Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-06-19
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= Clark's Letter
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Especial Washington letter.
- INCE Uncle Mark Hanna inter
- preted the handwriting on the
~ wall, yielded as gracefully to
the inevitable as circumstances
would permit and took his presidential
boom in out of the wet, and since SEN
ator Matthew Stanley Quay, who can
see as far into a grindstone as the next
one, carefully observing the signs Of
the times, caused his lieges in Pennsyl-
vania to declare for Colonel Theodore
Roosevelt in 1904, the president bids
fair to break all records by succeeding
himself as presidential nominee. No
other man In like situation ever per-
formed that caper. He is the fifth vice
president to succeed to the presidency
by reason of the death of president.
The other four most ardently desired a
nomination to the highest political Of
flee within the gift Of any people-a
most laudable ambition, to which they
bent all their energies and used all
their patronage. They failed-two ig-
ANONYMOUSLY failed. John Tyler and
Andrew johnson were not only not
nominated for the high Office by the
parties which elevated them to the vice
presidency, but they were not even
in the nominating conven-
tons. If they had been mentioned at
all, it would have been with contumeiy
and scorn, with ioathing and savage
hatred. Lieutenant General Winfield
Scott easily defeated Willard Fillmore
and James G. Blaine walloped Chester
A. Arthur after hot contest. Hap
pier or luckier or more deserving than
Tyler, Fillmore, johnson and Arthur.
Colonel Roosevelt will be nominated
unless all signs fail, and will thus add
new distinction to the long list which
he can now proudly enumerate.
Why is 1t thus? No man can tell.
Colonel Roosevelt could not honestly
tell, even if he were SO inclined.
That he has conquered the statesmen
or politicians in his own party is known
of all men of intelligence. Originally
they were dead against him-and he
knew 1t. None better. They regarded
him as too cocky, too rash, too precipi-
tate-as unsafe" to use their peculiar
lingo but from the first the rank and
file OF the Republicans were for him.
When lie interfered in the coal strike
the plain Republicans came to love him
and intimated that they would max make #
redhot for Republican statesmen who
opposed him. and the Republican states
men aforesaid concluded that 1t was
not profitable to kick against the plain
people. So they caved. and Colonel
Roosevelt, who was supposed to be
sheived la 1909, will be nominated by.
reclamation in 1904
Why do plain Republicans love him
and why do plain Democrats respect
him? Because he is one Of them. He
is n good father; and delights in his
children. He is, a good husband and
enjoys his home. He is an, American
equally at home In the White House OF
on ranch. He has opinions and is not
afraid to express them. He is not
squeamish; he Is plain and simple-in
love with the world and proud of his
position. as well he may be.
OF course l am. like all good Demo
Gratis, for some good Democrat to beat
him with after he gets the nomination:
but, as his personal friend. l am glad
he is going to get the nomination Of his
party, MS he seems to me to be clean
man, a strong man. an unconventional
man, as good man as Republican
can be- OF course he is in bad political
cohpany and i no! net a 9 g good as good
Democrat. wy =, 800 ~ :
lRepubliean Harmony.
Our Republican friends have much t.
say about divisions and feuds in the
Democratic party. They are always
prating about the Harmony. With big
big II, which exists in their own ranks
Before they attempt to remove the
mote from the Democratic optic they
should have q surgical operation per
formed and remove the beam from
their own eye.
If there Is any place on earth where
Republicanism displays all Its features
1t must be in Pennsylvania, which rolls
up anywhere from 100000 to 100000
majority for THE Republican ticket.
Last year Senator Matthew Stanley
Quay. finding q vast deal Of dissatis.
faction among the rank AND file, took
his cousin, Judge PennyPac keF, eff tbs
bench and had him nominated anA
elected governor. Stones admipistra:
ton had made reform candidate A
sine qua non to success. and Penny.
packer was labeled Reform Candi.
! date and his election was hailed as a
great reform triumph.
Another Republican, reformer Of re.
nown is my brllllaM and delightful
friend. Hon. Charles Emory Smith, ex.
postmaster general Of the United
States and editor of the Philadelphia
Press. Here Ia what Reformer Smith
thinks Of Reformer Pennypacker;
In the unparalleled storm which Coy.
ernor Pennypacker has called down upor
himself even his B9otian mind must
realize by this time that he has made 9
monumental and irreparable mistake.
Within four months OF his inauguration
he has hopelessly blighted his admins
tration. Not by the mere fact that he has
signed the new libel bill. In any event
that act would indeed have been disas.
trous to him, but under other circum-
stances 1t might not have been fatal The
fatal thing Is that In the way he has
doneit and under the conditions surround.
ing 1t he has made revelation OF his
diminutjYeness. from the deadly impress.
sion and eHsots' OF which he can never
escape.
More Republican Harmony.
The Washington Post, whatever else
1t may be, 10 not Democratic. It claims
to be independent, but 1t generally ad'
vocates Republican politicians and sup.