The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-12

being away. It was the Shepherd era of the reconstruction of Washington, and the place was full of malaria, because of sew CT building. street paving and upheaval generally. No such excuse for executive absence exists now. for Washington is one of the most delightful cities in the world in every way, while more than half million dollars have been expended in making the White House luxurious enough to suit the Presidents aristoeratie taste.
 Admiral Cotton left more than one hun- dred of his ships crews on shore at Kiel. This story of desertion is an old one at the navy department, although very great care is exercised to keep the facts from the public. Desertions occur at every for eign port where our war vessels touch. if the men get the chance to do so. Why is 1t? In running away the sailors sacrifice more or less pay, and all their clothes ex- cept what they have on their backs. Life on our men of war notwithstanding the excellent grub" supplied, is said to be ale most uncomfortable. It Is all right for the men in command, officers and petty offi- eers, but sheol for most of the others. The men have no redress except to run off when they can. It is idle to talk about an investigation by congress. The men would not dare to tell what they know, believe and think.
 
 Although the President himself was the first to express the opinion that he could ' be elected without the vote of his own state, it Is now known that any sugges- tion in that respect is more than distaste- ful to him. In fact it makes him down. right mad. It wounds his pride that he should not be so popular at home as he believes he is in other states where the people have not had so good an opportuni- | .a-. l Ing over a long term of years from child hood up But. nevertheless, he does not want the impression to go abroad that 1 New York so far as he is concerned. Is l the most doubtful state In the union, how 1 ever deeply he may believe it. His mis- 1 giving with respect to the Empire State was expressed at Pittsburg on the night of the first day on which he started on l his stumping tour. Congressman Sbley, l who has become mixed up in the post office scandals, was at the railroad station to greet him when the train got In. Penn | sylvania," said he to Sibley, is the bull 1 wark of national republicanism. New 1 York; you know, is not right politically" Five days later that is on April 5, the 1 New York Herald printed this Washing 1 ton dispatch: An emissary of Senator 1 Platt asked the President ten days ago l to do something in connection with the federal patronage in New York. The Pres ident declined to do it. But MT. Presi- 1 dent expostulated the Platt agent, har- mony in New York state Is absolutely es- sential to your election don't think I quite understand yod. said the President 1 What mean, said the representative of l Senator Platt, Is that there cannot be any 1 harmohy In New York state unless Sen ator Platt is taken into consideration and that republican President cannot be elected without New Yorks electoral vote Oh said the President"
 
 That was more than three months ago. and the political situation in New York. 1 so far as the republican party Is con- cerned Is infinitely worse than 1t was then, although the President has made several efforts to improve 1t from his l point of viewA He tried. for instance, to 1 induce Banker Sheldon to become the head of the county committee in New York city but that stalwart young re- publican declined to undertake the work of building up a Roosevelt party in the commercial metropolis The fact is that New York republicans do not like MT. 1 Roosevelt personally, his manners or his methods, and would prefer any man that might be named for the presidency to him. I have talked with many of them and that Is what they all say privately New York state Is as doubtful as 1t could be. Roosevelt could not be elected governor last year. Coler would have beaten him. If Judge Parker Is the nomi- nee of the democratic party against him in 1904 on a sane platform, he will carry New York hands down.
 The friends of the administration have suddenly become exceedingly confident with respect to their ability to raise an immense campaign fund to insure the re- election of their idol "The outlook was rather blue some weeks ago." says one of them but now the prospect could not be better" How so, I asked "did Per kins, Pierpont Morgans partner, Mir Per kins, promise when he was here to see the President that 1t would be all right?' 'I do not know whether he did or not" was the reply, "but you can say the money is in sight" Pressed for further informa- ton in regard to the prospective gold mine he went on to say that, because of the Presidents action on the Jewish ques- ton, the Hebrew milionaires both Amer ican and foreign, would see to 1t that the Roosevelt campaign did not drag for want of money at any stage of the game,
 
 The largest campaign fund ever raised in this country was that by Senator Han ma in 1896. It reached into the millions, ex actly how many has never been dis closed The work of getting 1t together was probably the hardest ever undertaken by the Ohio Warwick" and he could not have succeeded had he not been the very heaviest contributor to it himself It is well known, however, that there were weeks when the funds were low, so enor- nous was the expenditure This was espe- cially true in october, when 1t was found necessary to send out circular letter to | certain corporations, calling upon them for a specified sum each. When the battle | was over there was a little money In the 1 treasury and a portion of 1t was used in | giving gold medals to the republican news paper reporters on duty at the New York | and Chicago headquarters.
 
 The New England manufacturers as A | body have never been very lavish con- fributors to the national campaign treas ury. Their money goes for the most part | into the congressional districts in their section, and even outside 1t when they think there is chance of electing sound | tariff man in communities that are most ly agricultural. Again they spend A good deal in supporting newspapers and lit- erary bureaus for the dssemination of protection literature It Is understood that Senator Lodge. who is nearer to the President than any other member of the upper house of congress, or the lower one, for that matter. will make a stren- uous effort to induce the New England | men to open their check books next year in behalf of MT. Roosevelt For one reas- on or another he Is the only Massachu-