The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-30
GOVERNMENT IS
PLAYING POLITICS
Republicans Are Using it for
Their Own Ends
BOTH WATCH LABOR VOTE
Cleveland and Bryan Have Strength
ened Themselves Wonderfully Dur
ing the Present campaign-cor-
telyou Arouses Resentment.
BOTH WATCH LABOR VOTE
BY wATTERsoN sTEALEY.

Washington, October 29.-(Special)-
The United States government has never
before been such a political factor as
under the present administration.
The republicans are VIGOROUSLY using
the machinery, paid for by the people
to further their own political ends. The
cabinet meetings, which are supposed to
be for the interest of the public welfare,
are largely devoted to discussions of the
political outlook and for laying plans &c
further the republican cause. On two &C.
casions Mr.. Cortelyou, former secretary
of the department of commerce, and who
will be postmaster general If Roosevelt is
elected, was present at cabinet meetings
and detailed what had been done in the
line of campaign work. The members OF
the cabinet advised with him as to what
should be done in the future. 1t was
announced at the White House at an
other meeting that the political outlook
was so satisfactory THAI the cabinet saw
no reason for holding lengthy session.
The various departments are turned in
10 political machines as far as possible.
The bureau of statistics is medium to
transmit articles that go to bolster up
the party in power, while the consular re-
ports are ordinarily full of articles that
tend to bolster up the administration in
its political contentious.
Most Audacious Thing.
The most audacious thing, howeye'
that has yet been done was the payment
by the government of the cable tolls on
the correspondence of Secret ary Taft and
Governor Wright of the Philippines.
These communications were entirely pol
itical and were for the purpose of refut-
ing statements made in political speech
by Judge Parker the democratic can
didate, in regard to the Philippine is
lands. These cables cost the United States
government approximately $50. The cor
respondence had nothing whatever that
could be considered official and the
freight was paid on this campaign
document out of the United States treas
ury, or, in other words, by the people.
No Backward Steps.
The democrats have certainly taken no
steps backward during the past week.
Still the republicans are claiming every
thing in sight. Representative Charles
II. Grosvenor, 'Old Figgers," the Of
fetal rosy forecaster of the republican
party, is out in his quadrennial spasm.
He is charitable enough to allow the DEM
oerats the solid south, but outside of that
he gives them very little consolation. He
comedies only Maryland and Montana.
Democrats are of the opinion that "Old
Figgers'' will miss it this time worse than
ever.
The democrats are to wind up the cam
paign vigorously Judge Parker will
make several more speeches and as he
progresses in his political work it is ex-
pected that he will put more ginger In
his remarks. The campaign will be fought
to a finish In the doubtful states.
Watching Labor Vote.
Just how the labor vote is going to be
cast is being watched with interest by the
managers of both parties. 1t Is well re-
membered that in 1896 and 1900 laboring
people were coerced and brow-beaten into
voting the republican ticket. Manufac-
turers and corporations in many instances
told their employees that If Bryan was
elected they need not report for work
after the election. 1t Is significant this
year that there have been very few re-
ports of such actions on the part of en-
ployers. Indeed, the democrats have had
the most encouraging news from laboring
people. The large cities are going to show
up as great democratic strongholds.
CorteIyou's Future History.
A national campaign makes and un-
makes men. After this big fight is over
and the roll is called some of the politi-
clans who engaged in 1t will be found to
have grown stronger, while others have
gone down in the scale. notable in
stance of the latter is George b. Cortel-
you. He was placed in the cabinet as Sec
rotary of the department Of commerce
and labor Among the special duties Of
this department was to investigate the
trusts and turn the light of publicity on
what they are doing. How much public
ity this department has accomplished in
relation to the trusts every one knows.
When the campaign commences, Mr.. Cor
te1you, the regulator of the trusts, Is
made chairman of the republican national
committee. and placed in a position to
hold the "big stick over their heads and
make them produce means with which to
carry on the campaign. The eastern DEM
ocratic press is teeming with denuncia-
lions of such a method of what they call
blackmail
Two men have risen high in the scale
during the ampaign-William j. Bryan
and Grover Cleveland. 1t was the opinion
of many that Bryan would sulk because
he was not for the nomination of Judge
Parker. His recent speeches in Indiana
and elsewhere show that he has swallow
ed the pill Of regularity If 1t was a pill,
and has come out straight for the demo-
cratic nominee in a manner that will rally
thousands of votes to the polls for Par
ker. Mr.. Bryan's speeches have won the
admiration of many eastern democrats,
who were against him, and 1t is surprls-
ing to hear good words spoken for him
here. where heretofore he was bitterly
criticised by many. The reports go to
show that he has probably attracted
larger crowds than any other one of the
itinerant speakers of either party.
Grover Clevelands speeches have had
powerful effect throughout the country.
He comes to the front with his usual
periods with their rhetorical swing that
always arouses the voters.
Many democrats are asking: with
Bryan and Cleveland and their respective
followers with us, how can we lose?'
GIobe-Wernicke Co. DoubIy Honored
ST. Louis, October 29-(Special 1.-THE