The Savannah morning news., 1902-09-20
REPUBLICANS. ARE DISMAYED
DETECTION OF SPEAKER HENDER'
SON SPREADS CONSERVATION.

MS retreat Under Fire Viewed
with Extreme Disfavor by the
rank and File of the Speakers
partv-Ex-GOvernOr Boies, Candi-
5.cx believed to BE the Secret Mo-
tive.
washington, Sept. 19.-Speaker Hem
derson's declaration that he will not
no a. candidate for reelection to the
House of Representatives has caused
General CONSERVATION in the Republi-
can camp in Washington.
The leaders of that party fear that
@be effect will be disastrous for them.
# looks to many of them like the gen.
eral of an army deserving in the midst
of battle, and the Speaker is being
savagely denounced in private for what
&c termed his lack of courage.
The reason which he gives in his let
+Ar and in his statement-lack of har-
raony with the Republicans of his dis
trict on the tariff question-is not re-
garded by all Republicans in Washing
ton as being the real reason. They be-
ueve the real reason is that he feared
defeat by Ex-Governor Boies, and pre-
ferred to get out of the campaign rath-
er than have his career in Congress
terminated by being defeated. 1t has
been generally recognized by the Re-
publicans here that Speaker Henderson
would have a very hard fight on his
hands. and that he stood in great dan
ger of being defeated 1t is true that
when he was last elected he had a
plurality of II 1926 votes, but this does
not represent the true political COM
pleXion of his district. In 1890, for in
stance, he escaped defeat only by the
narrow plurality of 1913, and it was
feared that with such a strong oppo-
nent as Ex-Governor Boies he would
not be able to pull through at all this
year.
1t is said that the treatment of the
negro voters in the South by the Re-
publicans will cut down the Republi-
can vote in Mr.. Henderson's district
materially, as there are over 10000 ne
gro voters in his district and they are
very much dissa tisfied with the way
their brethren in the South are being
turned down by the Republican lead
ers. In addition to this. there is no
doubt that the differences in the Re-
publican party on the tariff question
anu TIE Strung S6ullul6IiI III IOWd III
favor of tariff reform would have OPP
Grated against the Speaker if he had
remained in the race. Aside from these
considerations, however, the Republic
can leaders here insist that Mr.. Hen
derson should have remained in the
fight and should have gone down in
defeat rather than demoralize the
party throughout the country by re-
treating under fire
The plainest talk for publication by
any Republican in Washington came
from Director of the Mint Roberts, an
Iowa Republican of the Cummins fac
ton. Mr. Roberts said: 1.-THE Speak
er's action is unaccountable to me.
His letter does not reveal any reason
that seems to justify so extraordinary
an act. He says that he is out of
harmony with a great many Republic
cans in the state upon the tariff issue,
but he indicates that the state plat
form is not unacceptable, and | see no
reason why he should be disturbed by
the expressions of individuals. He at
tended a conference of Republican
leaders at Des Moines two weeks ago
which was also attended by Gov. Cum
minis and others who favor tariff revi-
sion, and they had frank discussion of
the situation which ended harmonious
w. The Speaker invited the Governor
to make several speeches in his dis
trict, and the latter agreed to do it.
Evidently at that time he did not re-
gard the differences of sufficient i'm
portance to deter him from making the
race"
Notwithstanding the Speakers de-
clarations that lie will not reconsider
his determination to withdraw, many
Republicans here believe that he will
be prevailed upon to change his mind
and will stay in the race though they
are afraid that even if he does so the
mischief will have been done, and he
will not only have assured his own
defeat, but will have demoralized the
Republican forces so as to lead to the
defeat of many other candidates for
Congress-