The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-10-06
Political Chat.

| is almost proved. The New York cor
respondent of the Washington Post has
the following:
1T looks now as though Chairman
Cortelyou. who is moving heaven and
earth to collect a big campaign fund
for use at the latter end of the strug-
| gle, might become a lively issue. Men
| identified with big corporations are
kicking about the manner in which
contributions are wrung from them
| by the silent chairman. The great
| daillies here fired broadsides this NOR
| ing. characteriZing these collections as
I a national scandal.
"Truthfully or otherwise, assertions
| have been made that information
about corporations gathered by the
| Department of Commerce during the
almost 500 days it has been in exis-
| tence is being utilized by Mr.. Cortel-
! you to compel unwilling contributions
| Democrats declare that, notwithstand-
| ing the appeals for the creation of a
Department of Commerce which would
| assure publicity regarding great cor
| poratiOnS, not one item of publicity
has resulted. They also charge that
the arrangements for collecting funds
| from corporations which have been
under scrutiny by that department
constitute a spoils system that pre-
vailed before the civil service law was
enacted. Going further. they cite the
names of railroad, life insurance, and
trust magnates who have declared for
Roosevelt, their companies having
been under investigation by Secretary
CortelyOu. The inference drawn is
that these magnateS had to find an ex-
cuse to become Republicans to insure
the protection of their business inter-
ests.
'The charges are made with such
force as to necessitate some reply from
| 81 I KIT
spirited discussion, both in the news
papers and on the stump"
The evidence multiplies that Cortel-
you is frying the fat" The cOnserVa-
tive Brooklyn Eagle has the following:
''Since Cortelyou resigned the office
of Secretary of Commerce. to take the
Craftsmanship of the committee, it has
been understood that he would be APP
pointed Postmaster General-that the
present Postmaster General, Payne.
DESTROYS of resigning on account of his
| health. is remaining only to keep his
seat warm for Cortelyou. Though
there has been no official announce
ment of the fact, yet it is widely
known in Republican circles by asser-
ton, that it is the Presidents inten-
ton to so appoint Cortelyou. The Post
master General has control of the mail
contracts with the various railroads,
and payment for the service. a matter
of concern to any railroad These facts
have not prevented Cortelyou from APP
peaing to railroad companies for sub
scriptions to the Republican campaign
fund.
Last week presidents of two great
Western railroads said to a man OF
prominence, also identified with rail-
roads. and which presidents had not
contemplated making any contribution
to political funds, that they saw no es-
cape from yielding to the solicitation
for the reason they could not afford
to antagonize Cortelyou. if he were to
be Postmaster General, for they could
not. in the interest of the corporations
in their care, afford to see the mail
carrying contracts go to their competi-
tors over the way. and SO would make
their contributions.
Thus the fat-frying goes on. and
the fat drips continually into the Re-
publican pan, while the trusts and the
corporations range themselves in sup
port of Roosevelt and against Par
kerr"
"The political pot is boiling at a
furious rate out our way said Mr..
J. G.. True, of Ogden. Utah. at the
Raleigh. to a Washington Post rep
resentat tive.
"The intense feeling that has been
participation of the Mormon Church
in politics has resulted in the for
nation of a new party that calls it
self the National party, and which is
going to be a factor in the pending
campaign. 1t has put up state
ticket of some strength and its plat
form is worded to attract the support
of thousands who think it high time
to rid the State of Mormon priesthood
sway.
Hundreds of Republicans and
Democrats are going to give their aid
to this new organization, believing that
it is the only way to beat the Mormon
Church. The women vote out our
way and they are glad of chance to
express their feelings against Mormon
ism. Ny belief is that this is the
entering wedge and that the hand
writing is on the wall which will COM
pei the church to cease interfering
in political matters When 1T does
that the anti-Mormon agitation VIII
end
This election will be determined by
the German and Labor vote IN the
close States. If the Democratic party
gets as much of the vote of these two
classes as it got in 1892, Parker's
election is certain The activity and
earnestness of Mr.. Hearst will tell
powerfully among the labor vote, for
he has big influence with very many
who were disposed to care nothing
about the result this year. The Ger
man vote seems to be largely lining
up against Roosevelt. Mr.. Earl T.
Hangel president of the German
American Parker Union, having spent
a week campaigning in Connecticut,
upon his return to New York predict
ed that Parker would get 5000 ma
iority in Connecticut.
Mr.. d. A. Tompkins, president of
business mems organization and own
err of the Charlotte Observer, wired
Tom Watson an invitation to be the
guest Of the club at Charlotte. Wat
son had to go to New York to dinner
given to help take away votes from
Parker. If Watson had come to North
Carolina in 1896 or 1900 to speak in
favor of Bryan with whose views on
finance he says he is in accord, would
the invitation have been extended?
When G. ]. Harris and Thomas Set
tie visited Murphey to speak they
found no crowd to hear them and
there was no crowd to hear them.
The Salisbury Sun says that New