Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-08-16
Mr.. L-loyd's Opinion.

There is no better Democrat or more
useful man in the house of representa-
tiyes than Hon. James Tighman Lloyd
of Missouri. He is the Democratic
whip, most important position. Up
on his vigilance, tact and fidelity de-
pended the fine record Democrats
made at the late session. This year
Mr.. Lloyd will have charge of Demo
cratic headquarters in Chicago, from
which he, in conjunction with Hon.
Henry T. Rainey of Illinois, will man
age the congressional campaign for the
Democrats. In a recent interview Mr.
Lloyd stated thus briefly and clearly
certain features Of the pending con-
fict:
From strictly partisan standpoint the
issues will be based mainly upon the
tariff. On that issue the Democratic
party will be assisted by the revisionists
in the Republican party. l say from a
partisan standpoint this will be the main
issue, but there are other questions which
will have much to do in determining the
success of candidates.
The Democratic party is entering upon
the present campaign under far more
| hattering conditions than it did the one
two years ago. Then there was general
apathy all over the country on the part
of the Democrats, strikingly noticeable
in Missouri. Then Mr. Roosevelt was at
the zenith of his popularity, While our
candidate, Judge Parker, had been I'M
fortunate in some of his expressions.
Then at the critical moment he made
what appeared to be sensational state
ment mean his charge that the Repub-
lican party had secured an important
part of its campaign fund from the big
insurance companies and other corpora
tons.
The people took it as a made up cam
paign story without a foundation, and
the emphatic denial of it by Mr.. Roose-
Welt was accepted as. true. Our man,
Parker, was actually criticised by his own
party for having made such a sensational
| utterance. while the Republicans were in
censed. 1t has since been learned that
Mr.. Parker had lying on his table al that
| identical time, while the Republicans
were inveighing against him, the loudest
| documentary evidence supporting the
statements he had made in his first letter,
but when Mr.. Roosevelt made his positive
| denial of it the parties who furnished the
| information did not want to appear in
print as contradicting the president, and
they refused to permit Mr.. Parker the
| use of their names in connection with the
| controversy.
| The truth of Mr.. Parkers charge is
| now so well known that it would be idle
to attempt a denial 1t has been shown
| in the court that the great insurance
| companies contributed largely to the Re-
| publican campaign fund, and it was also
| shown that many other big corporations
| donated large amounts to the same pur-
pose.
When this fact was first brought to the
knowledge of the president after the
| election, as it happened, he said that the
| money must be paid back, but it is well
understood that Mr.. Cortelyou informed
| him that the amount was so great and
| that so much of it had already been used
| that it would be impracticable to reim-
] burse the corporations. With this in
| formation the president discreetly drop
| ped the matter.
That is one thing which has formed an
| element in the change of sentiment
| throughout the country
| There is another matter somewhat re-
| lated to it. There have been very urgent
! demands, especially in the eastern part OF
| the nation. for law requiring the pub
| LEGATION of contributions to campaign
| committees and to prohibit corporations
| of all kinds from making such contribu-
| tions at ALL Bills of that character have
/ Deen repeatedly introduced anu d. Olleii
| defeated by the Republicans, who have
/ profited by such contributions and who
/ could not afford to strike the hand that
| aided them The sentiment of the people
/ is in favor of the widest publicity re-
| garding campaign donations and all mat
| tiers of that kind. They are prone to re-
/ gard work done in the dark with sus-
4 picion.
There is also a well defined sentiment
! at the present time resenting the speak
| er's control of every measure which is
before the house The people believe that
| the representatives should control legis-
| lation and answer to them directly in
| stead of being subject to the whim of a
| dictatorial presiding officer.
| In general way this touches some OF
| the features which will be discussed dur
ing the oncoming campaign in the west
| Brief as my investigation has been since
| returning here, l am convinced that the
| party is in excellent shape in this section
Old Missouri will do herself proud at tbs
! coming election and nobly retrieve herself
for her little dereliction two years back.