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VOLUME 10,-. NUMBER If
2
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cratic party ropudlatGd the record of tho ad
ministration olocted in 1892, but tho damage
had gono too far and tho domocrats of 189 G
bont upon reforming their party were required
to faco tho bad record it had made and tho re
GponBibllitieH it had incurred?
It ia beginning to dawn upon rank and fllo
ropublicaiiH that Aldrichlsm and Cannonism
domlnato at tho Whito IIouso as effectually as
in tho capitol building. Aldrichlsm and Can
nonlHin or, if you please, Taftism must an
swer to a bctrayod people rather than to a hand
ful of republican congressmen, some of whom
nro moved by devotion to public interests, others
of whom aro largely concomed in saving their
own scalp.
It is not a question of tho minority govern
ing tho majority. Tho question is, shall men
olected to public ofllco sorvo tho people or tho
interests. Repeatedly tho republican party has
boon ablo to dodgo that question but there aro
many reasons for believing that it is at last
faco to faco with tho real issuo.
REJECTED IN VIRGINIA
Tho lowor houso of tho Virginia legislature
lias rofusod to ratify tho proposed income tax
' nmondmont to tho fodoral constitution. Ala
bama was tho first southern state to ratify this
proposed amendment, Georgia tho first southern
stato to roject it, while Virginia takes its placo
as tho second southern stato falling to ratify
tho roform. Domocrats generally will keenly
regret this action on tho part of the Virginia
legislature Tho Income tax is so well estab
lished in popular favor and seems so equitable
a method that It was hoped that democratic
legislatures would loso no time In ratifying tho
proposed amendment.
IMPROBABLE
No ono having intimato acquaintance with
tho character of tho lato Benjamin Harrison will
bollevo for a moment that ho ever authorized
a promise that Thomas C. Piatt would bo secre
tary of tho treasury under tho Harrison ad
ministration. General Harrison was an ambi
tious man and porluvps tho exigency of politics
required him to do some distasteful things, but
It is, safo to Bay that tho vordict of tho American
peoplo will bo tliat tho Piatt letter, recently
anado public through tho Chicago Record-Herald,
is not su melon t evidence to convict General
Harrison of haviug made a promise, tho making
of which would have reflected upon his patriot
ism and his good sense.
MR. BRYAN'S WORK IN SOUTH AMERICA
Evon tho bitterest critics of William J. Bryan
should fool kindly toward him because of tho
good work ho is now doing for his own country
In South America, where ho is receiving much
attention from officials and public men. Ho is
taking advantage, so The Commoner tells us
to hasten tho acceptance by tho Latin-Americans
of tho policy of tho United States toward
their countries which waB outlined some years
ago by Senator Root, then secretary of state
when ho made a tour of South America. '
Mr. Bryan is discussing tho principles of that
policy and assuring tho Latin-Americans of tho
.friendly intentions toward them of tho neonlo
and government of the United States, and that
tho only rivalry between his country and theirs
is- "in that legitimate field where the contest is
to seo who can hold highest the torch of civili
zation that lights tho world to higher ground
Ho is declaring to them that "as co-tenants of
the western hemisphere and aB fellow-experimenters
with republicanism as a form of gov
iernmont there are peculiar reasons why Ameri
qans of all races and diverse creeds should bo
allies, not enemies,- henco ho is urging close?
relations through statesmanship and trade
Mr. Bryan is also making clear to the' Latin
Americans his views against militarism, against
the surrender of human Ideals to the spirt of
commercialism and in favor of tho upward coursa
,o mankind therefore he is doing tho UnS
States good and .creditable service In South
America. Now Orleans Dally States
WHY NOT PUT IT BACK?
, A newspaper dispatch says that Tnhn r
Rockefeller will "devote his vast fortune to h
uplift of humanity." Mr. Rod efoner could do
a great deal toward tho uplift of humaiiiJl iJ
he would set to his fellows the insSLv
ample of tho greatest monopolist of tie fcT
using the millions he has taken from Ml ?S '
Burners of the country in ? ItZ0
The Commoner.
Where the Old
Ship is Leaking
NO LITERATURE FOR INSURGENTS
Washington dispatch to tho St. Louis Times
(rep.):
By President Taft's approval of tho campaign
plans perfected by the republican leaders, tho
insurgents will have no chance to have their
propaganda presented to tho peoplo through tho
regular channels of literature and speeches, in
next fall's fight for control of tho house at the
polls. No republican candidate will be opposed
by tho republican organization, but notice will
bo served on the insurgents that tho campaign
literature and speeches will be of regular,
straight party doctrine type.
As a practical proposition, this means In a
large measure the dyed-in-the-wool insurgents
who opposed the passage of the tariff bill, and
who have denounced Cannonism, can expect lit
tle help from the republican congressional com
mittee In their own campaigns for re-election.
President Taft has expressed satisfaction with
this style of campaign, and if he follows the ad
vice of certain leaders he will start the ball
rolling in one of the speeches that he is to make
on his forthcoming western trip. Mr. Taft is
prepared to say Borne pretty harsh things about
the insurgent republican movement in congress.
The plan of campaign to be fought by the
republican congressional committee was submit
ted to tho president in detail by Representative
William B. McKinley of Illinois, chairman of
that organization.
MR. TAFT IN A RAGE
Washington dispatch to the Philadelphia
North American (rep.):
Because he has taken the position that the
fight upon Secretary of the Interior Ballinger
is a fight upon himself, President Taft is rapid
ly making tho question of conservation and the
principle of handling the public's property for
the benefit of the public an issue between him
self and the American people.
