Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-15
TREND OF CAMPAIGN
Democrats Seem to Be Play
ing Down the Issues.
FORCING PERSONALITY
REPUBLICAN MANAGERS WILL
ING TO MEET THAT.
But They Are Pushing the Question OF
the Tariff and That Of
Finance.

The two great parties fairly started
on their campaign and the politicians are
observing with some interest the trend
which the respective managers are endeav-
oring to give the campaign. The democrats
seem to be bending most OF their energies
to playing down the issues and playing up
the personality of the two candidates
They are putting Judge Parker forward as
a safe II innocuous model Of President
and are attempting 10 make out President
Roosevelt the antithesis.
The democratic managers are saying very
little about the tariff, not as much as some
of their followers would desire about the
scuttle policy for the Philippines. and are
as mum as an oyster on the money aues-
ton. The impression prevails in some
quarters that the managers will stick to the
declaration of the st. Louis convention that
money is not an issue. and will leave the
voters to figure out for themselves where
the party stands between the two ex-
tremes of Champ Clark's policy OF de
stroy the tariff. from turret to foundation
stone" and Judge Parker's lament, I'VE
won't hurt the tariff because can't"
Republican Managers at Work.
The republican managers are accepting
the issue on the Presidents personality.
But they are not stopping at that: they
are pushing the enemy on the question or
the tariff, on the democratic scuttle policy
in the Philippines and steadily and Inslst-
emily on the financial question.
Perusal of the emanations from the re-
publican literary bureaus shows that the
republicans are hammering hard OH the
tariff. They are insistent that behind the
vague assertions of the democratic candi-
lection to American industries and seem
determined to bring the skeleton of the
Wilson tariff times out into the light. The
republican campaign material of recent is
sue asserts that the controlling force of the
democracy, II 1t had possession of Con-
gress, would not be the eastern conserva-
tive sentiment, but the old Bourbon, free
trade sentiment represented by the south
ern states and the men of Champ Clark
and Bourke Cockrans type.
Some of the republican literature just
now at hand claims that Ii the democrats
sGniped control of Congress the overwhelm-
btg Strength of the southern and south
western delegations in the House and Sem
ate would hand the policies of the party
over to that faction and wrest them from
the northern and eastern men. The de-
duction is drawn that free trade would OUT
weigh tariff revision
The campaign literature of the repub-
licans also goes strong on the money Ques-
ton and insists that Notwithstanding the
u
cratic party in its rank and file is still un-
safe on sound money A great deal OF
stress is being laid on Judge Parkers letter
Of acceptance in it's failure to be explicit
and the republicans are holding up that
letter as alleged denial of the democratic
claims of his safety"
Democrats Behind the Opposition.
The democrats are considerably behind
the opposition in the matter of organiza-
ton. Some democrats have recently CALI
ed attention to the fact that conditions are
very unsatisfactory, in that respect, In
New York which is the keystone of demo-
cratic hope. The campaign for Judge Par
ker, in the empire state, is up TO this time
in very nebulous shape. Nobody seems to
be i'm command or to be caring very much
and it is complained that the campaign is
running mainly on sentiment and general
principles. in the vague idea that there is
political revolution in the air.
The republicans for their part very
much awake and in earnest in New York,
and their machine is thoroughly organized
and running night and day. We've got
to work." a New Yorker rema rked today:
Its a ground hog case with us and
not going to depend on any 'undercurrents'
or ground swells OF anything like that
We've got to get up and dust. they say
out west and we are doing it,