29th August.
WHEN the managers of the Republican party in the United States made Colonel Roosevelt Vice-President two years ago, they thought they had succeeded in suppressing him. McKinley was the man fora strong party that wanted an irre-preachable figurehead, but that meant to keep the power in its own hands; he was an honest man and a gentleman, but his idea of his duty as the Executive of the nation was that he should keep his er to the ground to ascertain what the people wanted, and give them as much as the leaders of the party who made him President thought yood for them. He felt himself the representative of his party and conceived that his first duty was to keep the grand old Republican party together, And the grand old Republican party is the party of the rich men, the promoters of Trusts, the high-tariff men. Colonel Roosevelt was a dangerous man
scholar, a gentleman, and a soldier, because he was very popaler, a in too good circumstances and too independent by nature to be the instrument of his party. He was too popular 10 be ignored, and the only way to make him harmless was to make him Vice-President. Unfortunately, the pistol of the assassin at Baffalo upset all the calculations of the pary lenders, Providence called Roosevelt to the Presidency, the great position in which he has already made his mark, and has, according to the Republican organs, succeeded in destroying his party. This will not give him much concern.
Our Boston correspondent has kept us informed of the efforts President Roosevelt has made to do justice to Cuba, in which he has been frustrate ed by his party. Cuba has been given her independence, but her prosperity depends on her being able to sell her sugar freely in the United States. But this does not suit the beet sugar men, who are prominent in the counsels of the Republican party, and so, notwithstanding all President Roosevelt's efforts, Congress adjourned without doing anything for Cuba, When the President urged the cause of Cuba, he was warned that he was destroying his party; doubtless the leaders are disgusted with him, but the rank and file are on his side. The Senators who betrayed the cause of Cuba are being thrown over by their own States. The re-election of Senator Spooner, who, we are told, "has become recognised as the leader of the United States Senate," seems to be doubtful in Wisconsin; in Nebraska the Republican State Committee have " turned down" Senator Dietrich, one of the beet-sugar insurgents. The Repablicans of Kansas have obliged Senator Burton, another of the insurgents, to promise to turn round and support the policy of Cuban reciprocity. The Republicans of his district, as we learn from the " Nation," have adop'- ed in their convention just held "a resolution which heartily approved President Roosevelt's course in general; particularly endorsed his unflinching demand for an honourable discharge of the pledges mide to the Cuban Republic, and for such generous treatment of that country through reciprocal trade arrangements as shall provide relief during its period of recuperation, and at the same time bring great commercial advantages to the United States; and then added: and whereas Senator Burton has requested the people to advise him as to their wishes, now, therefore, he it resolved: That we demand of Senator Burton, whose home is in this district, to vote for and stand by the reciprocity policy of President Roosevelt.'" In Minnesota, Senator Nelson and other insurgents have found themselves in the same boat with Senators Burton and Dietrich. To quote the " Nation" again: "The present situation is accurately summed up by the Minneapolis 'Journal,' one of the the chief Republican newspapers, which declares that the recalcitran's ' find themselves without any real support at home.' Senator Nelson, Representative Tawney, and the rest supposed that they would be endorsed because they professed to be standing up for the local interest of beet sugar making, but the 'Journal' snys that "the people of the State have risen above the narrow sectional view of this question, and viewed it in the light of National Policy and duty.'"
President Rnosevelt is 100 great a man for it to be said of hun that he "Born for the universe, narrowed his mind, And to party gave up what was meant for mankind," and we have given the above extracts to show that holias the people with him in his determination to be independent of the leaders of his party and do what he believes to bellis duty. Another extract from the "Nation" gives another instance of this determination:
Whatever criticisms the future historian may fad himself compelled to pass upon the Administration of, Theodore Roosevelt, he will be able to cite the President's decision in the case of Gen, Jacob H. Smith as an example of a just and high-minded action, and asa manly blow for the honour of the army and the nation, He will be able to show that the President's decision was not only unexpected by his party associates, but unwelcome to many of them, and that it was rendered at the risk of making himself unpopular with the managers of his party as well as with the army."
Here again the President is supported by the people, as he will be in his attack on Trusts. We do not know whether he is looking forward to another term. though he may well desire the honour of being directly elected to the Presidency. By opposing and confusing the mangers of the Republicin party as he has done, it is supposed that he' has thrown away his chance of getting the party nomination; but the people are stronger than the party managers, and we have no doubt that if President R osevelt completes his present term as he has begun it, the people will send him back to the White House two years hence if he is willing to accept the high office again.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.