Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-09

VI 1 4S4Ao Il = ~ ~ In
FIGURES PREPARED BY GOVERN
MENT FOR REPUBLICANS.
Charge Alleged to Be Without Justifi-
cation So Far as the Bureau of
Labor is Concerned.
Chairman Cowherd Of the democratic
congressional committee has given out a
statement which reflects upon the manner
in which the republican party has secured
information for it's campaign book. He
gives credence to charge that material
for the book is being complied by the gov
eminent agencies at an expense of OOOO,
and quotes Secretary Shaws recent speech,
to the effect that the bureau of labor will
soon issue bulletin showing that the rate
| of wages has advanced more rapidly than
the cost of living, as an indication that sta
tistics needed for campaign purposes can
be secured by merely pressing button.
In his statement Mr.. Cowherd says
1.-THE speech of the Secretary of the
Treasury made at Wilmington June was
of especial interest to democrats in at least
two particulars. The story has been cur
rent around Washington for weeks that a
corps of clerks, working under the head Of
the Department of Commerce, the future
chairman of the national republican COM
mittee, was engaged in preparing campaign
literature for use by the republican party.
In fact, one New York paper published a
statement a few days ago giving somewhat
in ota mn nf clerks
that work, and stated that the republican
campaign text book was being prepared at
an expense of about $4,000 to the national
treasury. I was very 10th to believe this
report, but the following statement from
Secretary Shaws speech seems to give
credence to the story. He Is reported to
have said: I am confident, however, that
before the campaign proceeds very far there
will be furnished from the highest possible
authority in the United States well anthem
ticated data showing that the average
wages have increased in larger proportion
than the average articles of ordinary house
hold consumption
1.-The Secretary evidently recognizes the
pressing need of the republican party for
data of that kind, and while expert statis-
ticians may be able to furnish figures to
corroborate most any theory, they will De
hard put to find an excuse In law or good
conscience for the employment OF govern
ment clerks to prepare campaign material.
The Secretary is also reported to have said
that the democrats would endeavor TO run
their campaign on local issues fitted to the
particular community.
Mr.. Leupp and the White House.
Another gentleman almost as close to
the administration as the Secretary has
been giving forth some Information In re-
gard to the republican campaign along
this line Mr.. Francis e. Leupp, cores
pondent of the New York Evening Post, is
recognized in Washington as possibly being
closer than any other newspaper man 10
the President. He was selected by the
President as his personal representative In
the Indian territory investigation, and is
said to have at all times the entree to the
White House and the ear Of the President.
In an article published in the Post OF June
g. over his signature, Mr.. Leupp said:
but there was shrewdness in Blythe's
plea for the recognition OF every man who
aspired to call himself republican, since
every one who could speak or vote would
be needed this year, and the reports from
outside congressional districts indicate that
the discussion of the protective system Will
be more varied in character than In any
campaign since Hancock declared the tariff
local issue. In Iowa, Kansas, Mime
sota-nay, even in the heart of stanchest
New England-there will be preached a
gospel from republican pulpits such as
would have made Mr.. Hanna wonder
whether he was awake had he lived to
hear it. The word appears to have gone
forth from the big men of the party that
there will be no hide-bound inhloltlons IN
the platform, and that the stump must be
free So the motto of this campaign in
the congressional districts will be every
man for himself" The low tariff member
will talk of low tariff, the reciprocity adj
vocate will talk reciprocity, the conserva-
tive revisionist will talk conservative re-
vision, the stand patter will talk no change
at ALL AS the districts do not overlap
there will be no need Of trying to make
the doctrines expounded In them harmonic
economically for the sake of the common
presidential ticket. The theory Is that
that ticket will get the benefit Of local
be a campaign which as far as the tariff
Is concerned could give points to the gath
ering at Babel
"Considering Mr. Leupp's White House
connections, this statement can be taken
as ex -cathedra, and in the light Of this Sec
rotary Shaw's criticism of democratic
campaign. adjusted to local conditions,
sounds very much like the time-honored
publican campaign begins with fraud in the
department and hypocrisy on the stump.
We are told by the newspapers that 1t has
been decided that the entire cabinet VIII
take the stump for the presidential ticket.
II the other members are as unguarded In
their disclosures of party practices as the
Secretary of the Treasury the democratic
party will certainly welcome them to the
stump at the earliest opportunity.
No Justification In Charge.
Oficials of the government who are re-
sponsible for the statistical work referred
to by Mr.. Cowherd take exception to what
he has stated, and declare that there was
not the least justification for his charge.
So far as the forthcoming report of the
bureau Of labor is concerned, 1t is declared
that that work was decided upon and actu-
ally begun three years ago, since which
time the force Of the Office has been en-
gagged on it. The report to be made In July,
| to which Mr.. Cowherd referred, Is part
| of an investigation ON the subjects of cost
| Of living, retail prices and wages The nrst
| two branches of this report have been made
public, and the third will be treated IN the
| July bulletin. What the bulletin will snow,
| it is said, is not known to any one ior the
| reason that the work Of Compiling the hg-
| ures has not yet been completed
! So far as the charge that statistics can De
secured for the purpose for which they are
required is concerned, 1t Is Stated that there
| are probably in the bureau OF labor more
| democrats than republicans. The bureau
was authorized by act OF Congress In the
winter of 1884 and in February, 1850
Carroll D. Wright was appointed by Presi-