The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-09-03
REPUBLICAN PLANS UPSET.
The President Throws the Fat in
the Fire.

Washington, August N.-President
Roosevelt, by his speeches ont he trust
question, has totally disarranged the
plans of the managers of the Republi-
can Congressional campaign. Chair
man Babcock and his assistants had
been as anxious to avoid taking any
decided stand on that question as they
would be TO avoid taking hold OF the
hot end Of poker. They were willing
to let individual Republican spellbin-
ders attack the trusts for local con-
sumption in parts Of the country
where the feeling against those aggre-
cations Of capital is especially strong,
but these attacks we're to be for local
consumption and there was to be moth
ing done that would commit the party
as whole to any policy On this issue.
It was carefully avoided in the Repub-
lican campaign textbook, which
devoted pages to trying to make it ap-
pear that everything that had been
done against the trusts had been done
by Republicans, but had not single
line about any policy of the party on
the subject at the present time.
The reason for this was not far to
seek. Chairman Babcock wanted
money for the campaign. In former
campaigns the Republicans had fried
the fat out of the manufacturers on
the tariff question, or had scared it
ont of them by holding up Organism
and the silver issue. In this campaign
either of these schemes could be work
ed. A Republican campaign without
money is an impossi bility and after
looking the field over this year Chair
man Babcock decided that the trusts
should be made to furnish the sinews
of war. It was for the purpose of be-
ing in touch with the money kings
that the headquarters of his commit
tee we're moved from Washington to
New York, and from these headquar-
tiers he is filing the country with con-
fdential circulars addressed to men of
great corporate interests, quoting from
statement made by Secretary Ed
wards, of the Democratic Congression-
al campaign committee, to the effect
that the Kansas City platform with it's
endorsement of the Chicago platform
is, and will remain, the platform of
the Democratic party until it is
CildQS6O ny lLS ue'At D0uOCIdGIC va
tional Convention. This Mr.. Babocck
says in his circular, means that the
Democratic party still stands for free
coinage of silver at the ratio of sixteen
to one, and for ali of the features of
the Chicago and Kansas City platform
which made them unsatisfactory to
the business men of the country. How
much money he has succeeded in get
ting by means of these circulars is
not known, but many of the men to
whom they were addressed have either
torn them up and thrown them into
their waste baskets, or have put them
into their pockets TO show to friends
as curiosities.
Now, Just on the heels of this large
ly unsuccessful agtempt to frighten
money out of business men by shaking
the ghost of Organism at them, comes
the President with his speeches
which will interfere with the plans
for squeezing the trusts. Mr.. Bah
cock and his assistants will have to
tell the trust magnates not to pay any
attention to the President; that he
represents only himself in his speeches,
and that they must rely on their Re-
publican friends in Congress to see to
1t that no legislation is enacted that
will be to their disadvantage
and Courier.
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