The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-07-20
THE REPUBLICAN CLAIM

tiOnS Tor the cOmlngEtIl chN'lol'' d""
we are hearing the usual Republican
predictions that they are gSing to
make a hot fight for the state Offices
and the legislature. We have been
hearing the same cry for So long now
that we no longer get excited at 1t.
1t would appear that ii there ever
was an opportune time to make a
real fight that now is the time, when
the Democratic party is engaged in
a bitter family quarrel that will OF
necessity leave scars, but the tone oi
the reports We are getting leads Us
to believe that fOrthe most part. Re
publ;as.ss,ssm Virginia are more anX-
ious for Federal patronage than they
are to build up virile opposition to
the Democratic party, or To form
any organization which will Toe in the
least threatening to Democratic sue
cess. Here is II sample which seems
to confirm this idea:
"The main issue of the platform, il Is
predicted. will be- that there Is rottenneSs
in the State administration, and that II
il time for a change The claim Is made
that the exposures in the school register
scandal is but IA drop in the bucket com
pared to what has not come 10 night.
The charge will L.. made, it Is said, that
thousands of dollars ar unaccOunted Tor
bv Democratic State officials.
knowing winks are about all that
can be gotten out of the assembled lead
ers. or any of them. when they are asked
about the story that the new Organlza-
ton is going To turn the State over Ia
SECRETARY Shaw when the campaign Tor
the Republican nomination Tor President
gets lively. When the deal To deliver the
delegation to Shaw was made 1t was not
foneseen that SECRETARY Root would
bacople the factor in the race that he
has. and there is a feeling that Virginia
ought to wait little longer To see how
the eat hops before committing itseli, Tor
above everything else that Virginia he
publicans are careful To do, Is to get on
the band wagon.
The first paragraph might be taken
seriously but for the subsequent de-
clared determination TO turn the
State over to the strongest Republi-
can candidate for president i'll 1908.
Russia is endeavOring to convince
the world that if Japan is permitted
to demand extravagant terms In the
negotiations for peace that she Will
hereafter he a menace to the peace OF
the nations, especially those OF the
old world How far shewill he sue
cessful. of course. cannot now be
stated. 1t is said some of the Euro
pean countries are becoming restless
about the matter, hut it may be
those who have heretofore been Sc
cretly backing Russia. 1t is hardly
possible that Japan will, should her
demands be fully met. become so
powerful in her own eyes as TO under
take To control the universe.
The Chinese are endeavOring to
punish the Americans for our exclus-
ion laws by boycotting American
goods. In some part OF the empire
the opposition to the sale OF our
goods is so intense that they have
disappeared nearly altogether from
the market and the newspapers de-
cline to advertise them. 1t is said
the authorities do not sympathlze
with the move, but So far they have
been unable to check it.
The weather bureau predicts
warmer weather in the Northern dis
tricts of the country and the contin-
uation of the hot spell for several
DAYS through which we are now
passing. 1t is a comfort to the pub
lie to know. if the statement OF the
bureau is 10 be relied upon, that the
mercury will go no higher at present
1t is said the ice men are on astrlke
in New York, but the strike is not
confined to that hot city. They
strike all over the country, but strike
off a very small piece OF icefor twenty
pounds when they deliver it these
piping hot days. And yet the ice
man is "a public benefactorand a vel
come visitor to every home.
Rear Admiral Evans will have
charge of the reception OF Admiral
Sigsbee, who will arrive Saturday
bearing the body Of John Paul Jones
and will have charge of the program
Of reinterment. This occasion viii
be a grand one, and probably no one
is better qualified for such a higl
honor than "Our Bob.
Tie King of England received thu
chemists the other day and discussed
so knowingly on chemistry that they
concluded he was an expert. He IL
reported to be well informed on al
scientific subjects.
Ohio politics is getting quit
warm and threats of disruption o
tho Republican party are freel,