The Democratic advocate., 1904-02-27
Letter From Washington.
special to the pernscrAsie Advocate

WASHINGTON, ID. C., Feb. 25, 1904
The political complexion Of the Ut.iied
States has been changed materially By the
death Of Senator Hanna While 10 the out
side world Hanna aud Roosevelt were trIeRds,
really. the biitetesl anIagemlsin existed be-
tween them. Had Senator Hanna lived there
is no donbt that Mr.. Roosevelt would have n
very hard time in winning out at the Chicago
Convention. As things stand nov II Is thou
sand 10 one shot that Mr. Roosevelt wiIl be-
nominated an1 Ia hts nomination the Demo
cratic party will tad very easy candidate 10
beat. A pretty good evidence of the way Mr..
Roosevelt switches is demonstrated by a Dis
patch printed on February Isl ia the Chicago
Record Herald. a Republican newspaper.
signed by Mr.. Walter Nellman, very preju-
diced partisan writer for The Roosevelt Clique.
In this dispatch Mr.. Wellmau admits with a!
most charming franksess that the differences
between the Roosevelt administration aud tbe
Wall Street magnaies nave been patched up,
that several of these magnates have recently
been entertained by Mr.. Roosevelt at the
White House; tha; they were generally sails
fed with the course of affairs so far as the al
mnistration is concerned, aud that even the
Roekefellers are showing disposition 10 fall
into line.
Then after saying that Mr.. Roosevelt was
"a pretty good politician" Mr.. WeIlmau
backed up his claim with this interesting state
ment 'It requires genius of high order 10
carry on a i'ie crusade against Wall Street
aud through il gain immense popularity with
the nusses Of the people the foe Of the trusts
and then to turn round aud gain the approval
and possibly the help Of considerable share
Of Wall Street itself.
The most interesting political event of the
past week outside of the death of Senator
! Il IL.
a Chicago speech TO retire the tariff and trust
issues from the coming presidential campaign,
which he declared had passed out of the realm
of discussion. Being the chief adviser of
President Roosevelt on financial and economic
affairs, what Secretary Shaw says must be
taken as the voice Ofthe administration. That
the tariff aud trust issues are the principal
topics of discussion ia most OF the states, aud
especially in Iowa. the bailiwick from which
Secretary Shaw WAS injected into tie national
arena does not seem to have any effect upon
the dogmatic politician. That trust prices are
at the top notch is ignored by Secretary Shaw,
vet Davis Index figures for February, which
had been published week before Secretary
Shaw made his declaration, show that the price
of commodities had reached the highest point
in two decades, except in May, 1902. That
the tariff fostered tue trusts and supported
those high prices of most of the articles of
general consumption was not considered by
Secretary Shaw. Or if he did consider il be
purposely evaded the issue, because it was
impossible to reply to the Democratic conten-
ton and the camOr of The people for re form.
The much heralded legal proceedings against
the beef combine has had a most disastrous
effect on the pockets of the farmer and the
consumer, for in spite of the injunction 10
prevent the beef combine from controlling the
market for cattle and the wholesale market
for beef, the price of cattle has declined near.
ly so per cent, and the price of meat is much
greater in proportion TO the price of cattle
than before the injunction was obtained.