The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-28
SHORT CUT TO FAME
Peanut Politicians Find That a Trip
to Oyster Bay Brings Transi-
tory Prominence.
Foolish Talk About the Expense of
the Naval Maneuvers Going
the Rounds,
From The Journal Buresu, Room Is, Post Build.
ing, Washington.

From Tho Journal Bureau, Room Is, Post Build
ing, Washington.
given In the newspapers to tho Oyster Bay
callers BODIES tho president no good. Every
ambitious aspirant for public favor secs that
all he needs to do to attain a certa ain national
celebrity is to make pilgrimage to Oyster
Bay, call on the president end, returning to
the railroad station, repeat to the reporters
what was said to the president For some
reason an Importance is attached to views
which have been poured into the presidents
ear. without the slightest reference to the
impression which these made on him. HE
has the views OF Representative JOHN Doe
on currency" or op "the militia bill. the
newspapers record, as II this were a posses
sion which might be expected to modify the
presidents course and opinions. There would
&c more vacation for the president were he
farther away from the beaten paths Of travel,
or still better it would be II he could con-
vince American newspapers that they had no
interest IN the opinions Of his callers. Now,
a trip to Oyster Bay for the middle tier
statesman is short cut to fame. From ono
end OF the country to the other his views
appear the next morning as those OF
"Solon''
Eventually 1t should become the custom
for no one to call on the president, especially
at his summer home. without pre- arrangement
thru correspondence. The more confederate
and modest people are doubtless doing that
Wants n h hose the n least ns
assumption that they know him so we'll that
no formalities are necessary, beyond sending
in their cards. With the rapid growth Of
population and the improvement OF trans
portation facilities, 1t has Eecon.e an almost
killing operation for any president to see all
the persons who think they would like to see
him, and especially Is this 50 when such
visit offers so extraordinary a premium to
the noteriety ecker, or the aspirant for Of
fce., ANY prospective candidate for congress
would be helped In the district by having his
name appear IN the newspapers as calling on
the president to discuss with him the weighty
affairs of state. In consequence. every prest-
dent learns to discriminate between the In
formation delivered to him for it's own sake
and that which is whispered into his ear in
order hat somebody may say that he has
done So Especially is this distinction valid
in The recommendations to office. Ex-presi-
dents will be short-lived unless some method
Is devised for giving occupants OF the White
of human voices. They need this more than
ever in the summer
Those Naval Maneuvers.
Some comment has been occasioned by a
dispatch purpcrting to show that the recent
assembling OF the squadrons at Oyster Bay
the president and his friends has cost the
government quarter OF million dollars.
A detailed statement accompanying it Of the
different expenses incurred, much like that
which has gone the rounds of the newspapers
regarding the cost to Sir Thomas Upton of
attempting att to Mt the cup. This criticism Of
No computation has been made at the de-
partment concerning the cost OF these
'nanoeuvers, since it costs about the
AMOUNT to run the ships wherever they are,
and they might as well be passed at Oyster
Bay rs anywhere else. It Is an open question.
whether vessel does not deteriorate faster
if tied to dock than in use. 1t is certainly
tetter for tho men to get the practice, and
1t makes little difference as tc expense in
what waters the prows set. To get these
squadrons together at one point from time to
duties OF Var Il Is better TO nave ACCIDENTS ms
occur, navy department officials say, and the
sources OF structural weakness disclosed while
assembling for holiday than in the actual
stress of war Photographers who criticise the
cost OF these naval operations at Oyster Bay
would be more logical to go back to the
mounting upward with unexampied rapidity
| That is legitimate subject Of debate.
| There will be no limit to the size of our
navy except that placed by the American
! people themselves The nations of the world
are now engaged in a tremendous race to see
which can run up the largest fleets; we have
about twenty-five battle ships. and our en-
| thusiastic world-power leaders think we ought
to have fifty in order to make sure Of whip
ping Germany, in case the Monroe doctrine is
by her seriously challenged; Germany, mean
| rate to hold her place in the line so that by
the time we have doubled our fixed naval
charges we shall be little, If any nearer
supremacy on the seas than now. Unlike the
good-sized taxes, If indirectly applied. It is
not the 1854 shots fred from six Founders
casion anybody the slightest concern. It is
tho navy acr the rest Of the year that con-
stitutes the real question.
/ The Recrudescence Of Cleveland.
The suggestion of Mr.. Cleveland's name for
the democratic nomination next year, even If
one Of the extraordinary developments OF
American politics. He went out of office only
eight years ago with his party, in national
convention assembled, thinking it merciful
| thing to pass his administration over in
silence. Senator Vest of Missouri remarked
to. friends at the Chicago convention that the
to be let alone. The whole tone Of that gath
erirg was one of intense hostility. And yet
to-day Louisiana politicians predict that the
vote for Mr.. Cleveland. New York and New
! Jersey democrats are evidently willing to do
So and in maLy parts of the country there is
think Of accepting a fourth nomination, and
for third term, the bare suggestion of his
! namo shows the strong hold which the only
democratic president since the war still pos
sesses.
1t Is twenty years ago slice his name was
frs: taken under serious consideration for
the democratic nomination. 1t was then evil
dent that whoever won the democratic nomi-
nation stood good chance Of election. The
mid-term contests of 1882 proved very
disastrous to the dominant party, and the
260 to 116 democratic, with few third party
men. Mr.. Cleveland's own majority for gov
ernor of New York was Of such proportions as
to indicate that the republicans would have
a hard pull before them, and altho Mr.. Blaine
was designed to receive more votes than Mr.
Cleveland had rolled in 1882 with all his
phenomenal majority, the republican recovery
was not sufficient to stem the democratic tide
which had set in in 1882. There is no such
outlook today The recipient Of the demo
"forlorn hope" candidate, unless some sen.
sational change occurs in the next twelve
months The house OF representatives soor
as large as that Of twenty years ago on the
ether side.
. w. W. Jermane
BRooDED OVER A KILLING