The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-11-12
WASHINGTON.
rom our Regular Correspondent.

While the party dll not succe ed in
defeating Senator Hanna in Ohio, it
bad splendid victory in Maryland,
where President Roosevelt's attitude
on the race question formed the
principal issue and in New York City
it prevented the republicans, under
the guise of Fusionsts from retaining
control OF the city. McClellan's ma
jorlty of over $4,000 is sure to bring
the state to the democrats next fall,
and Marylands's reputation OF the
republican party and especially of
President Roosevelt has caused the
present Administration much alarm.
In the Senate, German will have the
prestige OF having administered a
severe defeat to the party in power,
and in the House, Hearst will recall
the fact that his papers succeeded in
bringing the democrats into line in
New York City. These men will be
the champions of the democratic
cause and one of them may possibly
lead the party in the campaign next
fall. Senator German will attack the
negro policy of the President and Re-
preventative Hearst will show the
laborlng men how little they have to
expect from the republican party.
The "open shop" controversy is by no
means settled in the eyes of the labor
leaders and they are very liable to turn
to Mr.. Hearst to lead their opposition
to the President. Hanna will come
back to the Senate and it is believed
by many that his victory in Ohio will
lead him to believe tha, he is destin.
ed for greater things. There is an
ominlous unanimity in agreeing to
Colonel Roosevelt's denomination and
many politicians, who seem to know,
declare that it is all on the surface
There is no denying the fact that the
President is popular with certain sec
tons of the country, but the old party
leaders would welcome an opportun
ity TO defeat him. Senators Hanna,
Spooner and Culom and Secretary
Hay have been mentioned quietly in
republican circles as available men
and if opportunity presents itself there
will be sharp opposition 10 the Presi-
dent at the next republican conven-
ton. The republican defeat in Mary
land where the President was an is
sue, may serve as a pretext for the
opposition in his party. At all events
the loss of New York and Maryland
will weaken the present Administra-
ton.
Xxx
Secretary Hitchcock has issued a
statement regarding the land frauds
in the Interior Department, and it
must be conceded that it is a very
skillful document in that it says practi-
cally nothing on subject on which
the public has right to know all.
However it is marked improvement
on Postmaster General Payne's shot
air, stump speech" comment on the
postal frauds. He says in substance ;
Nearly year ago strong indications
of very serious land frauds by specu-
lators on the Pacific coast, under the
forest reserve lien land act of June 4,
1897, reached the Department. An
investigation was started last January
and tine work is now going on "with
great care and with all possible ex-
Ipeditlon consistent with thorough
ness The matter is to be probed to
the bottom regardless of the influential
character of some of the men in
volved. Several hundred thousand
acres are involved in tine illegal trans
actions. but reports have been "more
or less exaggerated" "At the proper
time a full statement will be made
covering the results of the entire in
vestigation, and the whole matter vii
be gwen to the public but for obviou:
reasons it is not deemed expedien
that detailed statement of the fact:
should be given at the present time.
Perhaps like tariff revision and fnan
cial legislation, this statement ough
to be postponed until after the presi
Dental election. The investigation
have taken ten months now and b.
the time another investigation com
mission is formed, million word re
port handed in, and then read ant
annotated by the President, anothe
twelve months may be consumed
However there is the Secretary
, authority for the statement that grea
frauds exist and that influential me
are involved. Further more he de
clares that anyone who says that ther
are more than several hundred thou
: sand acres of land involved, is eS
, aggeratlng.
RI XXX
S Revolution:is the arbiter of all di;
putes in South America countrle: