Governors and mayors were powerless and appealed for aid.  The mine owners rejected the demands of the men and refused to permit the arbitration of the points in dispute, although John Mitchell, the leader of the miners, repeatedly urged it.  After observing closely the course affairs, President Roosevelt made up his mind that the situation was intolerable.  He arranged to have the federal troops, if necessary, take possession of the mines and operate them until the strike could be settled.  He then invited the contestants to the White House and by dint of hard labor induced them to accept, as a substitute or compromise, arbitration by a commission which he appointed.  Thus, by stepping outside the Constitution and acting as the first citizen of the land, President Roosevelt averted a crisis of great magnitude.

=The Election of 1904.=—­The views and measures which he advocated with such vigor aroused deep hostility within as well as without his party.  There were rumors of a Republican movement to defeat his nomination in 1904 and it was said that the “financial and corporation interests” were in arms against him.  A prominent Republican paper in New York City accused him of having “stolen Mr. Bryan’s thunder,” by harrying the trusts and favoring labor unions.  When the Republican convention assembled in Chicago, however, the opposition disappeared and Roosevelt was nominated by acclamation.

This was the signal for a change on the part of Democratic leaders.  They denounced the President as erratic, dangerous, and radical and decided to assume the moderate role themselves.  They put aside Mr. Bryan and selected as their candidate, Judge Alton B. Parker, of New York, a man who repudiated free silver and made a direct appeal for the conservative vote.  The outcome of the reversal was astounding.  Judge Parker’s vote fell more than a million below that cast for Bryan in 1900; of the 476 electoral votes he received only 140.  Roosevelt, in addition to sweeping the Republican sections, even invaded Democratic territory, carrying the state of Missouri.  Thus vindicated at the polls, he became more outspoken than ever.  His leadership in the party was so widely recognized that he virtually selected his own successor.

THE ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT TAFT

=The Campaign of 1908.=—­Long before the end of his elective term, President Roosevelt let it be known that he favored as his successor, William Howard Taft, of Ohio, his Secretary of War.  To attain this end he used every shred of his powerful influence.  When the Republican convention assembled, Mr. Taft easily won the nomination.  Though the party platform was conservative in tone, he gave it a progressive tinge by expressing his personal belief in the popular election of United States Senators, an income tax, and other liberal measures.  President Roosevelt announced his faith in the Republican candidate and appealed to the country for his election.