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OCTOBER 18, 1907
The Commoner-
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bo successful again -with- such tactics. Their
national organization, the Anti-Saloon League,
has got things so that it can threaten political
death to the member whose activity blocks tho
path of the bill. The people of Washington havo
no say on the subject. They can deliver no
votes anywhere. Ninety-nine per cent of tho
members of the house heretofore have meekly
done the bidding of the league because the
league, has shown in a number of instances that
it controls the balance of power between tho
two parties. It converted a republican ma
jority ot 255,000 in Ohio in 1904 to a democratic
majority of 40,000. There is probably more
drinking among ' the members of the fair sex
in Washington than in any other city in the
country. The influence of society is all in favor
of tho drinking, the members of the diplomatic
corps and the foreigners generally being of tho
higher classes, setting the example. The mem
bers of tho league and the W. C. T. U. have
taken note of the fact that resorts in and
around Washington where no liquors are sold
have died lingering deaths, while resorts where
liquor is sold havo flourished. It is believed
that President Roosevelt would veto a plain
prohibition bill, while he probably would sign
an appropriation bill on which thero was a pro
hibition rider. It is in tho form of a rider to
an appropriation bill that tho matter is likely
to come before them. Representative Craig, of
SelmaAla., one of the nov class of politicians
in that old state, has announced that he will
introduce a prohibition bill. Congressmen from
the cities are about the only ones who will dare
vote against the Craig bill."
want to know how enthusiastic ho is and
whether h6 can not bo Induced to get on tho
Sin?an??SOx A.nd then U,y want t "now
whether if Mr. New is for Fairbanks, his second
choice is Cortelyou or Taft."
ANOTHER SURPRISE which the Washing
ton correspor dent for the St. Louis Globe
Democrat says "amounts almost to a shock"
was given to army circles when the war depart
ment posted the announcement that the presi
dent had directed the appointment of Colonel
Charles S. Smith, ordnance department, to-be
brigadier general on the retirement of General
Godfrey, which occurs October 9. The bulletin
announced that the president directed the ap
pointment and "wishes it announced that the
appointment is made in recognition of Colonel
Smith's exceptional services in connection with
the establishment of the coast defenses of the
United States and tho supply of the artillery "
service with modern armament." The Glotfe-
Democrat's correspondent says:
'Colonel
Smith's ability as an ordnance officer is not
questioned In any military quarter. Ho is ad
mittedly one of the best in the United States
army. He is now stationed at the Sandy Hook
proving ground. The complaint, however, grows
out of the fact that he was not in line of pro
motion and was 'jumped over the heads of
fifty-three colonels, fourteen of whom are in
the infantry arm of the service and in direct
line of promotion."
MR. ROOSEVELT and the Taft managers ap
pear to be having some trouble with the
politics of Secretary of the Treasurer ortelyou
and Harry New, who is just now acting chair
man of the republican national committee. A
correspondent for the New York Herald, who ac
companied Mr. Roosevelt's party down the Mis
sissippi, says that Mr. Roosevelt has learned an
interesting political fact on his recent trip. This
correspondent says: "The Taft men are now
talking in a most ugly way about Secretary Cort-
' elyou. They fear that he is not going to help
them, and suspect him of being a candidate for
president himself. The secretary of the. treasury
has a quiet way about him, and they are trying
to smoke him out. I am informed that Mr.
Cortelyou has never declared himself for or
against the Taft candidacy, although he has
probably felt with other members of the cabinet
that the republican party would gladlyagive a
renomination to Mr. Roosevelt, but might hesi
tate about letting him transfer them to some
man of his choice. Secretary Cortelyou, how
ever, has given the Taft boomers considerable
advice when they called for it, and in their
expressions of dark suspicion of the secretary
of the treasury they also admit that he gave it
truly. Some of his suggestions were followed
-and some were rejected. As to Mr. New there
Is also equal perplexity. Mr. New lives in In-
diana. It has been generally accepted that there
should be no opposition in Indiana to !the candidacy-of
Vice President- Fairbanks. Where Air.
New stands theTaft boomers do not know, and
they have appealed to .President Roosevelt to
find out for them. If New is for Fairbanks they
A CCORDING to this same authority Mr.
XX. Vorys and Secretary Garfield, both Taft
boomers, "poured their woes and suspicions into
tho president's ear all tho way from Canton,
Ohio, to Fort Wayne, Ind." Tho Herald corres
pondent says: "The story they told about tho
situation in the south indicated that thero might
bo contesting delegations from most of tho
southern states. Thjs spells danger to tho Taft
cause, because on tho seating of these delega
tions may depend the control of tho next national
convention. Hero again tho Importance of the
national committee comes In. The national com
mittee decides what delegates shall go on tho
preliminary roll of the convention. Tho national
committee decides who is tho temporary chair
man. If the opposition to Taft should bo strong
In the cast-em and middle states, with Fairbanks
controlling Indiana, Cannon, Illinois; LaFol
lette, Wisconsin; Knox, Pennsylvania, and
Hughes, New York, tho soating of southern
anti-Taft delegates on the preliminary call might
easily turn the tldo against tho president's
choice. Reports from tho south are that both
Forakor and Hughes are dangerous competitors
of Secretary Taft. Tho negro, angered at tlio
Brownsville incident, has been organizing for
Foraker and declaring against Taft. But thero
is an element of strength for Hughes in tho
south which has been overlooked, aiid which Is
becoming a figure. Governor Hughes Is a Bap
tist. The Baptist church In the south is very
strong among tho negroes, and, while it may
be regarded as a singular thing to affect a politi
cal campaign, it is said that it will mean dele
gates for Hughes in the south. Tho charge mode
by Mr. Vorys on 'Monday during his talk with
the president, that First Assistant Postmaster
General Hitchcock had been working against
Taft in the south and trying to get delegates
for Cortelyou, had been denied, but it is inter
esting as showing the plurality of purpose among
those who are In the president's official family.
