The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1901-09-27
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

Roosevelt will retain the present Cabinet
intact came as something of a surprise to
the country in general. Perhaps no
change which he could have made would
have surprised the public as much as this
unlooked-for conservatism. But it is an
old story, as regards Roosevelt, that the
only thing you can really expect of him is
the unexpected.
1t is no secret that Platt and Hanna
were doing considerable squirming for a
few days after they realized that the man
whom they had shelved as Vice President
was really headed for the White House.
They did not like it. They were afraid
of him, and they arc still, but in mod-
fed way. They realize that Roosevelt is
going to do what he SAYS he will, and they
have that much to luild on, but whether
he will do it in the way in which they
want him to is another question. When
he says he is going head first through
plate glass window the window had better
he insured, and some of the enterprises in
which these two sapient gentlemen are
engaged are of the nature of conserva
tory. They are raising infant industries
under glass, and that sort of thing. 1t
would not be nice if the Rough Rider
should put his boot through the shelter of
the shipping subsidies. Hanna says he
will not, but maybe the wish is father to
the thought 1t is known that Roosevelt
is very much interested in the upbuildng
of the Merchant Marine, and particularly
that of the Navy. He wishes to unite the
countries of the two Americas by COM
mercial links. The question is whether
he can join the two wings of his own party
so that they will flap in unison and take
him where he wants TO go. President
Mckinley never exactly said anything in
favor of subsidies, but, then, he never said
anything against them. Roosevelt never
was neutral in his life He reminds one
of remark of one of the characters in
Tourgees once famous novel, "A FOOLS
Errand' "Old men generally get the
credit for all the conservatism in the
| world, but it is mistake. A young man
backs just as hard as he pulls. If he is
opposed to thing he fights it tooth and
nail" Roosevelt is only forty-two, and
be when he is one at all.
Another thing which should not be
| overlooked is that Roosevelt's principal
friends and supporters have not yet come
ha n &c hat -Gan
| Senator Lodge comes back from Europe
there may be change in the existing
situation.
There is no doubt that Roosevelt will
be strenuous in some direction. 1t is said
| that he will favor not only large navy
but standing army of a strength equal
| to that provided under the reorganization
act of last winter. Whether the army can
| be enlarged Indefinitely without interfer-
ing with the welfare of the people as a
| whole is one of the questions not yet set
| tied. We are not ready for any such
ideals of military service as those which
| prevail in Europe. and it is doubtful if we
! really want to be. Another place in which
there is likely to be some shaking up is
the secret service President Roosevelt
has been collecting testimony about the
performances of the secret service men at
Buffalo, and it is stated that he regards
them with contempt, as lot of incompe-
tents, and will make some radical changes
in that branch of the government very
| soon. In this connection there is a little
story about Josiah Flynt, the tramp de-
tective, which is interesting. FlYnt, as
most people know, is college bred man
| who has been knocking about in the dis
guise of a hobo for the last ten or fifteen
years, gathering information about tramp
and criminal classes, and is possible the
best authority in the country on this sub
ject. He published an article sometime
ago which was a terrible arraignment of
| the New York detective force, and the
they would show him tina. he could not
talk in that way about the police of a
great city. For two days they hunted for
him. At the end of that time he strolled
into the Front Office talked with the
chief about an irrelevant matter, and
asked. incidentally. Have they caught
that man Flynt YETI" He was RECALLED
with unvarnished opinions of himself, and
stroled out again in state of inward
amusement. They have not caught him
yet The fact is that the detective and
secret service men are not rs sharp as the
criminal. and until they are-until men
who are rcsourceful, shrewd and incor-
ruptible make up these forces-the crimi,
nal will have about as good a time as Lie
| does now.
Seth Low was nominated for Mayor of
Greater New York Tuesday by the two
great wings of the fusion army-the Re
publicans and the Citizens Unionists.
Opnpp OF r ,r,r,cr,on