Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1907-12-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
trrom our Regular CORES pondenl

trrom our Regular respond ent.)
Washington, d. G.. December 81 =
Democrats throughout the couhtr,
will regret the recent fist fight which
occurred in the House OF Represent =
| tives between Messrs. Williams AND
DeArmOnd. Both are men OF adyanC-
ed years who have WIN The respect CT
| the country by their long and credit
| able service In the House aud that
they should have so far forgott+
| themselves as to hape engaged III
| rough and tumble fight Is 10 be stu
cerely regretted Tue immeliiate oc
casion OF the quarrel was misunder-
standing between them regarding the
committee assignment OF MISSOURI
member, but of course back OF that
| lay the rivalry between the two men
for the position OF Dem ocratic leader.
Mr.. DeArmOnd made all earnest hght
| for the honor during The fall and Mr..
Williams won out. MIR. DeArmOnd
Thought that as Mr. Williams had
heen elected at the primaries of his
state to the Senate, be might stand
aside for some other member of The
House when it came 10 the honor OF
Democratic leadership, while MIR Will
Jams was unwilling to conclude his
career in the lower chamber with less
honor than he had enjoyed for some
time past 1t is expected that these
men, both Uf whom are essential to the
best interest of the Democrats IN tue
House, will be brought together by
friends aud that remem brance of their
encounter will be hushed up in SO far
as that is possible.
An instance of Speaker Cannon's
absolute domination OF the House Is
afforded by the case of Representative
Burton and the committee on Rivers
and Harbors. Before the House met
Mr.. Burton, who is a good Repnbll-
can, by the way, announced public
ly that be would not again be chair
man of Rivers and Harbors, which is
a most arduous position and which he
has filled with great credit through
several Congresses. MIR. Burton felt
be had earned a place on the important
committee on Ways and Means which
has to do with the making of tue
tariff He had, however, expressed
sympathy for the tariff revision views
of Secretary TAFT and that was enough
for Cannon. He Notified Mr.. Burton
Uudu ue3 COulu DOU udNo d plaOC Oh
Ways and Means and that unless he
served On Rivers aud HarbOrs again be
would be deprived of all committee
assignments. MIR. Burton sought to
secure the support of some of his Re
publican colleagues in a fight against
the Speaker but they we've ali SO afraid
of Cannon's displeasure that they
would not join with him and conse-
quently be Ii again chairman of Rivers
aud HarbOrs while Rep. LOngwurth.
the Presidents son-in-law, cts the
OHIO vacancy on Ways and Means.
The refusal of the New York Coun
ty Republican Committee to endorse
Governor Hughes for the Presidency
constitutes severe setback for the
presidential boom of that executive.
The fact is thai Mr.. Hughes, who is
really resident of New York City and
| in sympathy with all the hatred OF
| President Roosevelt which the Wal
Street gamblers and the railroad mani
pulatOrs feel toward the President
has been making destinations in hl;
speeches which IT f.eted discredit or
the President and which showed how
little be was in sympathy with thai
form of Republicenism, which Is al
most Democracy, for which Mr.
Roosevelt stands The Governor wal
misled by the intensity of tue hatred
of Roosevelt among his associates an(
thought it quite safe TO throw mud q
the man whom they all hate. That b
made a mistake is clearly shown b.
the action of the New York committee
Most of the Republican politician
haf 70 RnnCGu.lt ord hau ho 10 II a (
too, but they are too smart to max
the mistake of thinking that the ranl
, and file of the party hate them.
The opinion is freely expressed il
Washington that Hughes is oil 500
| will be out of the presidential race
, Secretary Cortelyou, whose entir
!, strength lay with the bankers WHOM
he has so largely befriended, has him
self Withdrawn from the race aud tn
resule is that Taft now seems to be th
man whom Mr.. Bryan will have t
beat. This is perhaps unfort innate, 70
, Taft is the strongest man the Reput
licans can name. With reactionar
candida such as II ughes, Fairbanks
CortelyOu, Foraker or Cannon, MI
J Bryan would have an easy race. Th
American people, regardless of party
will not stand for the old Hanna styl
of Republcanism and that is wha
/ these men stand for GA the othe
hand, Taft will run on platform cor
sisting of the Roosevelt policies, mos
of which Mr.. Roosevelt borrowed from
Mr.. Bryan, and it will make MI
Bryan's fight all the harder. Tn
, question before the people will be. d
Iyou want the originator of thes
policies, William J. Bryan, or do you
want the heir to the purlOiner of thos
policies, made somewhat more cOnser
vative by q Republican education
William II. Taft? 1t will be case o
Bill against Bill, Big Bill Taft ant
Big Bill Bryan, for both men are big
each in bis own way.
i Finances may have much to do will
the next election. Chairman, Tawne!
of the House committee on ApprOpri
atiOns, has advised the Speaker thai
the estimates of expenses for the cor
Ing year exceed the estimated receipts
by $l00,OOO,OOO Tnat is a big sun
and monument to Republican extray
agance. Some of the ablest financiert
predict general retrenchement o.
business which will mean consider
dUl0 ucCTcdcc Ill UaC ihCO"O VI tu'
government and if the Republican
create Treasury deficiency in place
of the big surplus the country ha
long enjoyed, they will be. severel.
punished at the polls.
Senator Tillman made powerful
and conservative speech in the Sen
ale this week. one which contained
many pertinent questions hard for tn
Republicans to answer. The fact i
that Secretary Cortelyou, iu his anxi
ETY. TO help the bankers, has clearI.
violated the law and the Republican
know 1t. They appreciate that the.
have no defence against the Demo
cratic arguments aud they vince a
the prospect of the debate which will
come after Christmas. MIR. Tillma
will have more to say on this subjec
and 30 will many other able Democrats