves of the chief of
Mr. Wilson. They could promise substitution of
strength for it,
Eliminating then the weakness of President Will
foreign policy comparison between him and the
republican nominee is greatly smpfed In all other
respects Wilson has been rendered by crcum-
stances, of which he created and some of which
he did not stronger than he four ago Times
have been fairly good. Wages have been good there
has been comparatively little unemployment All these
conditions have been brought about by the in
spite of Mr.. Wilson, but the main fact is that they
have existed So here is argument for change
Therefore against any candidate who proposes moth
ing than change of internal conditions, Mr.
Wilson should be great deal stronger than in 1912
when he comparatively unknown In four years
he has impressed the people with the belief that he
is an honest man. We ALL democrats republicans and
progressves rather like him. Forgefu of his blum
ders in foreign relations his fatal weakness with
respect to Mexico, could not offer good reason
for voting against him in favor of a republican fav
orite a candidate of republican politicians
with Mr.. Roosevelt running against him,
would have entirely different situation We should
then a candidate who would be strong where Mr.
ter acquaintance of the people, with the political
chinery in democratic hands would be stronger
ddate against any other republican candidate than he
in 1912 We may assume, leaving the prepar-
edness issue and the effect of his mistakes in our
foreign relations that he would be strong, but no
stronger against Mr. Roosevelt than he was four
years ago Mr. Roosevelt would need only thirds
of the support that then given Mr. Taft in
his election next November. But there is
believe that Mr. Roosevelt would have prac-
ticay all the Taft vote; not all of it, of course but
nearly all Of it that the rest would be negligible
Nor would the Roosevelt strength be limited to
these He would draw from Mr. Wilson many
thousands of voters who supported him four years
but who satisfied with the presidents weak
Amercanism. 1t should be taken into account too
that in the for Mr. Roosevelt in 1912 there was
a strong democratic element estimated tina
from a half million to a million democrats voted fo
him. None OF them had any other for voting
for him except that they preferred Mr. Roosevelt
They loved not Wilson less butf Roosevelt more Witt
stronger they would for Roosevelt
They would have reason at all for voting for an
other republican candidate.