Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-02-12
Tribute to General
Franz sigel-olney
and Hearst as Presi-
dental Possibilities n

Presidential Politics.
Recently, when at the state dinner in
honor of the supreme court at the
White House, President Roosevelt and
Hon. Richard Olney, ex-attorney gener-
al and ex-secretary of state, stretched
their legs simultaneously under the
presidential mahogany, a good many
persons concluded that, whether the
Democrats win or the Republicans win
in 1904, the president was then dining
in the executive mansion. OF course
Mr.. Olney was in Washington on pri-
vate business. This must be so, for
heard him say so, and surely nobody
knows better what Mr.. Olney was do
ing in Washington for the best part of
a week than Mr.. Olney himself. But
folks will talk don't you know, and the
talk is that the Venezuelan imbrogl-
10 has increased Mr.. Olney's chances
very much. To borrow a commercial
phrase, ''Olney stock is looking up
not only looking up, but looking up
very much. Folks are furnishing up
their memories, and they find that the
most opportune and vigorous assertion
of the Monroe doctrine ever made was
by Mr.. Olney when he was secretary of
state, and many are coming to the con-
clusion that it would be we'll to have
such a man in the White House in
these parlous times. At any rate, the
Venezuelan hullabaloo that is, by caus-
ing people to bark back to the Venezu-
elan ruction that was, is helping the
Olney boom along wonderfully. A
great many think that Mr.. Olney was
called to Washington by the admins
tration for purposes of consultation as
to the peril in which the Monroe doc
trine is placed by recent performances
in Venezuela. If so, it is a splendid
tribute to the ex-secretary of state,
who by his own action in the Anglo
Venezuela controversy placed himself
at one bound in the small but goodly
company of the great secretaries of
state.
Nobody has ever doubted the capaci-
ty, courage or integrity of Mr. Olney.
Intelligent Americans, no matter what
their political affiliations or faith, would
feel, if he ever domiciled in the White
House, that our country's interests
would be faithfully protected and her
honor gloriously upheld.
Time has dealt gently with Mr. Oh
ney. He is still in the prime of his
powers, mental and physical, looking
scarcely a day older than when he re-
tired to private life five years ago.
While in Washington great deal Of
attention was shown him, and much
curiosity was manifested to see him
not as relic of bygone days, but as
one who stands high up on the list of
Democratic presidential possibilities.
Another thing which has added to
the Olney presidential talk is the meet
ing of Mr.. Olney, Grover Cleveland,
William G. Whitney and Edward NJ
Shepard in New York lately. OF course
this meeting may have been fortuitous
They may have met to have a smoker,
to discuss next summers catch of fish,
to hold prayer meeting or to consult
about law case-who knows? But
for whatever purpose they met the Oh
ney presidential boom was aided there
by. 1t set peoples tongues to wagging
Another element in the Olney gossip
is the fact that New England in gen
eral, Massachusetts in particular, shows
indubitable signs of being weary of the
Dingley tariff schedules. If Massachu-
setts continues to show Democratic
gains and the Republicans continue to
palter with the people in double sense
as to tariff revision, far stranger things
have happened than the nomination
and election of Hon. Richard Olney to
the presidency in 1904
MIR. Hearst's Popularity.
In the meantime Hon. William Ran
dolph Hearst, member elect of con-
gress and editor of three great Demo-
cratic dailics, is being kept well to the
front and center of the stage Hearst
clubs are not only being formed in New
York, but away down south in Dixie
and in "the far west" Mr.. Hearst is
evidently growing. Youth will be
served. His stand, bold and persistent,
in favor of labor and of government
ownership is attracting to him the at
tention and may attract to him the
support Of the whole country. He evil
IDENTIFY has the ear of the public as
much as any man now on the boards.
His wondrous success i'll the newspaper
field and the business world demon
strates that he possesses capacity of a
high order. His Democratic pedigree
is tiptop, his Democratic record is per.
feet and his services to the Democratic
party are many and valuable. He stood
faithfully by the Democracy in its
darkest hour and has warm place in
the hearts of all genuine Democrats.
His friendship for labor has become
proverbial. Here is a most remarkable
editorial from his New York American,
remarkable for its boldness, it's sue
cinctness and its skillfulness:
When an officer in the army or navy
has served his country for certain num-
Der of years, he is pensioned and spends
his old days in peace. He deserves the
pension.
The fireman and the policeman are PEN
stoned. They deserve their pensions.
These men, sure of moderate comfort in
their Old age, work during youth. with IN
creased energy and usefulness because
worry about the future does not torment
them.
The soldiers, sailors, firemen and police
men are pensioned because they work to
protect the lives and property of their fell
low citizens.
We print the picture of another man
who works to protect human life. On
cold, rainy nights he walks his beat on the
dangerous curve or the long bridge of a
railroad alone with his lantern, his
thoughts and the bad weather He must
study faithfully every inch of the track.
He must do this, not spasmodically or oc-
casionally, but night after night, year
after year. There is no applause from the
public or from newspapers to make him
enthusiastic. Only the sense of duty
keeps him going. If he neglects one loose
fishplate, the rails may spread, the train
be thrown down an embankment and
scores of lives lost. This man used to be
! paid about s11O day. He is better paid
/