The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-07-16
rnSr.oFFICE CAMPAIGN.

Working leadership for the Republican campaign
10 be practically settled Senator llana gives
out positively that lie will not retire from the
Craftsmanship of the Republican National Committee.
Perry Heath appears TO be an established factor III
the management. There is inmation that his
resignation may be expected. Mr.. Heath has not been
charged with breach or breaches of law, but that he
very amiaby conloned Vaccinations bordering on the
scandal is evident enough also that he possessed Il
something like knowledge of actually fraudulent trans
actions by Wholesale. 1t is explained that Mr.. Hanna
would not be willing to forego Perry Hcaths valuable
services in frying campaign fat out of the trusts In
all probability the secretary of the Republican Ma
tonal Executive Committee will be found doing bust
ness in the same old way next year.
Postmaster General Payne will play an important
part in the practical workings of the day. Whether
not he will continue in the Cabinet is another mat
ter. Hanna insists in what appears to be an authori-
tativc manner that Paynes health will not occasion
his resignation Mr. Payne himself has not uttered Il;
word indicating that he contemplated leaving the adj
ministraton. But in any event he may be counted
upon assist in the engineering of Mr.. RooSeyclts
candidacy In out of office he political debt
TO the President Paynes political services were the
consideration of his appointment.
Charles Emory Smith, former Postmaster General,
has identified himself with the Post-otce politicians
and has taken up their defense from the Journalistic
standpoint. To some extent he is Il common sufferer
innocent of actual corruption-with the responsible
heads of the present administration account of
the scandal and his defense is partly personal but
largely political. He is practical politician of
Paynes type but rather political journalist. Since
the outset he has directed powerful energies toward
combating the unfayorable phases of the scandal
and dvertng public attention. In his and in the
administrators interest his valuable services will
probably continue in 1904
Payne, Heath and Smith actively engaged in the
Republican leadership cannot but give the Roosevelt
campaign Il post-otiice cooring The fact that these
men who have been conspicuously identified with
the national scandals will be prominent i'll the active
politics of the year TO is interesting in double
sense. 1t will tend to link the scandal with the pol
cs Of the time; TO emphasize the scandals political
Significance; thrust it forward an issue. Payne.
Heath and Smith will not affect the voter precisely rs
red rag effects bull but whenever they appear
they will serve as the most forcble reminders of an
era of fraud and misrue wholly rcpugnant. 1t will
be difficult keep these i'll the foreground and
the scandal in the background at the time Yet.
if they insist upon prominence how the Roosevelt
management in view of their intimate knowledge of
the scandals of two administrations. deny their de-
mands?
The fact that the campaign will center as it were,
in the post-ofice frauds means suppression of the
scandal as far as possible The Investigations may be
expected TO die while official energies directed to-
ward politics and external affairs. 1t may be well
worth the public's while to follow closely the con-
nccon of the Post Office Department and its next
machine with the political activities of next year.