The Savannah morning news., 1902-03-13

/ AAiAohSCs IHeSe nave all 0oen
heavy contributors to the Republican
| campaign fund. They all of them
agreed that from the standpoint of
men with large investments, the pres
ent President of the United States is
dangerous and unsafe man.
PIatt's Visit to Albany.
These men, or rather men of the class
whom they represent, have the ear of
Senator Plat and they have not hes
| itated. so it is understood, to express
/ their views to the Senator. The SEN
ator himself has never been close to
| Roosevelt. { He is. however, very close
to Gov. Odell, and he is good enough
politician to see that next to Roosevelt
| himself, the New York governor is
more interested in harmony in the Re
| publican party of the state than any
other one man. Hence the trip to AL
| bany. That Gov. Odell should have
| found it convenient to take little va
cation just at this time, and to spend
that vacation in Washington, was most
natural. While he and President
Roosevelt have never been particularly
close politically, he was in the best
position of all the Republican leaders
of New York to tell the President of
| the conditions prevailing there.
| He has had his talk and has returned
| to Albany. 1t is understood that the
conversation between the two men was
by no means confined to honeyed COM
| pliments. President Roosevelt ex-
pressed no surprise over what was told
him about divisions in the par
| ty in New York, but he in
| clines to the belief that Gov
| ernor Odell's administration is
more responsible for this state of af-
| fairs than is the federal administra-
| tion. With regard to the merger mat
| ter, the President made it clear that
| he had no excuses to offer as he was
| acting strictly within the lines of his
| duty as the executive head of the gov
| eminent and he did not see that it
| was incumbent upon him to consult
| the big men of Wall street in advance.
| There were, however agreements upon
minor political matters. All of them
concessions to the wishes of the New
| York organization for which Gov.
| Odell spoke. The President showed
that he is as anxious as anybody for
the election of a Republican Governor
in New York this year, and that he
realizes the possibility of failure in
this. =
Judge Parker for Governor.
The growing harmony among the
Democratic factions in New York and
the probability of the Democrats nom
mating some man like Judge Parker
of the Supreme Court for the COVER
norship have contributed to the alarm
of the Republicans. President Roose-
Welt is a warm adrnirer of Judge Park
er and realizes that he would be
very dangerous opponent of whonever
the Republicans may nominate. Gov.
Odell realizes this also and for this
reason has so far hesitated to an
nounce his candidacy for renomina-
ton. SO chaotic are the conditions Just
now that the Governor is in no hurry
to place himself at the head of what
may be losing fight. He is young and
beheVes he has a chance at the presi-
dency. To go into a campaign this
year and be defeated would, he real
ICES, put an end to his political pros
poets and he does not propose to take
any greater chances than he has to.
With assurances that the administra-
ton will not fight the Republican or
ganization, of which Senator Platt is
the head, and that there will be
no more bad breaks to scare off big
contributions from Wall street, he is
willing to make the race.
President Roosevelt believes that
while his action in the merger matter
may not have been popular in Wall
would be more than offset elsewhere.
The more practical politicians of his
party do not agree with him. They
realize what potent factor in bring
ing about Republican success in the
past has been the united support of
Wall street.
They know that without the contri-
buttons of these interests or with any,
thing like an even distribution of these
hot
Republican success would be impos-
sible. In New York they are afraid
that the lukewarmness of Wall street
toward the Republican ticket would re-
suit in the election of a Democratic
Governor and of number of members
of Congress from districts which ought
to be Republican.
Contributions are Needed.
They are particularly fearful lest
these Wall street interests and those
allied with them may, by giving aid
either positively or negatively, contri-
butte to the election of Democratic
lower House this fall. The Republican
politicians believe that it is essential
to carry the House in this years elec-
ton, fearing that unless this is done
the way will be paved for Democratic
victory in the presidential election as
in 1882 and 1890. They believe that the
moneyed interests of the country would
not be at all adverse to a Democratic
House of Representatives since a
divided responsibility in Congress
would prevent the enactment of ex-
treme legislation of any kind. These
interests have secured everything in
the way of financial legislation they
desire. and they are satisfied with the
present status.
Trouble Ahead in Another state.
1t is not in New York alone that the
Republican politicians see danger
ahead. In Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and
Wisconsin there are fractional splits
between the Republicans, which are
calculated to work harm to the party.
In Illinois the fight over the senator
ship and the control of the party is
so bitter that great fears are enter
tanned that there may be another such
upheaval as the state has known once
or twice in her history, although APP
parently no state in the Union is
more strongly Republican.
1t is in view of the conditions in
all of these states that the Republic
cans are trying to get together. Some
of the shrewdest of their leaders in
cline to the belief that the party Is
riding rapidly to a fall. AS one Vest
ern member of Congress, who has been
prominent in the party management
for a good many years, said to-day,
You are going to see the nnerriest
fight inside the Republican party dur
ing the next three years that you have
ever known. If any of these fellows