The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-01-07

| credited with ambitions to reach the
White House, will have a reverse.
The whole controversy over the
Brownsville affray is thought to be i'm
| portant in the making and the unmak-
ing of Presidents. Il may not look that
way a year or two hence, when the
country can get the retrospect. With
eyes to the front now, however, the
aspirants think it is very important.
The President thinks SO, or is begin
ming to think SO. The politicians see
that if Senator Foraker can get the
negro vote solidly behind him, as will
likely be the case. he VIII be a factor
of added influence in the next National
convention.
DENOMINATION CHANCES.
Men are already saying that the Pres
ident can not be renominated, even
cerely does not wish another term and
will not accept it. But there has arisen
such hostility to him in many quarters
that the party leaders would hesitate
to take a man who would have difficulty
in polling the negro vote, which holds
the balance of power in a number of
states extending from the Atlantic sea-
board to the Mississippi river. BY the
same token it will become increasingly
difficult for Mr.. Roosevelt to dictate the
name of his successor, as he would I'M
doubtedly like to do. The same negro
resentment for President Roosevelt is
now shared for Secretary Taft. It
looks as though the firing of fifty rifle
shots in the obscure town of Browns
vile, Tex, one night last August, had
also put him out of the presidential
running. Such an outcome would inn
mensely help Senator Foraker, for it
will likely leave him clear field with
the Buckeye delegation.
The Ohioans in Washington say that
the Presidents course is bound to help
Senator Foraker, whatever happens
with reference to the investigation. The
attack the President has made upon
the Goth Ohio regiment, whose dis
charge he cited as precedent uphold
ing his discharge of the colored batta-
lion of the 25th Infantry, will also help
the senator in Ohio. It happens that in
september, 1861, when that regiment was
encamped in Highland County, Ohio,
Mr.. Foraker. then a very young man,
applied to be enlisted. It's officers would
not accept him because he was under
age and it was a year later before he
did enlist
The regiment was enlisted for one
year. Although the men were enlisted
in September, 1861, they were not form
ally taken into the service of the Fed
eral government till the following Feb
ruary. The regiment moved South,
saw active service, was captured and
its men subsequently paroled and sent
north. When September. 1862, came
around the enlisted men insisted on be-
ing discharged. Their officers, however,
being in receipt Of large pay for those
days, took every possible advantage OF
the fact that the regiment had not been
accepted by the government till Feb
ruary and therefore insisted that the
term of enlistment did not expire till
February, 1868. The men resisted that
were riotous and mutinous and behaved
SO badly that they were eventually dis
charged.
Naturally all the veterans of that
regiment, many of whom survive, and
all their friends are not thinking kind
ly of the President for dragging that
affair of nearly forty-five years ago in
to the record of the Brownsville af-
fray. When Senator Foraker again Sc
cures the floor he will have a lot to
say about that feature of the case
He had something to say about it
when he was speaking last week but
did not exhaust the subject.
There are a number of Republican
senators who would like to use the
Brownsville affair as an instrument for
hr,~ st,
for evening up some Of the old scores
they have against him. They see that
they have nothing to lose In it and
everything to gain, while the Presi-
dent has little to gain and great deal
to lose. for he would be Inundated If
the last half of his administration
demonstrated his unpopularity and his
INABILITY to keep his party in line in
Congress. Heretofore the President
mas been able to drive the Senate and
House to the execution of his will in
the making of laws because he adyo-
Gated laws that were supported by
the country. Now it is not a question
of law making but a question OF right
ing an alleged wrong and, on the sur
race. the sentiment of the country
seems to be that the President has
erred by acting hastily. So all the con-
d1tions are favorable to the Republican
recaIcitrants.
WILL AFFECT LEGISLATION.
Reyolts against President Roosevelt
have broken out heretofore at the be-
ginning of a session. He has always
been able to whip the kickers into line
within few weeks, or at best, few
months, whereupon the revolt speedily
died. There is now every indication
that the present revolt-for there is
big revolt back Of the hostile demon
stration Senator Foraker is making
will last through the session. It's eff
feet will be felt upon the legislation
of the session, for the Senate has al
ways followed the President grudgfng-
1y. The House Is also in a mood to
do a little rebelling.
All this attitude means that the
Presidents pet measures VIII have a
hard time in Congress this winter and
that Senate and House will hold down
To he n~ao 1fv >ar34 Of ,rsr