Mr. Hitchcock may not bo working for Taft,
and the Taft men apparently decline to club
Mr. Hitchcock Into helping them. Others of the
president's friends are working for Knox and
still others for Cannon."
WILLIAM F. WAKEMAN, of New York,
secretary of the American Protective
Tariff League, recently made a trip through the
west and returning gave out this interview: "I
was greatly surprised on a trip I have just made
through the middle west at the extent of tho
tariff revision sentiment. I believe in telling
the truth and so I do not hesitate to say that
this Is a fact. While in Chicago, St. Louis,
Cleveland and Pittsburg, I talked with forty
or fifty prominent business men and found them
favorable to revision. I must admit, too, that
reports received by our organization indicate
that the sentiment is general throughout the
country. I confess that these reports and my
Interviews surprised me. Perhaps the senti
ment is due to our abundant prosperity. I will
say further that if this sentiment continues the
present administration will control tho next re
publican convention and name its legatee. I'
believe President Roosevelt wants the nomina
tion and under present conditions will get It,
but there is grave doubt in mv mind whether
conditions will be the same. The convention
is nearly a year away. There may be such a
change by February as to make tho naming of
its legatee by the administration Impossible."
CONCERNING Mr. Roosevelt's centralization
scheme the Washington correspondent for
the Cincinnati Enquirer says: "During his trip
down the Mississippi river last week the presi-'
dent discussed, in his characteristic way, a num
ber of subjects of general public interest, but
the proposition advanced by him which Is des
tined to create the deepest stir, ultimately, if
not in the immediate future, is that the federal
government should exercise complete control
of all interstate railroads. It is his purpose
to recommend to congress that legislation in
consonance with that Idea be enacted next win
ter, and then, it seem assured, there wilL be
precipitated one of theraost notable debates and
controversies ever begun in that body. -Tho
natural corollaiy of the president's proposition
is thaf tho authority now exercised over rail
roads by the various states will decrease In 'tho
proport on that tho powor of tho national gov
ernment increasos. Tho president is willing that
uo states retain somo power, but very little
as this sentence from his St. Louis speech indi
cates: 'There will be local matters affecting
railroads which can best be dealt with by local
authority, but as national commercial agents
the big in orstnlo railroads ought to bo com
pletely subject to national authority.' Tho daon
significance of that suggestion was overlooked
by the country generally for tho reason, per
haps, that the president was delivering a new
address evory day, and it was difficult for tho
public to koop up with him and at tho same timo
not miss any of tho Interesting detail of his
novol sail down tho "Father of Waters." But now
business, and at once tho question arises how
that men who ovlnco an intelligent concern in
public affairs havo begun to analyze and dlgont
his speeches, they find muc.i food for reflection
In his advanced railroad views, and anticipate
thoy will make a profound improuHlon upon tho
country. Thoy believe tho question of states
rights will come to tho front again and that
this timo northern states will be no less aroused
than tho sou thorn statos, for In tho north legis
latures havo been just as zealous In passing
drastic laws affecting tho railroad as havo the
general assemblies In tho south."
IT HAS BEEN no great secret tliwt tho presi
dent intended to advocato an extension of
fedoral authority over Interstate railroads, but
until his Mississippi river speeches it was not
known to what extent ho would carry this
policy. Tho Enquirer's correspondent says:
Now, it Is expected, tho states will awake from
their lethargy and Inquire: 'How much au
thority does ho propose shall be left to us?' It
is assumod that the president's plan Is to grant
federal charters to railroads doing interstate
business, and at once tho question arises now
and whether that would interfere with the state
charters under which they are now operating.
Many states now tax tho franchise value of com
mon carriers aa well as other public utility cor
porations, and when Mr. ItooseVelt was governor
of New York he forced such a'law through tho
legislature at Albany. It railroads should bo
incorporated by the national government hero
after would such Incorporation deprive tho
states of the right to levy and collect a .franchise
tax? That Is one of the numorous pertinent
questions now propounded by persons who de
sire to understand the full significance and con
sequences of the enforcement of tho president's
new plan. Another is: Would the states have
the power to regulate the rate of fare, such as
Ohio has done? And again: Would the states
bo allowed to fix rates within their own hordes,
or would tho various state railroad commissions
have to go out of business and yield their au
thority to tho interstate commerce commission
or some other federal body established at Wash
ington? These are questions for the lawyers
to settle, particularly those who pride themselves
on being experts as constitutional interpreters.
It certainly requires no stretch of the imagina
tion to see the field of discussion and contro
versy that is opened up by tho energetic and
determined Mr. Roosevelt. But the presldont
does not stop at national incorporation of rail
roads. He proposes federal charters also for
corporations other than common carriers which' .
engage in interstate commerce. That is not a
now scheme with him, but it suggests the same
line of thought and speculation with respect to
the power remaining with the states, insofar
as supervision and control of such corporations
is concerned."
A PARIS cablegram to the St. Louis Globe
Democrat follows: "A rumor which for a
long time has passed from mouth to mouth re
regarding the exhumation of the supposed body
of John Paul Jones vas given publicity today
in the Cri du Paris, which sa. i that the truth Is
beginning to filter through. The Cri du Paris
says, that the pretended discovery was only an
invention published during the excavations. Tho
.truth is that five coffins were dug up. Four of
them bore plates identifying their contents, but
the fifth was blank. Tho paper ridicules tho
measurements of tho anthropologists, which it
says were compared only with a portrait of tho
admiral and their pathological observations.
The mention of Paul Jones to the members of
the committee of the Vioux Paris who followed
the excavations caused them to burst into
laughter."
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