The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-09-26
WASHINGTON LETTER
Washington, Sept. 23. 1901

The noWs tn It President Roose.
welt will rct,in thu present Cabinet
III tact camo as something Of Il
SURPRISE to tns country in general .
Perhaps no change which he could
have made would have surprised the
pubic rs much as this unlocked.
tor conservatism. But it is an old
story, rs re.ards Roosevelt, that
the only thing YOU can really eX
pet Of hlm is the unexpected.
1t is no secret that Platt and
Hanna ware doing ,nsiderably
squirming for Il f.w days after the ,
realized that the plan whom they
had shclved a' Wee President was
roally headed fOc the White House.
They did not like IT,. They are
afraid of him, and they are still, but
in Il modified way. They realize
that Roosevelt is going to do what
he says he will, and they have that
much t. build on, but whether he
will do it in tho 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 be insured, and
somo of the nature Of conserva-
tory. They are raising infant IN
dustrias under glass, and that sort
OF thing, 1t would not be mic, If
the Rough Rider should put his
boot through the shelter Of the
shipping subsidies. Hanna Says
he will not, bat may be the wish is
father to the thought. 1t is known
that Roosevelt is Very much inter
oslcd in the upbuilding of tho Mcr-
chant Marine, and particularly
that of the Navy. lie wishes to
unite the countries of the two
Americas links. The question is
whether ho can join the two wings
Of his OWN party so that they will
flap IN unison and take him where
he wants to 60. President McKin-
~ never said anything against
them. Roose :elt II ever wa, neutral
in his life. lie reminds ono of
remark OF one Of the characters in
Tourgeo's once lannon's novel, "a
Fool>s Mrand". "Old men gener-
ally get the credit for all the con.
sorvatlsm in the world, but it is a
mistake. A young man backs Just
as hard as he pulls. i he is op.
posed to a thing ho fights it tooth
and nail.' Roosevelt is only for
ty-two, and that is tho kind cf a
conservative ho will be when he is
ono ut all.
The very cNub.ranco Of tho ut
terancc Of various Republican Sen
ators as to tho confidence theyhavc
in RoosHvelts, since his decision to
retain the members Of the
present Cabinet, is liltlo SUSPECT.
GUS. 1t indicates that they have
been scared and now arc reassurod.
Another thing which should not
be overlooked is that Roo:evolts's
principal friends and supporters
have not yet como OH the scene. 1t
is thought that when Senator
Lodge comes back from Europe
there may be change in the exls-
ting situation.
Thore is no noubt that Roosevelt
will bo strenuous in some direct.
ion. 1t is said that he will favor
not only largo navy but a stand
ing army OF a strength equal tc
that provided under the rcorgani.
zation act of last winter. Wheth
cr the army can be enlarged indo-
linitoly without interfering with
the welfare of the people rs Il
whole is one Of the questions not
} yet settled. 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 hc. Another place in
which there is likely to be some
shaking up is tho secret service
! President Roosevelt has been tc
Hulalo,and it is stated tnat he re
CARDS them with contempt, as {
: lot Of incomretonts, md will mak'
) sOmo radical changes in that brancl
, of the G, yernmcnt very soon. 1t
this connection there is a 'littl
story about Josiah Flynt, tn
tramp detective, which is interest
ing. Flynt, as most people know
is college brod mon who has bceI
t knocking about in the disguise of
t hobo for the last ten or hfteel
. years, gathering information abou
| tramp and criminal classes, and i
t possible the best authority in tn,
: country on this subio.t. He pub
) llshed an Article :ometime age
e which was a terrible arriagnmen
e Of the New York detective force
e and the New York people wer,
mad. They said they would show
him that he could not talk in tina,
way about the police of q grea,
city: For two days they hunted
for HIM. At tho end of that time
ho strolled into the Front Office"
D talked with tho chief arout an ir