Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-05-31
JAMES HAM. LEWIS
BOeS UP SERENELY lNTHE CITY
OF eROTHERLY LOVE

As Political Profnosticator Thinks Bryar
Does Not Want Nomination-Illinois No,
for Taft-Municipal Ownership May B.
an Issue in National campaifn-Taft and
Fairbanks Both Have a Chance for tn.
Republican Nomination.
Colonel J. Hamilton Lewis, of Chi
cagO, who was corporation counsel ir
Mayor DUNES administration, was
in Philadelphia, last week, with q
brand new political theory. To the
Inquirer he said:
Strange as it may appear to you
it is my judgment that Mr.. Bryan
does not desire the nomination as the
next Democratic candidate for the
Presidency. 1t may be because he
believes he could not be elected, it is
also my judgment that his position
is. in many respects, identical with
that of President Roosevelt.
do not believe that Mr.. Roose-
velt wants the nomination, but he is
willing to allow enough of his friends
to think so to retain their fealty in
order that he may name his successor,
and if he cannot do that, at least to
prevent the nomination of q man he
opposes. In my Judgment, that is
now the extent of Mr.. Bryan's alnbi-
tiOn Also"
Colonel Lewis, who is celebrated
for his pink whiskers, and whom the
late Speaker Reed respected as the
only parliamentary foe then in Con-
gress worthy of his steel, was fresh
from Washington, and was well
stocked with inside political informa-
tiOn.
Who will the Republicans Of Illi.
nois support" he was asked.
Well, if not Mr.. Cannon, I am in
clined to think that it will be Mr..
Fairbanks as against Mr.. Taft. 1t is
certain to be if Mr.. Roosevelt carries
out his present intention to make
Mr.. Burton, of Ohio, the Speaker of
the next House to punish Mr.. Cannon
for his obstruction to some of the
measures in which he was greatly in
terested."
Illinois is certain to 60 Republi-
can, is it not?"
At this time no man can say.
Both the old parties are split into
factions, each bitterly opposed to the
other. In my judgment there will,
counting the Prohibitionists, be four
tickets in the field at the next ma
ti0nal election in Illinois-the two
regular parties and William Ran
dolph Hearst party,
No one can tell where the Hearst
strength will come from, but it is
certain to be considerable. It is
sure to contain Q large number of
labor votes that were cast for the Re-
publicans at the last election, because
Of the fear of the disturbance of the
tariff and the lowering Of wages.
In my judgment they can no longer
be held by that issue. I believe that
Hearst will hurt the Republicans
more than he will the Democrats.
But it will all depend upon the is
Sues"
Will municipal ownership be an
issue?"
Yes. Perhaps the strongest of
all the issues. The defeat of Mayor
Dunno did not kill municipal owner
ship by any means. As proposed by
Mayor Dunno, it was impossible, be-
cause the courts held it was invalid.
The last Legislature has enacted o
law permitting the city to bond itself
to almost any extent, and such bond
ing may be applied to municipal own
ership of any form of public utilities
the people may elect.
II should not be surprised to see
municipal ownership made as nearly
Q national issue as such thing could
be, as early as the next national cam.
paign. Right or wrong. the idea has
q firm hold upon the minds of vast
number OF persons, all over the coun-
try, and particularly in the west.
You must remember that the
Democrats carried the city of Chicago
at the last election, failing to elect
only the Mayor and the City Clerk.
They elected the Council, the Treas
urer and others.
Il would not care to discuss the
effects of the Mayors affiliation with
Hearst or to say how much it aided
in his failure of reelection.
Do you think you could name the
heads Of the two tickets at the next
electiOnY'
mo. If the convention were to
be held now they would, in my judg-
ment, name Taft and~Bryan. The
chances now are that Mr.. Taft will be
the nominee. although Mr.. Fairbanks
is q man of great ability, and, like
wise, great popularity, and should
the anti Roosevelt forces concentrate
upon him should not be surprised il
he carried the convention.