Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-03-06
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Washington. D. c., Feb. 29.-The
purpose OF the Hearst League, or the
Independence League as it prefers TO
b, called, is still the occasion of some
anxiety and some curiosity to Demo-
C ratio leaders In Washington. They
are at loss to understand Mr.. Hearst 8
purpose in spending untold sums of
money to promote this movement in
national politics. At one time they
thought they had found the solution
In the theory that Mr.. Hearst purpos-
ed to hold his convention after the
Republican and before the Democratic
national conventions and to endorse
himself for President with the purpose
OF opposing Mr.. Bryan at Denver 1t
is now officially announced, however,
that the Independence League Con-
vention will follow the national con-
ventious Of both Of the other parties
and the political prognosticators In the
national capital are once more at sea.
There has been rumor In circulation
here to the effect that it was the pur-
pose of Mr.. Hearst to have his League
endorse Theodore Roosevelt for Presi-
dent, irrespective of what action might
be taken by the other conventions, and
this rumor is no more welcome to the
Republicans than to the Democrats.
Those who maintain that this is the
real intent of the Hearst organization
say that he believes that by nominal
ing Mr.. Roosevelt his party can poll
vote so large as to make it central
figure in all future national co uatlOns,
even though nothing else Is accom-
plished this year, and in support of
their theory they point to the fact that
recent editorials in the Hearst news
papers have been far more f1attering
to Mr.. Roosevelt than ever before, and
that from condemnation they have
changed to praise. OF course no such
action could be taken If Mr.. Roosevelt
could help 1t, as he particularly alb
hors Mr.. Hearst. aud has always re.
Trained from inviting him to the White
House, when be was a member of
Congress. while the speech of Secretary
Root, which was largely inspired by
the President, was probably the most
potent factor in preventing Mr.. Hearst
from defeating Mr.. Hughes in the
race for the governorship of New
York.
President Roosevelt's intense feel
ing against Mr.. Hearst dates back to
the time when, as Governor of New
York, Mr.. Roosevelt felt constrained
to refuse pardon to a woman who
had been sentenced to death for a
most revolving murder. Numerous
frenized appeals for pardon had been
forwarded to Governor Roosevelt and
he had appointed a commission of emf
nent jurisfs to Investigate the case and
advise him. The commission advised
that a pardon would be a defeat of
justice and he abided by its decision.
The Hearst newspapers were leading
the propaganda for pardon and when
the Governor refused they printed
lurid editorials in which they said,
among other things, that it would be
their unchanging purpose to prevent
Mr.. Roosevelt's wife and children from
ever forgetting that their husband and
father was murderer of women."-
Mr.. Roosevelt never forgave the re
ference to his wife and family.
There Is a peculiar situation In the
Senate committee on Military Affairs.
When the final vote on Brownsville
was taken this week, only two mem
bers had the courage to vote for a reso
luton declaring that it was their con
viction that the negro soldiers of the
95th Infantry did not shoot up the
town of Brownsville. These were
Foraker and Buckley. both of whom
are intense haters of the present ad
ministratlon. Now, however, some of
the Republicans who voted as they
thought, saying that the evidence
showed that the negroes did the shoot
ing, are hearing from the negro voters
in their states and they are becoming
scared. One of them, Senator Warner
of Missouri. who practically conducted
the prosecution and examined the ne
gro witnesses, as we'll as the white
ones, has decided to introduce a bill
providing that the President may re.
store to the army and give back pay
to, any negro soldier who can prove bis
entire innocence of having had a part
In the assault, to the satisfaction of
the War Department. This is, of
course, far better measure than the
Foraker bill which provides that the
President may restore all the discharg-
ed negroes. innocent and guilty alike,
but then Mr.. Foraker knows perfectly
we'll that his bill will never pass, will
never even be reported from the COM
mittee, and he is merely seeking to
vent his spleen against Mr.. Taft. In
cidentally, the fact that the Republi
can State convention Of Missouri,
which instructed its delegates for Taft,
elected four negroes as alternates to
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