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DECEMBER 20, 1907
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ination and will do all that he can, In his news
paper and otherwise, to break Bryan's hold on
Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas.
Similarly Charles II. Grasty, editor and princi
pal owner of the Baltimore News, the chief
afternoon paper in that city, announced that
he, too, is for Johnson for the nomination, and
will start a movement for him in Maryland and
Virginia at once. Grasty was at the Saturday
night dinner. Governor Johnson made a similar
Impression upon all the guests that he made
upon Nelson and Grasty. As he sat down after
concluding his speech, Senator Foraker, who sat
fifty feet away from him, hurried up, reached
over the table and extended his earnest congrat
ulations. He was quickly followed by Senator
Lo'dge, Senator Paynter of Kentucky, Senator
Johnston of Alabama and a score or more of
democratic house members. Then came Sec
retary Cortelyou, who said he very much de
sired to be introduced to the governor, and
after Cortelyou came Secretary Straus, who also
wanted to be introduced. The reception was an
ovation, and continued until long after the din
ner was over, and it is estimated that of the
250 guests, seventy-five per cent personally con
gratulated the governor on his speech and on
the very favorable impression ho had made. All
this, of course, may amount to nothing in a pres
idential way, but it ought to be very interesting
reading to the governor's many friends in Min
nesota. It shows clearly the desire of the demo
cratic leaders to break away from Bryan if pos
sible, and it shows also the high respect in which
prominent republicans hold the governor. The
Washington Herald says editorially today that
Governor Johnson is not an illustration of the
old saying that distance lends enchantment to
the view, but that the closer one gets to him
the better one likes him."
OSCAR II., king of Sweden, who died Decem
ber 8, is succeeded by Oscar Gustav
Adolphe, the oldest son of the late king. An
Associated Press cablegram says: "Gustav, the
new ruler of Sweden, was born in the castle of
Drottningholm. Immediately after his birth he
was made Duke of Vermland. He pursued his "
studies from 1877 to 1878 at Upsala. In 1879
liq traveled abroad, visiting most of the coun
tries of Europe. In 1889 he returned a second
time to the university at Upsala. He entered
the army in 1875 and in 1892 he was given the
rank of lieutenant general. In 1896 he received
the appointment as inspector of the military
schools and in 1898 he was made a full general.
Between the years 1884 and 1891 Gustav filled
the office of vice king of Norway. As a result
of Gustav's persistent and strenuous effort to
hold the Swedish-Norwegian union together, Jio
earned the enmity of the radical majority in the
Norwegian storthing, and in retaliation the
storthing took away from him a yearly appanage
amounting to $12,500. Gustav's other two
children are Wilhelm, Duke of Soedermanland,
born June 17, 1884, who visited the-United
States last summer, and Erich, Duke of West
manland, born April 20, 1889."
THE ATTENTION of the United States senate
was recently taken away from -politics. The
story is told by" the Washington (D. C.) Herald
in this way: "Senator Burkett, who hails from
Mr. Bryan's town, in Nebraska, although he is
not of the democratic leader's political faith,
is a patron of literature, particularly the Ne
braska brand. He is .also fond of taking time
by the forelock, wherefore, he yesterday sent
to each and every one of his fellow-solons a
Christmas present.. The gift in each case was
the latest literary product of Nebraska, a very
dainty little volume of stories of children,
grouped under the title 'Of Such is the Kingdom,'
written by Mr. Richard L. Metcalfe, and illus
trated by Mr. Franklin Booth. It was published
by the Woodruff-Collins Press, of Lincoln, and
is, aside from its excellent literary and artistic
qualities, as pretty a little book from the printers
and binders standpoints as one would wish to
see. 'That's one of the finest little volumes
I ever saw,' said Senator Burkett, as he handed
one of the volumes to a friend. 'Nebraska's
proud of it, and so am I.' "
o
CONGRESSMAN Clayton of Alabama has in
troduced in the house an anti-third term
resolution. Referring to this resolution the
Washington Herald says: "Mr. Clayton intends
to see Speaker Cannon and ask for recognition
to call it up under unanimous consent, and it
will then be up to the republicans to select some
member to object to its consideration. The reso-
The Commoner.
