Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-03-23

nicipal elections of Maine this spring
are prophetic of Il sweeping Demo
cratic victory in the state in the fall.
A la Kilkenny Cats.
The harmony among Republicans, of
which we hear so much and see so lit
tie, like the peace of God, passeth all
understanding The house Republican
leaders and the senate Republican lead
ers are at daggers, points. More power
to their arms! My genial friend, Hon.
James e. Watson of Indiana, Republic
an house whip, while. suffering from a
bad case of mullagrubs emitted the fol
lowing significant words: 1.-The senators
have emasculated our railroad rate bill,
have killed our Philippine tariff meas
ure and now have cut the deuce out of
our statehood bill' james was there
fore in the dumps, as are many of his
fellows. 1t is said that every time Mr..
j. w. Babcock, chief of the insurgents,
is mentioned to Mr.. Speaker Cannon
that eminent Republican functionary
uses language which is calculated to
cause his accommodation from the
church. Republican feuds in Tennessee
are so acute that President Roosevelt
has taken hand, SO the quid nuncs say,
as peacemaker. He is seeking the UNI
attainable. He can no more establish
peace betwiXt those bellicose Republic
an tomcats, Colonel Henry Clay Ev-
ans and Congressman W. p. Brownlow,
than he can induce water and oil to
mix. He can arrange no modus vivendi
betwixt those palpitating patriots.
They hate each other worse than either
of them hates Old Nick The president
will find himself much in the condition
of the man who interfered betwixt a
husband and wife when they were en-
deavormg to settle question of do
nestle economy by indulging in q
game Of fisticuffs. Both turned on the
volunteer peacemaker and gave him a
good pommeling. The one thing on
which Brownlow and Evans agree is to
disagree, and the best thing anybody
can do is to leave them to their own
devices.
Secretary Taft and the Supreme Bench.
Judging from press reports, Hon.
William II. Taft, secretary of war, has
come to the parting of the ways be-
tween a political career and judicial
one. 1t is said that he is puzzled as
to his choice. The story runs that he
can succeed Mr.. Justice Brown on the
supreme bench If he will agree so to
do, but there's the rub. II he goes on
the bench, then, according to the prece-
dents, his chances of becoming presi-
dent go glimmering; for, while ever
since the foundation of the government
there has generally been some member
OF that exalted tribunal with a weather
eye on the White House, not one has
succeeded in even securing presi-
Dental nomination. Some of them,
notably Chief Justice Chase, lived mis-
cradle and died bitterly disappointed
because presidential lightning never
struck him. Judge David Davis of Hill
nois resigned from the supreme bench
to accept seat in the senate of the
United States, hoping thereby to reach
the presidency, but it awaited him moth
Ing A few men have declined seats on
the supreme bench, among them the
lordly Roscoe Conkling, but these YOU
may count on the fingers of one hand
without counting twice. One supreme
Judge, Benjamin r. Curtis, resigned to
return to the practice of law. Judge
campbell OF Louisiana threw in his lot
with the Confederacy and thereby va.
Gated his place.
1t is said that If Secretary Taft ac-
cepts an associate justiceship he is to
De the chief justice when Melville w.
Fuller retires or dies-provided he does
either during President Roosevelts ad.
ninistration-but there is no assurance
mat he will do either, though being
now three years past the psalmist's al |
lotment, he Is liable to do both. OF |
course the chief jnsticeship is a more
alluring bait than an associate Justice.
snip. The emoluments are only little
~ excess. but the honor is greater.
There is only one chief justice, while
here are eight associates. While | am
neither the political nor legal adviser
Il Secretary Taft am free to say that /
n my judgment he would be making
monumental mistake to accept the as
'ociate justiceship of the supreme
'ourt, desirable though that position
'e. The highest political honor in this /
World is the presidency Of the United
3tateS Secretarv Taft hae raacon
lble show of receiving the presidential
domination at the hands of his party.
Z the Republicans'who favor a rational
evision of the tariff prevail in the con-
'ention he is almost certain to be man,
ID. If the stand patters prevail lie will
lot be nominated. Even If nominated
y must run the Risk Of defeat OF the !