Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-07-05

Secretary Shaw confronts a very
similar situation in Iowa. Everything
out there seems to be coming the way
OIL Governor Cummins, and Cummins
is not doing any shouting for Shaw as
a candidate for the presidency. In
diana undoubtedly will declare for
Fairbanks, and so far as home support
Is concerned. the vice president would
seem to have long advantage.
The only other republican presiden-
tial boom which attracts any consider
able attention in Washington is that |
of Speaker Cannon. 1t is no longer
possible to doubt that "Uncle Joe" has
been visited by the bee, and that the
bee got in its work, abundantly and
sufficiently. During the present ses-
sion the speaker has exhibited all the
symptoms of a man who had at least
one eye on the White House. 1t be-
came noised about that Mr.. Cannon
was opposed to the passage of the
pure food bill, and that because of his
opposition the measure was doomed
Mr.. Cannon promptly decreed that the
bill should pass, and pass it did. This
is only one of a number of small
things which have pretty clearly indi-
Gated that the speaker is paying pref
ty close heed to popular opinion.
1t is said by some that Mr.. Cannon
is too old for the presidency. MI.
Cannon doesn't like that at all, and he
has taken pains to show during the
past winter that, so far as mental and
physical vigor go, he is in the prime
OF life He has taken an active part
in debates from the floor of the housa.
something unusual in a speaker, and
has not hesitated to use the whip
whenever it was necessary in order
to put through legislation which he
believed the country demanded. On
the tariff, however, he is adamant, and
any campaign he might make for the
presidency would have to be on a
stand-pat platform. The labor unions
have placed the speaker on their "un-
fair" list, but Mr.. Cannon insists that
hn is not worried at all by that.
An attempt this week to canvass
the presidential sentiment of the
democratic senators and representa-
tives was not productive of results.
In common with democrats all over
the country, their representatives in
congress are up in the air" as to the
next presidential nomination. The re-
cent Bryan boom has brushed aside
all previous calculations, and has rem
dered substitute calculations well
nigh impossible.
One of those paradoxical things SO
frequently to be observed in politics
is that republicans much more gener-
ally than democrats have accepted It
as almost assured that Mr.. Brya I will
be the next democratic candidate.
This is not because of an unfriendli-
ness toward Bryan on the part of the
average democrat in congress, but
they appear, especially those who
have remained steadfast to Bryan
through all his adversitiesi to be be-
wildered by the situation which has
developed.
| Many of these men had hoped that
events might so shape themselves as
to make Bryan the logical candidate
in 1908, but they had hardly had the
Itemerity to give voice to this hope.
Now that the boom has been sprung
by democrats whom they regarded as
the natural enemies of the Nebraska
man, they simply don't know what to
make of it.
Democrats Non-Committal.
For this season democrats are in
clined to be non committal when .ques'
toned on the subject Of the 1908 nom
nation. AS one of them expressed it
they are waiting to see how Bryan s
boom wears in the east and to discov
er, if they can, whether there is any
thing back of it that ought not to be
there. If eastern democrats are actu
ated in their enthusiasm for Bryan by
a sincere desire to wrest control o.
the government from the republicans
4 then the Bryan democrats are witt
1 them heart and soul But the Bryan
democrats do not propose to become 6
party to any premeditated slaughter
The Barnes Incident.
i Now that Benjamin F. Barnes has
been confirmed by the senate as post
master Of Washington, and the Mrs
Minor Morris incident is thus official
ly closed, it perhaps is not amiss tt
say something to the credit of thi
young man, who has been the large
for SO much condemnation and abuse
. No attempt is made to explain ava,
the election from the White House q
Mrs. Morris. That affair Is shroude
+ in a peculiar and impregnable mys
terry and no. man outside the sacre
confines has been able to get at tn
: why's and wherefores of 1t. 1t is no
) possible, though, for any one VIII
;, knows Mr.. Barnes to believe that h
: ordered, deliberately and in col
blood, any outrage on Mrs. Morris G
on any other woman. 1t is much ca!
: Ter to believe that for a moment h
S lost his head, or that acting on order
4 from higher up" force was use
n where it was repugnant to his person
n al inclinations.
|, However that may be, for half
Y dozen years or more Mr.. Barnes ha
n enjoyed the reputation Of being one {
b Tie kindliest and most obliging of
l. Gals who had any connection with tn
/, White House. He received his Whit
l. House tutelage from George B. Co
n telyou, and had much of Mr.. Corte
a you's charming courtesy and engagin
t frankness. When Mr.. Cortelyou lie
}, the White House, Mr.. Barnes fell he