The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-31
MAN WHO GRASPED
THE SITUATION
KEEN FORESIGHT OF CHARLES
EMORY SMITH.
He Saw the Dangers Of a Free Trade
Policy with Puerto Rico-The Good
Effects Of Craftsmanship Again
Demonstrated-A Mistake Prompt
ly Corrected-The Week Of Con-
1ress
Special to The Scranton Tribune.

sample Of the political Mysteries that
always precedes a presidential cam
paign. 1t Is sort of Introductory
chapter to the campaign text book. 1t
always happens In a presidential elec.
ton year. The under dog In the fight
starts 1t. 1t is newspaper agitation,
and, of course, almost always harmless.
Newspaper people don't lie just for the
fun of the thing. Hardly line has
been written on the Puerto Rican
question from a partizan or interested
standpoint that bears the remotest re-
semblance to the truth. Every issue of
tLese papers Is gratuitous contribu-
tion to the slander and misrepresenta.
tion of a vicious partizan press.
In whose interest? Certainly not in
the interest Of American labor. In the
interest Of humanity? What nonsense.
The simple truth Is the non-partizan
and Republican free-trader. so far as
Puerto Rico Is concerned. is trader.
1t seemed to be very innocent matter
when 1t was first suggested in the
presidents message to congress last
December And when the truth comes
out 1t will appear that the president
| was unwittingly misled by Republican
leaders who were influenced by local
interests.
Senator Davis of Minnesota. was
conspicuous among his advisers in the
| preparation of his message recommend
| ing free trade between the United
States and Puerto Rico. Senator Davis
Is chairman Of the committee on For-
eign Relations. 1t was entirely proper
| to advise with him and his judgment
naturally carried very great weight
1t is not pleading the baby act" to
| say that the president was influenced
by 1t. At the time the Washington
papers noted the senator's daily visits
| to the White House. And it can be re-
called how unctuously the Minnesota
| senator was heralded as 1.-The presi-
| dents closest adviser" These same
| papers, about that time, suggested
Senator Davis name for the vice-presi-
| dency on the Republican ticket this
year. So much prominence was given
to the suggestion it was at once said
that it came directly from the president
himself.
THE MAN OF PERCEPTION.
| Though questioned on the subject by
the newspapers Senator Davis failed to
deny the soft impeachment. Denial now
| 10 HOI UcCcSSdIs. IIIit has Scltleu
that. People will not wonder, how.
ever, when the story is told hereafter
that the free-trade suggestion in the
presidents message was due largely to
| Senator Davis, as chairman of the
Committee on Foreign Relations. They
will show still less surprise when it is
| also known that the one man in the
cabinet who resolutely and vigorously
/ h..
inherent Republican policy of protec.
| tion to home interests was Charles
Emory Smith. He saw the danger at the
very inception of the proposition. He
grasped the situation with the mar
velous perception that has more than
once saved the administration from
trouble.
| With unerring, dispassionate judg-
ment he saw intuitively what the Re-
publican policy should be and must be
| in dealing with Puerto Rico. He was
right. He was more than right. He
was wise.
The Republican majority in congress
sustains him. 1t is another vindication
of rare craftsmanship. of practical COM
mon business sense, of splendid judg-
ment, Of conspicuous readiness. 1t is
| HeitoStciiStlC VI TIE IllcIl. w nat an
ideal candidate for the vice-presidency
| The place would be honored by his
nomination as it has never been hon.
ored in the history of it's existence. A
clean, able, strong man. A loyal, broad,
undisguised Republican. The represen-
tative of the greatest and strongest OF
all the states.
Pennsylvania may be Indifferent to
| ,,.t,
party will see it when the convention
meets in Philadelphia next June. 1t Is
the exception that the June conven-
tion will be the most notable political
gathering in the history of the country.
The history, the courage, the achieve
ments. the wisdom, the patriotism of
the Republican party will be there in
the eminent men and distinguished
leaders of the party. Charles Emory
Smith will need no Introduction to such
a body of stalwart, honest, uncom-
promising. progressive Republicans. 1t
Is this fact. growing more obvious daily
as the time approaches. that induces
the confident belief in the nomination
OF the postmaster general. The first
| whisperings indicating the drift in this
direction comes from prominent menu
|
ing quietly but significantly. about the
wisdom Of Mr.. Smiths nomination. AS
postmaster general he has been in u
position to do some very effective elec-
tioneering, but he hasn't done it. If at
all inclined to do it, it is questionable
II he would know how. His official ac-
tion Is absolutely free from even a sug-
gestion of political aggrandisement
II the Philadelphia convention comes
up to the public expectation 1t will be
looking for just such a Republican
candidate for the vice presidency as
Charles Emory Smith.
MISTAKE PROMPTLY CORRECTED.
But to go back to the land of mo-
lasses and rum. There has never been
doubt about the final action of the
tariff agitation in congress. When II
was discovered that absolute free
trade with Puerto Rico at this time
was inexpedient. the mistake was
promptly corrected. Since the passage
of the Ways and Means bill i'm the
house nobody who knows anything
about the situation here has doubted
what the final action would be. Mo-
body has supposed that 40 Republicans
would surrender to twelve in the house
or that forty-four Republican senators
would yield to a half dozen In the
senate. So from the beginning 1t has
been clear to all who wanted to un-
derstand the matter or wanted to tell
, the truth about It. that Senator Davis
free-trade policy had not and has not
the ghost OF a chance.