Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-03-29
THE POLITICAL SITUATION.
Campaign of 1904 Through Henry.
wattersOn's SpectacIes.

~ oILeESOns SpecIacIes.
In n letter written from Washington
and received ut Louisville, Ky, Henry
Watterson says, according to the New
York World:
ITO haySeed like myself who comes
to Washington to pick up a little in
formation and polish, the outlook is
| discouraging. Chaos everywhere - in
| society, which has not quite recovered
/ its equipOse. though the prince has
been gone a fortnight; in politics.
| where Il bronchO buster in the White
House is making fingers and thumbs
/ Of things SO that no man can fOretell
what next
There is but one thing that at this
moment stands out bold and clear up
on the horizon of the national capital
! before the eyes of all intelligent men.
i That is that the Democratic party has
in front of it Il great opportunity if it
but knows how to improve ii. For the
first time these thirty years it. is the
Republicans who are Mt sea. Their
boat may not have yet sprung n leak.
Both compass and rudder may he still
intact, but there are two pilots aboard
and rocks ahead.
I'm the first place, on the Republic
an side the situation revoIves about
| the succession. 1t is Teddy and anti
Teddy. Little OF this yet appears
about the surface. Both factions are
out in submarine boats. But these
will be loaded with explosives.
"Observe that sleek, smooth shaven
gentleman crossing the rotunda be-
tween the house and senate. His step
is light, jaunty, even springy. Not Il
cloud across his brow, not n care in
his eyes. You might take him for a
prosperous professor, and so he is,
of the shoals and depths of party man.
agement, for that is the chairman of
the national Republican committee,
the Junior senator from Ohio. Mr..
Hanna-SIr. Mark A. Hanna, and don't
let IT escape your memory. What he
doesn't know about ritual and sign
manual is hardly worth knowing.
Gradually but surely Roosevelt has
been wedding out the distinctiYely Nc
Kinley element from the cabinet. In
the fullness of time they will all go.
He is filling each vacated post with Il
practical politician made in the Roose-
welt image-that is to say, with a pol
itician who knows how to work the
civil service racket for all 1t is worth
"Broncho buster though he be, there
is method In his broncho busting
Mindful of the fate of John Tyler and
Andrew Johnson, he draws the line
about where Grover Cleveland left It.
That he is a clean, honest man of
good impulses and the best intentions
should go without saying. But he is
an inconsiderate man, combative and
aggressive, and while much heartier
and more genial than Mr.. Cleveland
less coldly reserved and selfishly reso-
Lutte
There is Just one thing for the DEM
ocrats on the Philippines committee
there are five of them-to do, and that
is to force the Republicans-there are
eight of them-to a showdown. a
subcommittee should be at once sent
to Manila. 1t could go and come be-
tween now and the middle of June.
making fits report to the present session
of congress. If the Republicans refuse
this, let the five Democrats constitute
each and one another a subcommittee
and go themselves. Doubtless General
Chaffee would arrest them on their ar
rival. Bully?,