l!!f!n l8Jn "euaso exactly similar to tho reso
lution offered by tho lato Representative Spring
er at the opening of tho Forty-fourth congress
in December, 1875, when President Grant was
talked of as a candidate for a third term. Tho
house was then democratic, and tho resolution
was passed by a voto of 233 to 18, with 38 not
voting. Among those who did not voto wns
Joseph G. Cannon, then serving his second term
in tho houso, and who is tho only membor of
the present Iioubo who was a member of tho
Forty-fourth houso. The only other members
of tho congress now who were members thon
were Senators Fryo and Hale, of Maine, who
were thon members of the house, and both of
whom voted for tho resolution. The lato James
G. Blaine was also a member of the houso, re
corded as present, but not voting. Thoso who
did voto against tho resolution wero Bradley, of
Michigan; Denlson, of Vermont; Haralson, Ala
bama; Hogo, South Carolina, Hubbell, Michigan;
Hyman, North Carolina; Lynch, Mississippi;;
Nash, Virginia; Page, California; Plaister, New
Hampshire; Pratt, Iowa; Smalls, South Caro
lina; Alexander S. Wallace,- South Carolina;
Walls, Georgia; G. Wylle Wells, North Carolina;
John D. White, Kentucky; Whiting, Illinois."
A WASHINGTON dispatch to the St. Louis
Globe democrat says: "Leading members
of both parties here are discussing, with Interest
some significant wording of tho call for tho re
publican national convention just issued. They
point to that portion which deals with the pri
mary laws as showing a determination on tho
part of the national coramitteo not to permit
states to usurp tho rights of the party organiza
tion to absolutely control" the selection of the
delegates to partisan conventions. Provisions
of state laws which have been construed as deal
ing with a system of primaries for the selection
of delegates to conventions have been purposely
ignored. This, It Is understood, will have no
effect in Missouri, as the primary law does not
contemplate tho selection of delegates to na
tional conventions, but rather their selection in
district conventions and the selection of dele
gates at large In stato conventions. One effect
which the call will have Is to render all selec
tions of delegates up to this time negative. Most
conspicuous of these ai e the six delegates chosen
from Alaska for Taft and two delegates for
Cannon in Representative Fordney's district In
Michigan. The call is further significant, to tho
minds of many, because of its demand that only
republican electors participate in tho selection
of delegates. This means the basis is laid for
numerous contests before the credentials com
mittee of the national convention."
SOME OF THE possibilities at the republi
can convention are described by the same
correspondent in this way: "The last Chicago
republican convention of 1904 contained 994
delegates. Their 994 votes were cjist for Roose
velt. The Chicago convention of next June,
under today's call, will contain only 980 dele
gates. In tho 1904 convention 497 votes were
necessary for a choice; in the 1908 convention
491 votes will be the necessary majority. In
the last convention tho states alone had 902
votes, or twice 38G representatives and twice
ninety senators. Oklahoma having been admit
ted with two senators and five representatives,
the forty-six states alone will have 9G6 dele
gates in the 1908 convention, or twice ninety
two senators and twice 391 representatives.
With this explanation, the difference in the' vot
ing strength between the 1904 and 1908 con
ventions follows:
. . .1908 1904
States -. 960 952
District of Columbia. ..-.-. . 2 2
Alaska .,.. ; 2 0
Arizona v . . . '. 2 C
Indian Territory .'. . .. -r C
New. Mexico . ; ( 2 C
Oklahoma .; ' 6
Hawaii 2 C
Philippines .'...:. 2 2
Porto Rico .'...: 2 2
Total 980 994
Seven territorial divisions will be represented
next June, with a total of fourteen votes. The
same seven territories had thirty votes in the
last convention. The 1908 convention will have
a loss of sixteen votes from the territories, but
the admission of Oklahoma as a state, with, two
senators and five representatives, entitling her
to fourteen convention votes in 1908 instead of
twelve, which she had in 1904, is a gain of two
for the ontiro convention of fourtaon votoa.
