Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-08-29
WASHINGTON LETTER.
tFrom our Regular Correspondent

WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our Regular Correspondent
Washington, Aug. 25.-Probably no
more difficult situation ever confront |
ID an aspirant for election to the high. |
,st Office in the land than that which |
oow confronts Mr.. Roosevelt. Although
he deity refrained from melting the
asst Congress to action against the
trusts, beyond few perfunctory re-
in his first message,
his Independence Day speech startled
the proprietors of the Octopi and they
quickly made it known that q cam
paign conducted along the lines laid
down on that occasion would receive
no support from them. Republican
politicians promptly notified the Pres
ident that he must adopt more con-
sentative tone in dealing with the
trusts, the alleged plans formulated by
the President and Representative Lit
tlefield, of Maine. were Immediately
hushed and little more was heard in
regard to the trusts or the modification
of the tariff with view to their sup
pressson until the Iowa Republicans
met adopted platform inimical to
the interests of the trusts magnates.
Secretary Shaw then went to Oyster
Bay and conferred with the President
and it was given out, after his visit,
that he would voice the sentiments of
the President on the trust and tariff
question during the campaign. Con-
sequently Mr.. Shaw's first speech made
at Morrisville, VT, was awaited with
interest. The Secretary defended the
trusts and the Dingley tariff bill, in
dulged in a number of general state
ments in regard to the great interest
his party took in the welfare of the
workingman and probably pleased the
trust magnates and the capitalists but
woefully disappointed the advocates OF
tariff reform of which there is an i'm
mense number in the Republican par.
ty throughout the west.
Now Mr.. Roosevelt is on a tour OF
the country. He will not, it is stated
take up partizan questions which
would be unbecomlng In the President
Of all the people. Under this specioue
plea he will avoid the trust and tariff
questions, at least SO his friends hope.
On the other hand, he has already Civ
en- forecast of his addresses to the
people. Judging by his New Haven
effort his line Of argument is to consist
of laudation of the army and the
Philippine policy. When he gets out
west it Is more than likely that he will
become impressed by the prevalent de-
mand of the people for tariff revision
and again indulge in statements Cal.
culated, he will believe, to make votes
but which will offend the capitalists
who rely on the Republican party to
protect them in their monopolizing OF
every resource in the country worth
the effort. That such situation exists
cannot be denied. Secretary Wilson,
who returned recently from the west
has made public a statement in which
he says that the Iowa Republican plat.
form means. that the people expect the
Republican party to revise those tariff
schedules which protect the trusts
To sum up, Mr.. Roosevelt is trying to
ride two horses with the election in
1904 as his goal, and in the opinion oil
the best judges in Washington he il
going to find the task a difficult one.iH
There is something grotesque in the
Presidents scolding the leaders of the
Republican party in the south because
of the corruption of their machines
and their avidity for office. 1t would
seem that nothing but lack of knowl
edge Of the existing conditions in the
south could have prompted such g
waste Of breath. For an intelligent
politician to assume that the Republi
can machines in the south exist fol-
any other purpose than for the divi
sion of spoils bespeak an ignorance OF
an overestlmate of the credulity OF the
people which is surprising. Leading
Democrats In Washington are surprised
and amused by what they describe as
the Presidents guilelessness. On the
other hand. the leaders of the Repub
lican party in the southern states are
indignant at what they call the Presi.
dents effronterY in undertaking tc
scold them. Meanwhile, Mr.. Hanna
is reported to be contemplating with
great amusement his competitors mis-
takes with the knowledge that when
the 1904 convention convenes the south.
ern delegates will stand ready to vote
precisely as the Ohio senator may di'
rect.