Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1905-07-26

the longest legs, instead of the best
gray matter under his hat. He
has been sprinting valiantly lately
and believes that in every place he
has made speech the people sent
Tor him. Poor deluded V. p
When he spoke at Flint, Michigan,
Secretary Shaw, of the Treasury
Department, was the man first in
vited, the same at Cleveland, Ohio,
on the occasion of his late speech
IN that city. He also spoke lately
at Urbana, Ohio. Senator Foraker
was the man first invited and could
not be there. Fairbanks then was
invited to I'LL in. When Presi-
dent Roosevelt was asked to send
some one TO represent him at the
opening of the Lewis & Clarke
Exposition he picked Secretary
Shaw. When Shaw could not 90
lac then ask Fairbanks. 1t will be
seen that Fairbanks Is chronic
second choice, a filler in and a
regular butt in" all the way
through; yet he thinks he was lit
every time, and thinks he is run
ming for President like a Jack rab-
bit with hungry coyote camping
on his trail. Poor old Fairbanks.
Teddy Is making a monkey of him.
! find a growing belief that
Roosevelt is insincere in his talk
for railroad rate regulation. and
that he is simply aiding those
Republican leaders who believe
that the best thing they can do to
insure continuance in power is to
induce the Democrats To come out
fat-footediy for government own
ership. Those leaders are a pretty
Shrcwd lot, and their henchmen
get pretty close to the great mass
of the voters in the large cities and
/ know how these may be handled.
Your perfectly honest voter is
scarce commodity. Men who stand
for principles, as do the leaders of
the Democratic party. are getting
too few for safety. The Republi-
can political manager trusts To the
mercenary voter TO secure his ma
/ jority. They have decided that
there are enough Of these in the
market TO carry through any plan
that the party leaders may decide
ON. Where to secure the funds to
do the purchasing is the only qucs-
ton. They look on the railroads
and monopolies who are profting
from high tariffs as good game.
Railroads especially. The situation
seems 10 be resolving itself into
something like this
Roosevelt Is to secure for them,
| if possible, some sort of legislation
from the coming Congress, which
he may use aS club To force the
railroads to contribute from their
wealth to help keep the party in
/ power. What a club il might be
made few minutes thought easily
reveals. Under Section IL of the
Interstate Commerce Act, it Is
provided, in effect, that three
members of the commission which
constitutes majority, shall be of
the dominant party. The Act does
not read exactly that way, but it
says mot more than three of the
/ Commission shall be appointed
from the same political party
That insures the body being a
political machine. If they are
granted the powers that Roosevelt
asks for as a part of his political
programme, they will not need To
exercise it. 1t is dollars to dough-
nuts they wont. Republican lead
ers who talked somewhat freely
about the matter up New York
way, are free to admit this. Their
argument is that the public will be
satisfied with the legislation and
that it will be a good party move
to make it. But they have no idea
of making that legislation effective
for the people.
They don't want to pound the
railroads until things look like a
bunch of shredded wheat biscuit.
, Not much. What they want is to
have this legislation on the books
and then can go to the railroads
and say Open up your dough
bags and let us dip in it or there
will be the devil to pay. with rail
road rates"
Meanwhile they will have the