Those fourteen votes are enough to Uvomy
TtLllaT ln a C!mly (Imw eonti nch
nf i!n V.10 n0Xt conrtlon may bo. In
worn 7i?rrWb,,?n con,vcnn t Chicago there
v,oro 755 delegate and 378 votes nccemmry to
a choice. On the thirty.flfth ballot OnuTt had
3 3 votes and Blaine 257, while Garfield got 50.
On the next or final ballot Oarflold won by 399
voto o Grant's 300 and Hlalne's 12. Thoro
wore then nine territories-Arizona, Dakota,
Idaho, Montana, Now Mexico, Utah, Washington
Wyoming and the District of Columbia, each
with two vote In tho convention a total of
elKhteen votes. Fourtoon of theso votes stuck
to Ulalno until tho thirty-sixth ballot, and the
other four stuck by Grant, if tho territorial
representation In 1880 had boon nix Instead of
two votes, Blaine would have received throe
times as many votes from those territories, or
, ,wo voteH toatoad of eighteen, or a total
of 299 vote. Grant had oKy four of tho ter
ritorial votes, but If each of tho nine territories
had thou been allowed six votes, and all fifty
four of them had switched to Grant, ho would
have received 31.', plus 6-1 votes, a total of 307
votes, or only eleven less than -was necessary to
nominate."
A CHICAGO dispatch to tho Denver Novn
says; "Former United States Sonator Wil
liam L. Mason lino written a Icttor to Governor
Deueen openly charging that United States Sen
ator Albert J. Hopkins secured his scat In tho
upper houso of congress by bribery, and asking
that he bo given an opportunity to prove his
assertions before a special legislative commltteo
empowered to subpoena witnesses. Tho ox-son-ator
declares that ho can nroduco witnesses,
members of tho Illinois legislature at the Hop
kins election, who will testify that they rccolvod
checks from Luman T. Hoy, present United
States marshal In Chicago, with the compli
ments of Albert J. Hopkins; witnesses to prove
that more than $70,000 thus distributed was
not the property of .the republican state central
committee, and that Hoy was not authorized by
the central commltteo to distribute such money
for campaign purposes. 'I am prepared to show,'
writes tho ox-senator, 'that the gentlemen guilty
of this bribery now admit it and seek to ex
cuse themselves on tho ground that It was for
campaign expenses. J am proparod to prove that
claim to bo false.' The letter Is made public
with tho consent of Governor De-neon, secured
by Mason over tho long distance telephone from
Springfield. Its publication opens the way for
the exposure of all tho facts relating to the Hopkins-Mason
campaign In 1902 and 1903, which
ended In tho election of Hopkins to the United
States senate."
AN INTERESTING dispatch, from Chicago to
the St. Louis Republic .follows: "Re
ceiver James C. Fctzo of the defunct Milwaukee
Avenue State Hank of Chicago reported to the
court today that he had paid $4,350,800 to the
claimants of the bank and that he had a balanco
of $173,935 on hand In excess ot assets over
liabilities. This Is the bank of which Paul O,
Stensland was president. After diverting the
depositors' money to his own Investments ho
fled to Morocco, where he was captured and re
turned to Chicago. He is now serving a term
in the state penitentiary. Stensland has always
maintained that the entei prises Into which he
put the mpney he took from the bank would
pay all creditors In full and the receiver's re
port justifies his claim. Stensland recently ap
plied for a pardon, which was denied him.".
MRS. LOUISE M. TAFT, mother of Secretary
of War Taft, was a Miss Torrey and was
born at Millbury, N. Y. She was -'arrlcd
to Judge Alphonso Taft In 1854. To the char
acter and strength of purpose which marked her,
she added much charm and cultivation. All of
her four children survive her William H. Taft,
secretary of war; Henry W. Taft, of New York,
the well known lawyer, a former member of the
board of education, candidate for supreme court
justice in 1898, and recently appointed special
attorney general for the government's investiga
tion of the tobacco trust; Horace D. Taft, head
of a large school for boys at Watertown, Conn.,
and Fannie Louise, now Mrs. W. A. Edwards, of
San Diego, Cal. Judge Taft died in 1891. He
was a member of General Grant's cabinet and
minister to Austria and later to Russia in Presi
dent Arthur's administration."
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