The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1908-03-06
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER
WASHINGTON. &C. FEE. 90, 1908.


Washington. They are at loss to I'M
derstand Mr. Hearst's purpose in spend
ing 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 purposed 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
Convention will follow the national
conventions of both of the other parties
and the political prognosticators in the
national capital are once m ore 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 Presl-
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 nominating MI.
Roosevelt his party can poll vote SO
large as to make it central figure In
all future national equations, even
though nothing else is accomplished
this year, and in support of their theory
thew noiu! to The fact that recent edi-
torinls in the Hearst newspapers have
been far more f1attering to Mr.. Roose-
welt than ever before, and that from
condemnation they have changed to
praise Of course no such action could
be taken if MIR. Roosevelt could help it,,
as he particularly abhors Mr.. Hearst,
and has always refrained from inviting
him to the White House, even when he
was member Of Congress, while the
speech of Secretary Root, which was
largely inspired by the President, was
probably the most potent factor in pre-
venting Mr. Hearst from defeating Mr..
Hughes in the race for the governorship
of New York.
President Roosevelt's intense feeling
against Mr.. Hearst dates back to the
time W hen, as Governor of New York,
Mr. Roosevelt felt constrained to refuse
a pardon to a woman who had been SEN
fenced to death for most revolving
murder. Numerous frenzied appeals
for pardon had been forwarded to Gov
ernor Roosevelt and he had appointed
commission of eminent jurors to in.
vestigate 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 propagaD-
Ga for d pardon and when the Governor
refused they printed lurid editorials in
which they said, among other things,
that it would be their unchanging pur-
pose to prevent Mr.. Roosevelt's wife
and children from ever forgetting that
their husband and father was "mur-
derer of women. Mr.. Roosevelt never
| forgaye the reference to his wife and
| family.
There is a peculiar situation in the
Senate committee on Military Affairs.
| When the final vote on Brownsville wal
taken this week, only two members had
the courage to vote for resolution de-
| claring that it was their conviction that
the negro soldiers Of the 25th Infantry
did not shoot up the town Of Browns
| vile. These were Foraker and Bulke.
ley, both Of whom are intense haters OF
| the present administration. Now, how
| ever, some of the Republicans who vot-
| ed as they thought, saying that the evil
dence showed that the negroes did the
shooting, are hearing from the negro
voters in their states and they are be.
| coming scared. One of them, Senator
Warner of Missouri, who practically
| conducted the prosecution and examin-
ed the negro witnesses, as we'll as the
| white ones, has decided to introduce q
bill providing that the President may
| restore 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, a
| far better measure than the Foraker bill
which provides that the President must
| restore all the discharged negroes, limo.
| cent ard guilty alike, but then Mr.
Forahcr knows perfectly we'll that his
bill viii never pass, will never even be
reported from the committee, and he is
merely seeking to vent his spleen
against Roosevelt and Taft. Incident
ally, the fact that the Republican State
convention of Missouri, which instruct.
ed it's delegates for Taft, elected four
negroes as alternates to the convention
may have also been the result Of Mr..
| Warmers anxiety.
Senator Owen, of Oklahoma made q
splendid impression in the Senate thi.
| week when be debated the A ldrich bill
which, by the way, will probably be
passed by the Senate next week. Mr..
| Owen exhibited a perfect command OF
language and fine presence when he
| made his maiden spe ech. Later, how
ever, he unfortunately advocated an
! amendment to the Indian Appropria-
ton bill which would operate to re-
move all the restrictions which Con-
gress has placed ar ound the transfer of
his lands by the Indian, legislation bas-
ed on the idea that the Indian is not
vet competent to deal with white men
aud part hoods without getting cheat
ed Mr. owen took the ground that
inasnuch as the Indians of the Five
Civilized Til neg had been absorbed by
the state of Oklahoma, they were ne
longer Indians, but citizens of the
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