The midland journal., 1907-02-08
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1902.

customs for Cincinnati, Mr.. Foraker's
home city. In doing this he puts it up
to the Senator to accept the colored
appointee smilingly and gratefully or else
to slap in the face the great Southern
colored contingent that has just begun to
look up to Mr.. Foraker as their Moses.
1t is now nearly two years since cordial
relations between the President and the
Ohio Senator became strained and since
then they have been travelling divergent
paths. The tilt between them at the
Press Club dinner last Saturday was
almost tragic in its emphasis of their
mutual dislike. Each of these men in
his particular vicinage, Foraker in Ohio
and the President in the United States,
has played the part of an autocrat. For.
years before Roosevelt was thought of for
the place, though the latter is much the
younger man. 1t is generally understood
in political and journalistic circles here
that the President hopes to nominate his
successor, and his name is Taft. The
trusts and corporations would much prefer
Fairbanks. Wall Street has leaning
toward Shaw. Cannon and LaFollette
are not looked upon except as possible
dark horses.
*xx
There is considerable comment at the
Capitol over Senator Hale of Maine, and
relating to his lecture to the Senators last
week on their wasting time in long
speeches. His remarks were particularly
addressed to Senator Beve-idge who had
been speaking for a day or two in favor
of the Child Labor Bill. 1t is said that
the Senator's lecture would have come
with better grace from almost any other
member of that august body, for while he
himself is not given to long speeches he
is one of the most insolent men in the
Senate, and all through the month of
December he was moving adjournments
from Thursday until Monday, and when
the Senate reconvened after the holidays,
on January the third, the Maine Senator
protested against the Senate meeting on
Friday as he expressed it lust to listen
to speeches." If it had not been for
these frequent adjournments the work OF
the Senate would not now be in such an
unfinished condition Mr.. Hale has been
making a similar speech about this time
of the session for the last twenty years.
As yet not single appropriation bill has
been passed. The action of the Com
mittee in recommending reduced pay to
the railroads for the carriage of mail has
been followed by demands for hearings
from the railroads all over the country,
and if these hearings are held it is prac-
tically certain that they will occupy all
the remaining time of the session. All
this goes to foreshadow the possibility of
an extra session, though the probability
is that during the last week Congress will
as usual get down to work and pass the
appropriation bill, leaving other much
needed legislation for the millennium. 1t
seems to be the motto of Congress to
never do today what can be put off until
tomorrow.
There is much talk about our accumu-
lating troubles with Japan, and it is i'm.
possible to decide whether the excitement
and anxiety which certainly exists has
foundation in real imminence of war or
whether it is inspired and manufactured
in the interest of the military and naval
branches of the Government and of the
policy that has been idealized in the "big
stick" 1t is certain that Uncle Sam
would snore more peacefully if it were
not for his thousand islands, more or
less, in the Orient so handy to that little
war like nation that Commodore Perry so
recklessly called into existence fifty years
ago. There is no doubt that the Presi.
dent is very much embarrassed by the
obstreperous attitude of California with
reference to Japanese school children. In
a recent interview with some Cal forniaus
he referred to the Mayor of San Fran
cisco in these words: THAT Mayor of
yours, the bassoon player whose tune is
hot air, may think war with Japan would
not amount to much, but we are dealing
with nation of proud and brave people.
The Japanese are not like the Europeans
who will exhaust the resources of diplo-
macy before going to war When Japan
strikes she strikes quickly and without
warning We must do all we can to
remove any possible cause of war If
trouble comes it must not he our fault.
We must avoid rupture if any plan of
diplomacy can do it." 1t is said that
Secretary Root is extremely anxious for
diplomatic adjustment of all questions
between this country and Japan, To this