The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-29
MIGHTY STRUGGLE EXPECTED OVER RAIL WAY RATE PROBLEM

don. that sort of thing in the appoint ment of a nostmaster at Baltimore and
 in the selection of a marshal for the
 Eastern District of Virginia.
 Lively Scrap is Probable.
 '.Then too he has that railroad rate fight on his hands, and l venture 10
 predict that by the time Congress meets
 in the extra session next autumn, you
 win see the biggest and liveliest scrap
 between administration and anti-ad-
 ministration Republicans that ever en-
 tered your dreams. Then 1t will be
 my prediction will come true and you will find that President Roosevelt has
 been just as popular among Democrats
 as among Republicans and, converse
 ly. as I have said. and, as I may add,
 lastly. just as unpopular among Re-
 puhlicans as among Democrats.
 Pessimistic seeming are utterances just quoted, it Is interesting to note
 that there are Democrats who have
 been talking in the opposite strain about Mir Roosevelt; in short, quite optimistically. They are doing a deal of guessing, 1t is true, but their guess es and speculations are rather on the side of a brighter promise for the coun- try, for the South, for the Democratic Party, in sooth than has ever by chance radiated from Republican-elected President. They think that his soul is big within him to do things to con vince his party that he is something better and larger than they looked to have in a Republican President.
 Impression of a Texan.
 A Texas Congressman who was al the White House the other day. and talked, he said. about twenty minutes with the President, remarked with ac- tual enthusiasm Why. you cannot talk two dozen words to the man with out feeling that he Is sincere-that he is honest-that he Is anxious to please our people, mean the South.
 He Is guarded in what he says, and | 1t Is worth remembering that he is careful too that no Southern man shall go away from him apprehensive about the future for his part of the country as far as the President Is concerned This Is but a recent specimen of the kind of talk that has of late been fre- quently coming from Southern visitors at the White House.
 The curious silence, sometimes appar ently almost sullen, of Republican ob servers, coupled with the equally re | markable propitiatory tone of man! Democrats. when the President Is un. der discussion, suggests, if 1t does no | pOTtenu, 1TlCtiOH OctWSeH Roosevelt and Republican partisans What with his further disposition o | patronage as 1t may come to be han
 died by him and the policy he will seei | to enforce with regard to railway ratt regulation. 1t would not be surprisin g at least to the political soothsayers. i all this did not bring about a realign
 ment of the great parties. More thar l once have persons heard Presiden Roosevelt laud the character and public
 services of a great Democratic Presi dent. Indeed, he has said that if h'
 emulated any of his predecessors in thu white House it was Andrew Jackson To one visitor who has known him al
 most from youth, the President. on'
 day at luncheon. declared he was Jacksonian Democrat. and people woulc | find 1t out in due time.
 Perhaps he has thought of Andrew Jackson and his fight with the bank
 and fancied whether 1t would not b, just as great a performance for Roose welt to tackle the railroads and bring
 them to terms. Jackson had his Ton
 Benton and cleaned out the Senate
 Roosevelt's Benton Is yet to appear. R. H. Watkins.