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DECEMBER 13, 1907
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Washington Letter
Washington, D. C., December 9. The news
paper publishers who called upon Mr. Roosevelt
must shout with joy when they read the magnifi
cent result of their visit to him and his promise
to them. There is an old phrase about "the nig
ger in the woodpile," this being a matter bear
ing upon woodpiles and wood pulp, seems to
justify the use of the metaphor. Mr. Roose
velt thinks "there should be no tariff on wood
pulp, due notice of the change being of courso
given to those engaged in the business so as
to enable them to adjust themselves to the new
conditions. The repeal of the duty on wood
pulp should, if possible, be accompanied by an
agreement with Canada that there shall be no
export duty on Canadian pulp wood."
If the committee of distinguished publish
ers who visited the White House and came away
confident of presidential support, can get any
comfort out of that, they are more credulous
than the bumpkin who expected to get blood
from a turnip. The notice to the American
manufacturers and an agreement with Canada
will require more time than the present con
gress will have at its disposal.
Of course the country thinks a little bit
about the tariff. Naturally the president has
to say something about it. One would think
that in the sixty-three pages of his message at
least one page might be given to this subject.
As a matter of fact scarce half a page wag given,
and the presidential discussion of this subject
is purely platitudinous except for one paragraph,
"The subject can not with wisdom be dealt
with in the year preceding a presidential elec
tion, because as a matter of fact experience has
conclusively shown that at such a time it is
impossible to get men to treat it from the stand
point of the public good. In my judgment the
wise time to deal with the matter is immediately
after such election."
Unless history is misread, this is the first
time that a president has proclaimed himself a
politician. Mr. Roosevelt sets aside the tariff
issue in order that the fortunes of his party
may not be impaired. What promise is there
that after the election his party will touch the
tariff in any way advantageous to the people.
Mr. Roosevelt, Mr. Cannon, Mr. Dalzell, all the
high prophets and saints of the republican party
have for years been preaching that when the
tariff is to bo revised, it is to be revised by its
friends. Its friends are now in power. They
have the president, the vice president and the
house, why not revise It now? If they defer
there is grave danger that it may be revised by
its enemies. Why does the president himself
and the speaker, who is second only in power to
the president, postpone the inevitable revision
until the moment, when as the whole country
believes, the friends of the robber tariff will be
in the minoHty?
A certain New York newspaper has been
raising a tremendous hullabaloo because Mr.
Bryan made some remarks which inferentially
accused a portion of the press of either wilful
or ignorant misstatement. Mr. Bryan can fight
out that battle forhimself, if he cares to. But
it so happens I heard in the marble roomxf the
senate two days ago a senator come and vehe
mently deny an interview, alleged to be with
him, printed in the columns of this same New
York newspaper. Furthermore the morning I
write this I find displayed in double leads on
the first column of the same paper the statement
that Mr. Bryan will sail Saturday to spend the
winter on the Mediterranean coast. The article
is printed in such a way as to make it appear
that he is going somewhat surreptitiously. There
are a dozen men In New York, and half as many
in Washington from which point the article
was dated any one of whom Is easily to be
caught by telephone, who could have denied this
story authoritatively. As a matter of fact sev
eral western correspondents did make inquiry
at Washington and were saved from a blunder.
The New York World alone went on without in
quiry to fall into the pitfall of falsehood.
With much blare of brass and clanging of
cymbals Secretary Taft started some sixty days
ago on a tour of the world at public expense.
He stopped briefly to address the people of
Oklahoma in opposition to the constitution upon
which they were presently to vote. His speech
was heralded as the most able exposition of
the administration's views ever made. The con
stitution was adopted by a majority of 110,000
Totes, and a full democratic state ticket elected
The Commoner.
by a majority in the neighborhood of thirty
thousand. After this triumph Mr. Taft wont
on his way. Mr. Taft Is coming homo
directly. The reason Is that ho has re
ceived order from the man who ordered him
to be a candidate for the presidency, to come
back and look out for Ills candidacy. That can
didacy is suffering sadly. No one speaks of it
longer. It Is a matter of goueral belief In Wash
ington that Mr. Taft's own stato will declaro
for Senator Foraker. It is a matter of notorloty
that all the southern states which are controlled
by Federal officeholders will have their dele
gates in the republican convention declaro for
Roosevelt.
