Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-07-10
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent


WASHINGTON, July 7, 1902.
Before he left Washington for his home
in Georgia, Senator Clay spoke most en-
couragingly of the prospects of the Demo-
cratic party at the coming elections. He
told me that he believed the let well
enough alone" slogan, of which Mr.. Hanna
was the author, was practically worn out,
and he did not believe that, as the people
came to realize that ''let well enough
alone'' meant ''let the trusts take all they
desire and let the people have what is
left they would continue to listen to the
platitudes inspired by the Senator from
Ohio. Senator Clay also believes that the
passage of the Ship-Subsidy bill by the
Senate, notwithstanding that the measure
was SO ubiquitous that number of the
leading Republican Senators felt compelled
to vote against it on conscientious grounds,
will result in disaster to the Republican
party, especially is this true when taken
together with the fact that, as is well
known, the bill was not pushed in the
House because it was felt that it would
prove inimicaI to the interests of the party
in the fall elections, but, on the other
hand, was retained in committee from
WulCll 10 lCROluCNt llC,oCu 0Ao
soon as the elections are over. In word,
the Georgia Senator does not believe that
''you can fool all of the people all of the
time" or even majority of them.
Another charge, which in the estimation
of Die Senator from Georgia. the people
will bring against the Republican party
will be their unwillingness, or incapacity,
to legislate in the direction urged by
President Roosevelt and demanded by
large faction of the party itself. In his
message to Congress, the President laid
especial emphasis on the necessity for so
legisating as to create federal supervision
of trusts and make their affairs public. In
private conversation with the leaders of his
party, he urged them to frame bill which
would make the Sherman Antitrust law
effective, but without result. The House
and Senate Committees on Judiciary both
refused to report any such law. With
great combinations OF capital putting up
the prices on everything the people are
compelled to buy, from food to fuel and
clothing, and the party in power refusing
to take any effective means to prevent the
hardships thus imposed on the people, rich
and poor alike. Senator Clay predicts that
the people will find nothing well enough to
let alone.
Senator Vest, who, perhaps, may be said
to belong to the old school, does not regard
the fall elections with as much hope as his
colleague from Georgia. Speaking on the
prospects, Saturday, the "Little Giant from
Missouri said, sit is useless to protest
against the Philippine policy now.
II the Republican leaders can continue the
present boom, they will carry the fall cleo
tions, and the next Presidential election.
OF course they are in alliance with the
trusts That no thinking man can deny.
The Sugar Trust, for instance, was power
full enough to defeat the House bill provid
ing for reciprocity with Cuba and in their
general legislation they have shown con-
clusvely their intention not to attack the
trusts in any way. Nevertheless, while
the farmers and manufacturers continue to
receive high prices for their products, the
Republican party will continue to remain
in power. As to the fall elections, | am
not certain that much would be gained by
the Democrats if they carried the House,
Sooner or later a financial revulsion is
bound to come, and if it should come while
the Democrats were in possession OF the
House, the politicians would persuade the
people that the Democrats were responsible
for the reversal of Republican prosperity"
When the revulsion comes the Democrats
will be re-instated, but not till then.
That is my Judgment, and | am sorry if it
differs from the opinion of other members
of my party"
Before leaving Washington the President
authorized the insurance of document
which is another evidence of the willing
ness of the administration to make politi-
col capital out of the army. | refer to the
general order issued by direction Of the
President and signed by Secretary Root in
which he INDUCES in the most fulsome
praise of the army While there is no
sentiment among the Democrats which
would deprive the army Of any of the high
praise which it deserves, this production of
the Secretary of War, and of the President,
is so entirely without precedent and so en-
phatically ''for political purposes only"
that it is regarded as in the utmost bad
taste. In this connection, it is worthy of
note that Mr.. Root has again taken occasion
to humiliatess General Miles by refusing to
honor his recommendation that Capt Rob-
ert G. VanVliet be appointed on the Gener-
al's staff as inspector of small arms prac-
tice. In refusing to sanction the recon-
mendation, Secretary Root refers to article
PA of the army regulations, but, as the
friends of General Miles point out, the
regulation refers to Department Com
manders' and has no application to the
General commanding the army" there
fore the action of the Secretary is tant-
amount to an attempt to place General
Miles on the same footing as Department
Commander, and is entirely without the
province of the Secretary of War.
While to speak of deficiency in the
Treasury surplus seems more than startling,
now that Congress has adjourned brief
examination of the national finances is in
ORDER and such an examination may throw
some light on the ''revulsion'' anticipated
by Senator Vest. According to the state
ment made by Senator Allison, the financier
of the Senate and of the Republican party,
on the last day of the session, the Fifty
seventh Congress has SO far appropriated
$500, 1913, S37, exclusive of the contracts
authorized, and which must be paid for at
some future time. These contracts from
figures furnished me by Representative
Livingston, ranking Democratic member of
the House Committee on Appropriations,
amount to $3.50, 1873, 215, making the total
appropriations aggregate 81 ,059, 567, 052.
On June 10th, Representative Cannon
stated Oh the floor of the House that the
estimated revenues of the government for
the current fiscal year would amount to
$639, 600, 600. 1t is not difficult, therefore,
to see how close the Congress just adjourned
has brought the country to deficiency
which would certainly be accomplished if
the Ship-Subsidy bill, now in allegiance,
were to become law during the short
session.
SUMMER TOURS TO THE NORTH.
Trun Thurs tn Canada via Transatlantic Rail.