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8
The Commoner.
VOLUME 7, NUMBER Jit
a ' ' '
5V
fCURBeNT
vTSSEEjjft.. r,. .
rp 1IM "ANNUAL MARCH" of the strawberry ifl
X an Interesting study. The llrst to reach tho
market conic from Texas and Florida In the lat
ter part of March. By tlio time the Texan aiul
, Florida berries are exhausted the Arkansas and
Georgia berries .appear? Theso are followed hi
turn by tho berries, from Missouri and Tennessee,
and then tho Nebraska and Ohio berries, big ami
luclous, delight tho eye and palate. Then the
strawberry season closes with the fruit from Mich
igan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Thus from tho
Gulf coast to tlio Great Lakes tho trail Is marked
with tho crimson Main of this most delicious fruit,
and It gives gustatory Joy to millions for six Or
seven months of tho year.
TIIE RAPID progress of work upon tho Pana
ma canal will soon bo greatly accelerated.
Tho commission has Just made requisition for n
lot of articles that will grcatty facilitate the work.
Among other things asked for are six pOrch
swings "four foot long and thirty-two Inches deep,"
fifty refrigerators, thirty dozen demijohns, 500,000
paper napkins, 100 rocking chairs, 100 Yublo
beds with springs, 2H0 mirrors, H.OOO soup spoons,
100 sideboards and a full supply of Ice cream
freezers and water coolers. Just as soon as tho
supplies arrive renewed activity will mark tlio
the work on the canal. In order to write fully
of the progress of tho work after those necessary
canal supplies are received, the commission has
also ordered 081,000 writing pens and an adequate '
supply of stationery. Tho written shoots will
be hold together by COO.000 clips.
-
AKNOXVILLE, IOWA, reader of Tho Com
moner writes: "Will you kindly 'publish in
your next Issue tho names of the men who coin
posed tho committee that settled the Hayes-Tlldon
dispute In 1870 and are they all dead or is any of
thorn yet living? I ask this faYOr for the bonetlt '
of your ninny readers In this county, not having
tho necessary information at hand?" . Tho electoral
commission was appointed by an act of congress
January 20, 1877. The commission was com
posed of tho following: Senators George F. Ed
munds, Oliver P. Morton, Frederick T. Frcllug
huyseu, Allen G. Tliurman and Thomas F. Bayard;
Representatives Henry B. Payne, Eppa Hun toon,
Joslah Abbott, James A. Garllold and George F.
Eoar; Associate Justices of tho Supremo Court
Nathan Clifford, William Strong, Samuel i Mil:
lor, Stephen J. Held and Joseph P. Bradley. All
of these gentlemen, wo believe, arc dead.
O
Q OMETTIING OF A sensation was created at
)0 Washington when It was charged that Frank
n. Hitchcock, first assistant .postmaster general,
has been sent on a tour through tho south for
Uic purpose of rounding up tlio organization poli
ticians and determining how serious is the oppos'
itlon In that section to Roosevelt's control of the
national convention of 1008.
Empire slate, '.ho appointment of Pearl Wight as
republican 'boss' in Louisiana, and now the sen
sational development that Mr. Hitchqock has bean
sent to Georgia to quell the Insurrection there and
Unit ho will also Investigate conditions In South
Carolina and Florida before his return, all point
to the conclusion that an aggressive warfare has
already been opened by tho administration and
that Its opponents will be kept exceedingly busy
from this ilmo on."