The situation puts Mr. Taft In an ignomin
ious position, Mr. Roosevelt In a shameful one.
Taft's candidacy was first suggested by Roobo--velt.
Everybody who knows anything about
politics knows that Taft himself was averse to
the suggestion. Ho did not care for either tho
campaign or the office Itself. Tho task was
thrust upon him by the president who insisted
that he alone could carry out "my policies."
But after the ship was launched, after tho can
didacy announced, nothing has been done by tho
president to aid either tho voyage or tho cam
paign. As a. matter of fact tho opinion of politi
cians in Washington is that Mr. Roosevelt has
withdrawn all support either moral, political,
or friendly. Mr. Taft will come home to find
himself in a most ridiculous position.
WILLIS J ABBOT.
A. BOLT IN OREGON
In Its Issue of Friday, November 29, the
Portland Oregonian printed tho following some
what significant editorial:
"The Oregonian has done what it could to
support the republican party of Oregon. Re
publicans have not responded. They can now
and henceforward support their party themselves
if they desire to do so. Like Romeo at the play,
the Orgonlan will be a candle-holder and look
on. It Is tired' of tho effort to appeal on prin
ciples, political, social, financial, national and
historic, to men who don't care for anything of
the kind, but are actuated merely by slefish
piques, petty desires and trifling personal am
bitions. "In many a contest the Oregonian has car
ried the flag, only to bo deserted; and each fail
ure was even more a defeat of the Oregonian
and the Oregonian was so taunted with it than
of the republican party.
"Now, brethren, if you want any success
for the republican party in Oregon, get into lino
and get to the front.
"Should the pressure upon President Roose
velt compel him to be a candidate again, the
Oregonian will support him. Beyond that, it
has no announcement to make. It can be as
Independent as any of you, who have given this
state and city over to tho democratic party.
Since you neither know nor care anything about
political principles, or the origin, course, ten
dencies and achievements of your own party,
or the historic tendencies or record of the others,
why should the Oregonian worry further? So
get in now, and send your democratic governor
to the United States senate. You know your
favorite idea is that one party is not preferable
to the other.
"What do you Intend? Will you get out
your fife and drum? What for? You know you
think that, on the whole, you may as well bo
democrats as republicans or better. Tho re
publican Idea is that there should be no party
in Oregon but the democratic."
oooo
"IN GOD WE TRUST"
Mr. Roosevelt has been 'very generally
criticised for removing the motto, "In God We
Trust" from the gold coin. His long explana
tion does not appear to explain, at least to the
satisfaction of a considerable number of people.
On this point the Springfield (Mass.) Republi
can says:
More light upon the origin of the coinage
motto, "In God We Trust," is given by Elmer
H. Youngman, editor of tho Bankers' Magazine,
in a letter to the New York Times. He finds
a full account in the twenty-fourth annual re
port of the director of the United States mint.
It seems that In November, 1861, Secretary
Salmon P. Chase of the treasury department re
ceived a letter from Rev. M. R. Watkinson of
Ridleyville, Pa., which said: "One fact touch
ing our currency has hitherto been seriously
overlooked. I mean the recognition of the Al
mighty God in some form in our coins. You are
probably a Christian. What if our republic were
now shattered beyond recognition. Would not
the antiquarians of succeeding centuries rightly
nnHnnr?Jn ?l Pfl8t lhat W0 WOr0 0"thoa
nation? What I propose Is that, Instead of tho
Goddewj of Liberty wo shall have next Inside tho
thirteon u ars a ring Inscribed with tho words.