It is only within tho last week that members
of congress have realized how intensely bitter
is the feeling of the president against all who
have opposed the, attacks made by Ballinger
upon tho conservation policy.
At tho timo he dismissed Gifford Pinchot,
chief forester, from tho public service for writ
ing a letter to Senator Dolliver some rumors of
tho president's violent denunciations of Pinchot
reached the public from the White House but
they attracted little attention. '
The president's refusal to permit former Law
Offlcor Shaw, of the forest service, who was
also dismissed as the result of the fight for con
servation, to practice before the departments has
become a subject of animated discussion among
tho members of both houses, not so much be
cause of tho president's action, as of the manner
in which lie made it known.
T Slawls ? very yunS man and comes from
North Carolina. He is just starting upon his
career as a lawyer, and his dismissal from tho
forest service by the president made it neces
sary that he should begin the general practice
of law in order to make a living.
Ho wanted to settle down here in Washing
ton, and therefore filed application for admit
tance to practice before the departments of the
government, having already been admitted to
practice before, the courts of the District of Co
SUtatesa supremo court of the United
Senators Overman and Simmons, of North
Carolina, accompanied by Representative Page
of the same state, all interested In youmr ShiTw
went to tho White House to ask the Resident
to reconsider his rejection of ShiPappfS
t on. Both senators are on good terms with
tho president, and were cordially reS
When they mentioned the object of their 'visit
however, the president flew into a verytlmvesi
of rage. There were no fewer than enS?flve
men most of them members of congrew thl
president's room at this time, and the .violent
of his language and the loud tones in which it
was uttered drew the attention of every one
of them. The North Carolina senators L,r
rassed upon their own account, and also onn"
count of tho president, tried to smoomVaUe
They suggested to Mr. Taft that he was too
much wrought up to discuss the matteT nron
er y, and that they would come back again and
take it up with him. He denied that he was
wrought up, and continued his tirade against
Shaw, calling him a traitor, an ingrate and
other names which could not well be published.
The president had so far lost control of himself
that his language, it is declared, would havo
sounded extreme had it come from Speaker
Cannon.
The North Carolina members finally withdrew
much discomfited and have not been back. But
tho president has been informed by Senator
Root and by others that he, has gone altogether
too far in barring Shaw from the right to prac
tice before the departments, and he has, there
fore, referred the matter to Attorney General
Wickersham for a legal opinion upon his rights.
As has already been published, the president
told the North Carolinians that Shaw would be
barred so long as he himself remains president
of the United States.
Somewhat nettled, Senator Overman is quoted
as telling the president that if he were to bar
every lawyer in the United States who fails
to approve the administration, the great ma
jority of the legal profession "would be pro
scribed. Representative Page has been interviewed for
some of the North Carolina papers upon the
visit to the White House, and has told, the story
substantially as set forth here.
Ho suggests that possibly Shaw is being dis
ciplined until it has been discovered what he
will testify to before the Ballinger Investigating
committee. The whole incident has made a
most unfavorable impression, revealing, as it
does, the president in a vindictive effort to
punish the men who have fought for the public
interest against the efforts of Ballinger to sac
rifice that interest.
WHAT WILL ROOSEVELT DO?
Washington dispatch to the Buffalo (New
York) Times:
After Colonel Roosevelt is safely home and
the shouting has died down the nation will nat
urally look to him to choose his company as
between the standpatters and the progressives.
President Taft and Senator Aldrich are sym
bolical of the reactionary group, while LaFol
lette and Clapp are representative of the pro
gressive element of the republican j?arXyn ,
If the ex-president disowns.r. Taft,7lt,wiU
be accepted by many as an admission, of the oft
made charge that he enticed the American peo
ple into electing as president a man wholly un
fit for the office.
If Roosevelt places his approval on the Taft
administration it will be accepted as a slap in
the face of the progressives and progressive
sympathizers.
It would appear that whatever course Mr.
Roosevelt takes, he will come in for criticism.
But it may be that he has already mapped out
an Ingenious "policy" that will enable him to
meet the vexatious situation with a minimum of
irritation to all concerned.
There is as wide a difference of opinion among
Washington newspaper correspondents as to
what Roosevelt will do, politically, upon his re
turn as among the politicians.
Frank B. Lord, Washington correspondenffar
Norman E. Mack's National Monthly, sums uj
venwm118 Way: "Depend UP Roose!
ifL n fm5ke no m,ove unless ne sees before
hand that he can win. Even though he may
desire a renomination as president, he willay
Eft n,Sn? he has iB,?ed up the situati S
fully and can see victory ahead Thrpfn
Roosevelt's first active stroke for a iVenomination
will signalize the defeat of Taft If R0Seve3
is convinced that the stand-pat element of hs
party can not be routed, he will Tt show M
hand as to wishing another term Stfi WMto
TATT WILL FIGHT DOLLIVER
are right or whether he is rlSti admTinIsltratln
vinced that, ho is right and hi r ?Q 1s C0Ijl"
meet the wrong whefe iUives gIng out to
The president Is goinir in ntn-nt v ,
Iowa. That state if Si home V L In
and the home of Senators SSL- Insureoncy
mins. The President isnotang wTth m"
mins. He does not like him hi? k J. Cum"
Cummins represents one opinio dTVhat
the president, represents anothe? that he'
Tho president is not ancrv wm, e
liver. He does not believf that DonlvorT D,01"
cere, and he does not fSI
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