IRST ASSISTANT Postmaster General nitch-
F
REFERRING TO THIS report the Washing
ton correspondent for the New York World
says: "The first Intimation that Mr. Hitchcock
had been detached from his ofilclal duties by tha
president and sent on' a purely political mission
came In dispatches from Atlanta and other south
ern cities Avlicre Mr. Hitchcock Is holding long
consultations with federal officeholders and other
republican politicians. For a long time it has
been known that the policy pursued by President
Roosevelt was not acceptable to any of tho south
ern factions. There has been especial protest
against tho apparent disposition of the administra
tion to recognize tho comparatively small group
of whiter republicans, while Ignoring tho large num
ber of black republicans there. It is pointed out
that in spite of disfranchisement laws In most of
tho southern states the black members of the party
are greatly in excess of tlio white, and tho former,
protest vigorously at being excluded from partici
pating in its policies. For some time it has been
self-evident that the president is going to spare
no opportunity to use patronage power In all parts
of tho country to further his political plans. Tho
defiance of the Wadsworth faction in New York,
the demand for the resignation of Internal Re
cnue Collector Sanders, it$ Rochester, because he
has been unfavorable to the policies of Governor
Hughes, the announcement that Hughes will bo
the. dispenser of administration patrouage in tne t-
'n iiiii.,.H,
cock, roturnhiir from his southern trip, de-
nlnri that thoro was anv nolltical significance tor
his Journey. He said: "It is true that while my
trip was partially one of Inspection, and one
which I had planned months ago, I discussed pol
itics to some extent. This was only natural as
I was called on by many southern republicans
officially connected with tho government and other
wise interested. I saw no evidence to Justify pub
lished reports of disaffection in the ranks of tho
republicans In the south, such as organization of
opposition movement and that sort of thing, whl'jh
wo have been hearing about for some time. In
those states which I visited, South Carolina,
"Georgia and Florida, the republicans arc in hearty
accord with the administration. They are Roose
velt men through and through." Referring again
to the question of opposing organizations, ho re
marked that of course there were a few dis
gruntled and generally discredited men who have
' dropped. out of tlio old organizations, but that such
were in the decided minority.
rpIIE MEN WHO followed "Little Mac" will
X be interested in this sjiory printed by the Now
York World: "Personal effects of General George
B. McGlellan, which have been stored In a ware
bouse In Orange, N. J., since ho died therein 1885,
are now being overhauled and within, a .few days
will probably bo dispersed. Army uniforms worn
by him have been burned because they were moth
eaten. Boots, weapons and various other articles
are to" bo sent to army .posts throughout the coun
try. Some of the old household furniture Is to
be sent to Princeton where tho general's only son, .
Mayor McClollan, has a residence. General Mc
Clcllan owned a handsome country seat on the
Orange mountains. -After his death the family
moved away. From time to time since then mem
bers of the family have given away articles of
furniture and letters. Yesterday, while Mayor
Mculcllan's wife Avas going over what remained,
a negro made away with a cane. Policeman Tlm-
othy Oronen recovered it and it was presented to
him as a reward."
SOME OF THE political friends of Governor
Hughes of New York do not think kindly
of the "friendly" attitude recently taken by the
Roosevelt-Taft forces. Mr. Hughes' friends
say that the opponents of Roosevelt and Taft
would be very likely to be in favor of Governor
Hughes so far as the endorsement of the New
York delegation is concerned. They point out
that the Roosevelt-Taft leaders realize this, and
that they have forced their attentions upon the
governor with the view of making it inconvenient"
for him to align himself with the opposition.
O
REFERRING TO tills interesting move, tho
Albany correspondent for the Now Yo"k
Evening Post, says: "Whatever the teffect upon
the governor, however, there Is little reason to
question the political sagacity shown by the pres
ident in making the move. He might well be
liovo that tho country at largo, rightly or wrong
ly, would at once conclude that he had savefi the
governor's program. He might naturally infer
that even the newspapers, which criticised his
meuioas, wouia applaud his motive. When the
legislation had been passed, it would not be pos
sible to prove, by any known process, whether
the result had been due to Hughes or to Roose
velt, or to both, and the natural result wolild bo
to divide tho praise. In any such division tho
president might expect tho lion's share, as a na
tional figure. Finally, as a result of tho presi
dent's move, the governor Is now placed in an
exceedingly awkward position, and his discreet
silence in the matter has shown this. However
amich he may resent the-Roosevelt interference
he can not make any public protest, for this-would
seem to convict him of Ingratitude toward the man
who unquestionably nom'natcd " him. It might
even savor of petty Jealousy in tho mattOr of the
credit due for the victory achieved. But not to
protest is to confess. To accept an alliance with
the president by silence, or- to run the risk of
appearing nn ingrate, this Is Hughes' choice. In
thus accepting tho president's aid, whlcTi he; can
not by any manifest method avoid accepting, tho
governor, moreover, pluces himself under obliga
tions. At a later time the president may not un
naturally demand the assistance of tho governor,
whose success he has in a considerable degree
Ttia.de possible, or, at least, is believed to have
made possible."