Perpetual union;' within this ring tho all-sao
Jig eye crowned with a halo; bonoath" this jy
tho American flag, boaring In Its field start
equal to tho number of tho states united; In tho
folds of tho bars tho words, 'God, liberty, law.' "
This scorns to havo mado a strong Impres
sion upon Secretary Chaso, who a wook Jator
addressed this leltor to tho director of tho mint:
No nation can bo strong except in tho strength
of God, or safe except in Ills dofonso. Tho
trust of our pooplo In God 'should bo declared
cm our national coins. You will cauuo a dovlco
to bo prepared without unneeosaary delay, with
a motto expressing in tho fewest and tersest
words possiblo this national recognition."
It was found, however, that tho act of 1837
proscribed tho mottoes and devices which might
be placod upon tho coins of tho country, and
that act did not admit tho carrying out of Sec
retary Chase's order. In December, 1803, how
ever, the director of tho mint submitted to tho
secretary designs for now one, two, and throe
cent pieces, which provides theso mottoes: "Our
Country, Our God," and "God Our Trust."
Secretary Chase approved of those with tho lat
ter changed to "In God Wo Trust." 12arly In
1801 congress authorized tho coinage of two
cent pieces with such devices as might be fixod
by tho mint director with tho approval of tho
secretary of the treasury, and accordingly It
was upon that coin that tho legond now, under
discussion first appeared on tho American coin
age. Tho act of March 3, 1805, mado it lawful
for the same public officials to extend tho legond
to other coins of tho United States which wpuld
admit of tho appearance thoreon, and It accord
ingly found its way to tho gold coins of $5 and
up, and tho silver dollar, half and quartor, whoro
it has since remained. Tho coinage actof 1873,
to which wo havo before roferred, continued
that provision of tho act of 1805. One ques
tion still remains unanswered: How dJd It como
about that this particular permissive provision
of the act of 1873 was dropped out In the codifi
cation of national laws under tltlo of th
Revised Statutes, mado in 1874 and amended
and added to in 1877? Springfield (Mass.).
Republican.
OOOO
"NEWSPAPERS"
In his address delivered before tho Amer
ican Municipal League, Attorney General Bona
parte said: "Certain of our newspapers, includ
ing some whoso Influence within my memory,
indeed within but a comparatively few years,
were a power and a power for good in tho com
munity are now firmly and widely believed to
be virtually or even Hteraly owned by well
known interests in other words by wealthy men
engaged In far reaching enterprises. This wide
ly spread and very confident belief as to such
ownership makes them virtually trade organs
' with but little more than papers published avow
edly as such; and what Is oven moro unfortu
nate it leads to a very general suspicion that
other papers may bo secretly in the same slt-
uation."
'i ho Springfield (Mass.) Republican reminds
tho New York World that it has missed an t
opportunity, saying: "What Is here said to bo '
firmly and widely believed Mr. Bonaparte evi
dently believes also and we have not noticed
that tho World is challenging him to substan
tiate this belief as It did In the case of Mr.
' Bryan."
Tho World might have taken occasion, In
the light of Mr. Bonaparte's general statement,
to print in display type, as It did for some un
accountable reason at tho time Mr. Bryan mado,
his general statement, this certificate of charac
ter from tho London Telegraph: "Tho New
York World holds an unassailable posi
tion in America as an independent newspaper,
unbought and unbuyablo."
OOOO
FINIS
In his public statement telling why ho omit
ted the motto "In God We Trust" from the new
gold coin Mr. Roosevelt said: "As the custom,
although without legal warrant, had grown up,
however, I might havo felt at liberty to keep
the inscription had I approved of its being on
the coinage-. But as I did not approve of it I did
not direct that it should again be put on."
That is very plain even though It may not
be entirely satisfactory to the champions of the
historic motto. Mr. Roosevelt did not approve
of it and that was the end of it.
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