The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-28
The CAMPAIGN is ON
CABINET OFFICERS INSTRUCTED
TO TAKE PART.
PRESIDENTS CHANGE OF BASE
TAKES a NEW VIEW OF CIVIL
SERVICE REFORM NOW.

Ing Up nm Active Campaign in His
Own Observation-Disclosures Griggs
Getting in Some Good Work for
Democrats.
Washington, July 27-President
Roosevelt has invited the members OF
his cabinet to do few political stunts
in the pending congressional cam
paigns. The President while endeavor-
ing to promote the interests of his
party and assist in re-electing a Re-
publican majority to the House next
fall is at the same time setting his
own nets to catch the presidential
nomination two years hence. Some of
his friends are disposed to doubt his
ability to keep continuous campaign
of two years duration. Some of them
are afraid that he may avoid his work
and cause interest in his behalf to
languish before the time for the nom
| mating convention.
So far as the President is individ-
ually concerned, he has no doubts as
to his ability to keep himself in the
public eye for a continuous perform
! ance of two years and constituted as
he is and with an exhaustless supply
of versatility he thinks he is capable
of doing this for the two year-term
or for six or eight years il necessary.
Indeed, ever since he entered public
life he has been noted for his uutirirg
energy ana never ceasing activity.
A few years ago a pronounced civil
service reformer would have revolted
at the mere suggestion of a federal
| oiliccholder engaging actively in pro-
| fessional politics. When President
| Cleveland occupied the White House
it would have been regarded as an un-
| pardonable crr0e for the President and
| the members Of his cabinet to make q
| tour of the country as "spellbinders,
| So conscientious was Mr.. Cleveland
| while President that he would not per-
nit himself TO be absent from his post
of duty for more than thirty days dur
ing the year. This is the annual leave
of absence allowed the rank and file of
federal office holders. Members OF Mr..
Clevelands cabinet We're always iYn-
pressed with the idea that they should
attend to their official duties and cut
cut politics while they were in office.
Time has changed. however, and per-
sons and practice have changed ac-
| cordingly To-day the President and
The members of his cabinet may excr-
else their own sweet will as to when
| they shall come and when they sh \ IL
| go. No restriction whatever is placed
| I'll on them as to how long or how fire.
puent1y they RAY absent them
selves from their official duties In
Washington AS a matter of fact the
| public business does not seem TO ma
terlally suffer from their absence, for
| the organization of the executive de-
| partments seems TO be so thorough
and so we'll disciplined that an assist
ant secretary or chief clerk can adj
minister the affairs of a big depart
ment with almost the same facility
| as a cabinet officer.
| Chairman GriGgs at Work.
Chairman Griggs, in charge of the
| Democratic Congressional Committee,
is doing some effective and valuable
work in arousing party interest in the
| approaching congressional campaign.
| His long experience in Congress has
taught him that it is not wise, always,
to sit back and allow your political
| opponent to make the choice of issues
and battle-ground in great political
| contest. From the moment he was
| installed as chairman of the Demo-
cratic Congressional Committee. Judge
Griggs concluded that a bold and ag-
| gressive campaign offered the best
prosI ects OF success. He has not been
| slow to take advantage of the dis
| turbed conditions in the ranks of the
| Republicans, and he has been more
| than gratified by the able and loyal
support he has received, not only from
| his associates on the COMMITTEES. but
! from leading Democrats throughout
| the country. His literary bureau un-
der the direction Of Col. Charles Ed
wards of Texas has turned out some
interesting and timely campaign ma
terial Some of the interviews with
| distinguished Democrats, which have
received such wide circulation through
out the country, are considered to be
Of more value for campaign services
than the circulation of speeches which
arc being distributed in various parts
of the country. The Republican lead
ers have been greatly troubled by the
tabulated statement recently given out
by Judge Griggs, showing that the
products of the trusts are sold abroad
much cheaper than they are in this
country. Several attempts have been
made. by partisan newspapers to break
the force of Chairman Griggs figures,
but that statement was circulated all
over the country, and probably re-
ceived a more general reading by the
voters than any campaign document
that has been promulgated dur
ing the past quarter of century
paign literature bearing upon the Phil
ippine question. 1t is evident that
the Democrats of the country are
not especially interested in that sub
ject. AS an evidence of this 10000
copies of Senator Hoar's mastery
speech against Imperialism were or
dered for distribution by the DEM
ocratic committee. Thus far the only
request for these speeches have come
from the New England States where
there is but little prospect of winning
Democratic Congressman this year.
Good Prospect I'm Northwest.
Out in the Northwest is the most
promising field for Democratic miss
ionary work. That was the conclusion
reached at a recent conference be-
tween Chairman Griggs and former
Representative Cable of Illinois, and
the Democratic leaders in New York
Daily returns from the West show that
the dissatisfaction in the Republican
ranks has almost reached a point of
party revolution. Minnesota. Michigan,
Nebraska and even In Iowa the Re-
Dublicans appear to be flying signals
OF distress. Several Of the big men of
the Minnesota delegation in Congress