The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1907-02-21
Letter from Washington.
The Fiddler from San Francisco. Cover
nor Burleigh and the Appropriation
Rj1ls
Correspondence of the Journal.)

who is making his temporary home at
the New Willard, the most fashionable
hotel in the National Capitol. He has
musical aggregation with him, one
better musician than himself, but none
the less a musician and trombone
player who takes orders from the fid-
dler. Eugene Schmitz, mayor of San
Francisco, only few years ago lead
er of theatrical orchestra, is still
fguratively doing the fddling. He has
been the agitator of agitators who has
been making the government all sorts
of trouble because of the exclusion of
Japanese children from all San Fran
cisco schools, except the Oriental
school, He has been making the Presi-
dent and Secretary Root dance to his
music. The President has denounced
Schmitz and his private cohorts in pri-
vate speeches. If they would only stop
fddling, the President and Secretary
Root could dance to some other and
more pacific tune. They could fix up
the troublesome japanese exclusion
question-perhaps.
And so at last SchmitZ, now indicted
and awaiting trial in San Francisco for
alleged mafeasance in Office, has travel
ed across the continent with his school
board, including Superintendent Alfred
Roncoviori who is the star trombone
player on the Pacific coast, leader of
the famous Roncovieri band, and, in
cidentally, so unprecedented persons say,
about as good a superintendent of
schools as San Francisco ever had. A.
Altman, president of the board of
education, is of the company and he is
also the brother in-law of Boss Rueff,
che man whose grating and whose
municipal methods are alleged to have
made the local government of San
Francisco a stencil in the nostrils of
decent people. All the company are
like so many pawns on the chess board
they do what Fiddler Schmitz tells
them to do.
I6 IeS1ucllb, lClSOOlI, 10 elCoVibS
with this man, charged with crime, and
with his satellites, because they seem
to have it in their power to greatly
affect the amlcable relations between
tie government of the United States
and the Empire of Japan. They are
not a particularly interesting party,
except for the power they seem to hold
in their hands. They are nevertheless
the observed of all observers at the
hotel. They stroll in and out of the
palatial structure, for, when they are
not comforting with the President or
members of his cabinet, they have time
upon their hands. They dine sumptu-
ously in the big dining room or in the
palm room, where there is generally
good music, for the edification of Fid-
dler Schmitz and Trombone player
Roncovieri. There is no baSSOon in
the hotel orchestra. which Fiddler
Schmifz humorously says he does not
mind. for it is not true that he is a
bassoon player, Notwithstanding the
fact that the President was alleged to
to have said that he was.
But for the important mission they
nave. the San Franciscans would hard
" be pointed out in any company.
SchmitZ is rather striking figure, tall,
straight and aggressive, with hair cut
pompadour just as the many photo
graphs of him show. Californians
coming to Washington in mid winter
after traversng the mountainous re-
gions OF ice aud SNOW, are often atflict-
ed with bad colds but these Caifor-
uians are in good healthy condition.
SchmitZ has been long enough in poll
tics to know how to carry his part with
dignity. HI feels his Importance but
is not offensive about it. Of course, he
expects to yield to the President on the
matter of excluding japanese children
from all schools in San Francisco, but
there must be lot of parleying about
it. SchmitZ will try to get a quid pro
quo, so that he can return to San Fran
CISCO Will expansive CleSG anu Ie6l
that he has some new capital for his
reelection campaign next autumn.
He wants to return across the CONT
pent as widely heralded as he was on
mis- trip over. He is shrewd about
what he says for the newspapers, but
enjoys seeing his name prominent in
the daily headlines.
The details of the final arrangements
about the schools have not been settled.
There was formality in approaching the
initial conferences. SchmitZ and his
company called to ''pay their respects"
TO the President and to Secretary Root.
Then there was long conference Sat
urday and it is being followed by other
conferences this week. No one, who is
well informed, believes for a minute
there is going to be war with Japan,
but the outcome of the conference is
very important. If it is successful it
will remove cause Of irritation be-
tween the two countries and make it
possible for the President to carry out
E0Ianc TO ractrint no oop,ipr of Iapan