The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1904-02-27
Letter From Washington.
Special to the Democratic Advocate.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. 25, 1904.

WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. %, 1904
The political complexion of the United
States has been changed materially by the
death of Senator Hanna. While to the out
side world Hanna and Roosevelt were friends,
really, the bltterest antagonism existed be-
tween them. Had Senator Hanna lived there
is no doubt that Mr.. Roosevelt would have d
very hard time in winning out at the Chicago
Convention. As things stand now it is thou
sand TO one shot that Mr.. Roosevelt will be
nominated and in his nomination the Demo-
cratic party will find very easy candidate TO
beat. A pretty good evidence of the way Mr..
Roosevelt switches is demonstrated by dis.
patch printed on February LIST i'll the Chicago
Record Herald, Republican newspaper,
signed by Mr.. Walter Wellman, very preju-
diced partisan writer for the Roosevelt clique.
In this dispatch Mr.. Wellman admits with al
most charming franknesS that the differences
between the Roosevelt administration and the
Wall Street magnates have been patched up,
that several of these magnates have recently
been entertained by Mr.. Roosevelt at the
White House; that they were generally salts
fed with the course of affairs so far as the ad-
mnistraton is concerned, and that 'even the
Rockefelers are showing disposition to fall
into line"
Then after saying that Mr.. Roosevelt was
"a pretty good politician" Mr.. Wellman
backed up his claim with this interesting state
ment ut requires genius of high order to
carry on little crusade against Wall Street
and through it gain immense popularity with
the masses of the people as the foe of the trusts
and then to turn round and gain the approval
and possibly the help of a considerable share
of Wall Street itself.
The most interesting political event of the
past week outside of the death of Senator
Hanna, was the attempt of Secretary Shaw in
a Chicago speech to retire the tariff and trust
issues from the coming presidential campaign,
| which he declared had passed out of the realm
of discussion. Being the chief adviser of
President Roosevelt on financial and economic
affairs, what Secretary Shaw says must be
taken as the voice of the administration. That
the tariff and trust issues are the principal
| topics of discussion in most of the states, and
| especially in Iowa. the bailiwick from which
| Secretary Shaw was injected into the national
arena, does not seem to have any effect upon
the dogmatic politician. That trust prices are
at the top notch is ignored by Secretary Shaw,
yet Davis Index figures for February, which
had been published a week before Secretary
| Shaw made his declaration, show that the price
of commodities had reached the highest point
in two decades, except in May, 1902. That
the tariff fostered the trusts and supported
| those high prices of most of the articles OF
| general consumption was not considered by
| Secretary Shaw. Or if he did consider it he
purposely evaded the issue, because it was
impossible to reply to the Democratic conten'
ton and the clamor of The people for reform.
| The much heraded legal proceedings against
the beef combine has had most disastrous
effect on the pockets of the farmer and the
consumer, for in spite of the injunction to
prevent the beef combine from controlling the
| market for cattle and the Wholesale market
for beef, the price of cattle has declined near
| ly so per cent, and the price of meat is much
greater in proportion to the price of cattle
than before the injunction was obtained.