Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-20
The HYDE and Van Allen Cases.

The esteemed Springfield Republican Is
greatly aroused over the Hyde business
and in a long editorial on the subject says:
president Roosevelt. It Is now clear. was
saved from the blighting effect OF a terrible
scandal in ignoring the claims OF Mr.. Hyde
to the French enthusiastically. For II IL
known that the Equitable had been heavy
contributor to republican campaign funds
in the presidential campaigns OF 1856, lSo
and 1904. The contributions last year were
solicited by Mr.. Bliss. treasurer OF the re-
publican national committee, and Ii was 10
Mr. Bliss among others, that Mr.. HYDE
friends turned in securing support tor Lne
candidacy. Had the appointment OF MI;
HYDE been made. II would have appeared
later as II the Equitable Life Assurance 80
ciety had bought and paid for the honor
through It's continuous and liberal CANT
paign contributions. Yet the men, amons
whom Mr.. Bliss and Mr. Depew must
be counted. who gave encouragement 10
Mr. Hyde's diplomatic aspirations wen
knew that the possibilities of grave scanoal
lurked within the Hyde candidacy mas
Inc too Mr. Depew in the Senate voting
upon a nomination which he reanzeo was
tainted in this manner. Can We oeiiet
that he would have branded 1t as unnt 10
be made-he who was on the private pay
roll of the Equitable societyY
Don't let us think of the President as hav-
ing been saved" in the premises. Never.
for moment. was he in any danger Of
scandal as respected Mr.. Hyde's aspira-
tions in the line of diplomacy. 1t was only
necessary for him to meet Mr.. Hyde ana
take his measure to decide against any such
ridiculous pretensions. Mr.. Roosevelt knows
his New York very well, and one almost
envies him the chuckle he must have IN
dulsed in after Mr.. Hyde had called at the
White House and mincingly voiced his IAN
de-dah wishes. The meeting was one Tor an
artists pencil, though Phil May OF punch
with his talent for the droll. is dead.
But is the Republican altogether fair IN
assuming that Mr. Bliss and Mr.. Depew
were parties to the affair in its shady fea-
lures? The record so far does not sustain
such AN assumption. AS the charge stanos'
those who were interested In money way
I'm getting Mr.. Hyde out of the country
were men with their eyes set on the insur-
ance company's millions. Others indorseo
the proposition to send Mr.. Hyde to Paris
purely from good nature probably, without
an inkling OF anything like bargain Al
though the custom Is not TO be deIenoeu'
everybody signs petitions, or says "gooo
word" In the matter of office-huntins.
We may all congratulate Mr. Roosevelt
ON his record in tile Hyde case as opposed
TO that of Mr. Cleveland in the Van Allen
case. 1t does not appear that the former
had nSasu ut llldl t4Alic VI hiiO AAS ~ ONAiN'.
button TO the republican campaign fund.
lie decided simply against the extravagant
claims of a rich swell and would probably
have done so all the more emphatlcally If
he had been advised of the ffty-thousand-
dollar campaign check. Mr.. Cleveland knew
of the charge affecting Mr. Van Allen and
his ffty-thousand check through Mr.. Whit
ney. because the newspapers We're full OF
il. But in the face of 1t he pressed upon
the rich Newport cottager the ministership
to Italy, and was only saved from redeem
ing Mr. Whitney's alleged promise by the
faint-heartedness of Mr. Van Allen him
self who, when the cord of ridicule and
Indignation began TO tighten, cried enough,
and returned to his moneyed leisure and
pleasure
A serious point is presented in the New
York appraisement of these big places. The
market quotation seems not to have
changed in the whole of twelve years. Mr..
Hyde seems to have advanced no more FOR
the Paris berth in 1904 than Mr. Van Allen
was charged with doing for the Rome berth
in 1892 The country has enjoyed great
prosperity of late, money is abundant. and
let us hope that by 1908 prices may show
an upward tendency. National pride, il
nothing else. should be considered in so in
teresting problem.