The Washington times., 1908-09-30
W'ELLIVER VISITS
/ NO. 20 BROADWAY
Finds Officials Close-Mouthed and
Boys, Almost Human, Clipping
b. Bushel of Newspapers.
By 7. c. WELLIVFR.

these
influences in the last two or three years.
Down East, where the Chautauqua orlg!-
mated, but where It isn't so strong as
It is in the West, the impression has
become ingrained that the ChautauolIa
has been revOlutiOntZing public opinion
in the West In truth, the very same
kind Of influences have been at work
IN the East. but in a different way
The Hughes reforms in New York, the
Colby Record gan movement in New
Jersey, the q rchill anti-railroad fight
IN New Hampshire. have been teaching
the same kind Of doctrine in the East
that the ChaUtauqua orators have been
handing out 10 the West. It is even
a question whether the Eastern advo-
Gates Of reform have not had a rather
better forum than those OF the West
for they have had the whole press as
a publicity agency. 1t is the New York
and Philadelphia press that has made
reform accomplishments possible in New
Jersey. Governor Hughes had all the
New York newspapers vigorously sup
porting him for denomination, despite
that the politicians were against him.
Both Want Control
The question Of the control OF thr'
machinery. and Of the value Of tha-
control, in the future, is a very big
and alive one in both political camps
II IS conceded that II Bryan loses il
VIII be by a greatly reduced majority
for the Republicans. Nobody expects
repetition in the maiOrities OF 1896, 1860
and 1904. The result Will be that the
anti-Bryan element in the Democratic
party Will find itself weaker In its next
struggle 20 unhOrse the Nebraskan. than
they were in the Denver convention
Bryan will overshadow all other per
sonahties in his party, just as ne has
done In the past; and already the
prophecy iB heard in many NJ. uths, that
II he Is defeated this year Bryan will
be the Democratic nominee four years
hence Why not2. The party is at last
solidifed behind him. There viii be nc
argument in 1912 that he can't command
his own party. because he is comma nd
Ing Il this time The people following
him now will fiad 1t even easier TO fol-
low him them.
On the Republican side the situation
is very similar. The fight Of the allies
at Chicago was primarily "a struggle
10 Wrest the party machine away from
the Roosevelt control The fight on
Hitchcock since Chicago has been
continuation Of that same fight, The
inexperience Of Mr.. Hitchcock has
played into the hands Of his ANTAGONISTS
If Taft wins the control will be vested
for another four years in people Of
his school OF political thought and
methods; II Taft loses, Il viii be vindi-
cation for the other school. and they
viii hope to step back into control with
out much difficulty.
No Sharp Issues.
Because there is no very sharply de-
Rr-a al a.
struggle for control within the parties
is more apparent than Il would be If
there were some great, overshadowing,
fundamental difference. What this
campaign needs is a paramount issue
somewhere along the line. The parties
both dSaim 10 be the true friends Of
labor. both insist that they are op-
posed TO establishing improper obhga-
uons by taking and using campaign
contributions from selfish sources; both
insist that they Will revise the tariff
without delay; both are promising that
they will regulate the railroads. and
will strengthen the Administrative arm
In dealing with trusts. Where Is the
clear-cUt issue the proposition on which
one party Squarely and bluntly says
yes and the other no? Bank guarantee
IS the only one which rises anywhere
near the dignity OF a paramount; and
compared to the issue which the tariff
made in 1892, Of free silver in 1896 IL
must be confessed that this paramount
Is a sad failure
Campaign Personalities.
Sc the campaien has fallen back on
personalities which at best do not make
an attractive groundwork for the ma
tionaI consideration OF SC big a problem
as the determination Of a Presidential
election. CorOnary to the Foraker
HaskeI-du Pont sensations. is the criti-
cism OF men on both sides for alleged
corporation affiliations. No man is safe
now. if he over was q lawyer for or a
director in an Incorporated concern. He
may expect his record to Ie sprung
on him any afternoon. People who
never knew what it was 10 pay railroad
fare TIL two or three years ago. hold
up their hands in abjoct horror at
thought of a man today having free
transportation on his person. -Rumor
discovers every day CT two that a new
CROP of lnalefactors are about 10 be ex-
posed. Runner has put cut list Of
Senators almost as long as the roII-caU
OF that eminent body. with the wise
roc and the confident assurance that
''AIr. Hearst Will get 'em II thev don't
watch out'--fCr he's alleged to have the
letters.
Goes to 25 Broadway.
went down 10 the Standard Oil Com
panys Offices at 2G Broadway. deterlnin-
ed TO learn II the Octopus is as unap-
prcachable as has been alleged. Amer q
long ante-room wait. during which I
became firmly convinced that there
really was faint odor Of kerosene in
the air I was admitted 10 the presence
Of the official whom I had selected for.
the purposes OF my experimental inter
view.
II was a rather senseless line Of plati-
tudinous questions, I thought. which I
had framed M I'm the hope OF getting
the man 70 talk a little. But he didn't
fan for 'em. He positively declined to
express an opinion whether the weather
was good. bad or Indifferent. He had no
Impressions as TO whether business was
going to improve. he was shocked Wis
iOiy when attention was called to the
fact that Standard OH's name had been
mentioned in the newspapers in some
connections which suggested that pos