The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-12-18
oURWAsH1NeToN LETTER.
RoosevelSS and Populis-Southern
W&r Claims to be Paid.
Special to kerald ana News.


WashingtmA Dec. 15.-That the De-
mocratic partly under conservative
Southern leadership is destined to be
the refuge Of all those citizens who
believe that the founders Of the gov
ernment builded wisly when they
framed the Constitution of the Unit
ed States with it's division of author
ity between the States and the Fed
cral government and with it's checks
on the power Of the President is
shown by the action of the Popllist
organization in Kansas. That organ
iZation which was once all powerful
in that State-electing governors,
United States Senators, and members
of Congrcss-has decided to disband
for the simple reason that the Repub-
lican party under President Roosevelt
has taken up every Populist issue.
In. announcing the intention to dis
band, the chairman of the Kansas Or
ganization said: "We take the posi-
tion that we have been the forerun-
ners Of the present Republican policy.
President Roosevelt is doing the
thing now that we advocated ten
years ago when we were laughed at.
We are all for Roosevelt and VIC are
going to get into his party. We have
been John the Baptist for him." That
this combination Of Populism and Re-
publicanism can be successfully at
tackled by conservative Democracy is
shown by the fact that in no State
were the Republican losses heavier in
the November election than in Kansas
where that party stood most strongly
for the Roosevelt Populistic theories
of government. It is instructive to
compare results in Kansas with those
in Ohio where the Republican party,
dominated by conservative anti
Roosevelt men, under the lead Of
Senator Foraker, held their own.
That Rooseveltism and Populism
mean the concentration of all power
in the government at Washington,
and not in that government alone, but
in the hands Of a single man-the
President-is shown by Mr.. Roose-
velt's message to Congress. From be-
ginning to end that remarkable docu-
ment is filled with recommendations
for giving more power to the Presi-
dent and his appointees. He attempts
to bring into discredit that most i'm
portant bulwark Of free people
against the encroachments of execu-
tive power--an independent judiciary
and his suggestion that the courts
should stretch the Constitution SO as
to validate unconstitutional laws, il
carried to its logical conclusion would
mako the courts subservient to the
President and mere enforcers OF his
DEGREES.
Even more remarkable than his an
nual message was Mr.. Roosevelt's 9
special message demanding Of Con-
gress authority, on his own RESPONSE
bility and without trial Of any kind,
to dismiss any officer Of the navy. In
other words be would have the repres-
cntative Of the people clothe him
with power possessed by the rulers
of but two countries in the world
the Czar and Russia and the Emperor
of China-a power that would make
the will Of the President supreme over
all law in the contorl of the military
establishment and would make that
establishment absolutely suDserVlent
to him and ready to carry out his WILL
The significance Of this IS the more
striking as this special message 1ol-
lowed close upon his threat TO use
the army and navy to coerec the soVcr-
eign State Of California into opening
the doors Of her white schools to tne
people of an alien race. 1t would De
but one step further to the use OF the
army and navy to open the "hl''
schools Of the Southern States. to neg
rocs and to enforce the social equality
Of the races. '.'
Southern Senators and Congress
men are hopeful Of securing the carry
b passage Of the war claims bill which
has been introduced in the House ny
Mr.. Mahon, chairman of the Commlt-
4oo -, VIZ Cl.:>>,, Th;c hill iS made