CLEARLY MR. ROOSEVELT is not' to have
clear sailing in tlip fight for the New York
delegation. Many newspapers, "not as a rule hos
tile to the president, criticise him for removing
certain federal officials for "political reasons."
Tho New York Evening Post says: "Accounts
from Washington of the president's reasons for"
turning spoilsman in New York betray a certain
amount of confusion. It Is not wholly clear
whether Mr. Roosevelt's announced determination
to use the federal patronage in this state afiter
the fashion of what ho used to call the 'spoils
mongers,' means war on Wadsworth or help for
Hughes. Seemingly, it is a little of each a nlco ,
mixture ofpersonal revenge and zeal for a good
cause. The latest explanation, however, is that
there was the added motive of heading off Odeil.
Alarmed friends of Roosevelt brought him word
of a 'plot' the president is never happy without
a plot, unless he has a conspiracy to comfort him.
The crafty ex-boss, and ex-governor, he was In
formed, was planning to rally bis friends in sup
port of Hughes, and so regain control of the or
ganization. Instantly the president resolved to
."beat Odell with his own weapons.' Like another
Hamlet to another Laertes, he said: 'Nay, an
thou'lt mouth about offices. I'll rant nri wnll -is
thou. Woo't drink up platforms? Eat thy prom
ises? I'll do it' It can not be too distinctly laid
down that President R6osevelt's removal of Col
lector Sanders of Rochester purely for political ; A
reasons, as is officially admitted, is directly in .pp
violation of his own professions and pledges, as r,
it certainly is of all sound principles of civil ser- -'
vice reform. It is not alleged that Sanders was -in
any way incompetent or derelict. He was ."
simply 'Wadsworth's man,' and therefore had
to go."
THE ANTI-ROOSEVELT war goes merrily on.-'
Former Representative 'Wadsworth of New .
York has given out a newspaper interview in,
which he makes a bitter attack on President "
Roosevelt. The president demanded the resigna
tion of Archie Sanders, collector of customs at tlio
Rochester port, and Mr. Roosevelt's friends ex
plain that this and other removals were made in .
line with his plan of co-operating with "Governor ; '
Hughes and consulting bim about federal ap-N
jiointments. A Washington dispatch says:
'President Roosevelt has been at work on this
plan of harmonizing tho republican party in New
York for some time, and it was furthered to a
great extent when Henry W. Taf,t, brother of Sec
retary Taft, a few days ago made his statemeut
after a long conference with President Roosevelt'
Recently the" president had a conference with .
Charles P. Taft, of Cincinnati, another brother of '-
.Secretary Taft, and an influential politician in r ..
t - Ohio. After this conference- Charles P. Taft went
to Ohio and started a canvass of the state, to. W
develop' the Taf presidential sentiment." " --
MR. ROOSEVELT'S friends made much of tho
reported interview in which Senator Ln
Follette declared that Mr. Roosevelt must bo a
candidate to succeed himself. The Washington
correspondent for the New York Evening Tele
gram says: "Why is President Roosevelt so le-
- terrainedly opposed to recognition of Senator La.
Follette, of Wisconsin, in connection with the re
publican succession In 1908? It may be said this
question has been mpre frequently asked than aiiv
other one since the president began Interesting
himself In the 100S outlook. LaFollette is
garded in Washington by many as more nearly
- representing. Roosevelt Ideals and ideas than any
- . other man prominently before the nation. He
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