Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-06-12
WILL ROOSEVELT FINALLY ACCEPT?

There is perhaps no shTeWder politician in the United
States than Colonel Roosevelt In playing the game he is
lucky in the draw knows the cards and is good buffer
He however, is not nfalibe although strongly inclined
to that opinion Of himself and at Chicago he diagnosed
the disease wrong and necessarily wrong in prescrb
ing for it. He also there slipped up in the political card
game His bluff called and he failed to better his
hand in the draw. The result and is, very badly
beaten Colonel NowOnder he did not want his picture
taken and remarked he out of politics. He was not
feeling we'll He not feeling well because he realized
that something serious had happened to him. He has
faced many serious situations but never one like that
that presents itself since his nomination by the progress
sives and his turning down by the republicans He slut
ters about accepting the nomination. and would put that
cup from hur-f he could So far as it can be anayzed
the situation seems to be about this:
If the colonel accepts the progressive nomination and
makes the race he will be beaten and he knows this II
he refuses to make the the radical wing at least of
the progressves and It's nearly the whole bird will turn
from him and depOse him from leadership.
His holding alOOf from the republicans and trying to
dictate the nomination of the parys candidate even to
trying to force it to select him the man. indicates how
far from the republican fold he has srayed He can go
back to the party and be warmly welcomed as passen
ger but he will again be permitted to handle the
whip and lines He is not satisfied with that arrange
ment for it would leave him without party following
of any kind.
Roosevelt betrayed the party that honored him with
the greatest gift at its command and tried only last week
to force it to obey his will.
If he refuses to accept the nomination unanimously
rendered him by the party of which he both father
and mother it having birth somewhat similar to that
of Minerva, he will betray it, too
In that case he would hereafter bepoWeress. tie can
not again hold up great parity and undertake to whip
it into subecton for with the prOgessves no longer be-
hind him he will have no whip.
of course the republicans would like to see him refuse
to accept and throw his influence to Hughes They say
it would make a great man of him. Would it?
If he had made peace with the old party at Chicago,
carried his party back to the republican camp, before
nomination and accepted Hughes he would at least have
gone back to the party as generous and broad-nded
foe willing to forgive and forget
If he goes back now which he shows signs OF dong,
and advises his followers get into the republican camp
he will return as beaten enemy -Four years from now,
TO which he is already looking forward he would be
laughed at by the old leaders He would be told that once
before they had defed him and whipped him. and they
would not permit him to become strong enough to again
endanger their standing with the party.
The situation thus analysed would indicate that the
colonel will make the race despite his tentative decn-
alton If he does so he will be beaten but ne Will nave
his saddle horse left for still another race II he refuses
he loses even his horse and drops out OF the meght as
a leader of anything That is worse than death to nm
Hence it is fair to presume the colonel will reconsider
when the Bull Moosers on the way to see nm nave
presented their case He doesn't want to, but it's Hob
sons choice.
It is case of "shoot or give up the gun"