La Junta tribune., 1908-01-04
The Worlds Chief Events
and Tendencies of a Year
Outlined In Orderly Array
For Busy Readers Who
Want to Be Well Informed.
By EDWIN S. POTTER.
Editor Universal News Analysis.
Reform Waves s~ Panic Winds
Keep Party Navisators Anxious

Through the misty pros ana cons ot
administrative responsibility aud OF
ambitions party ieaderships the wealth
erwlse American citizen sees Con
scIence-with a big cas- the unknown
factor In the coming national caiu-
paign. judging from the signs Of 1907.
The great American public has begun
To think about few things, and that's
what has kept the political pot a-boii-
ing.
One thing the year makes clear 10
the most casual obscrver--the line be-
tween the old Democracy and the old
Repuiyiicanism no longer exists. II Is
now n question of conservative and
radical on which both these historic
parties are being rent transversely.
The same head winds which made the
years voyage hard one for President
Roosevelt and his administration serv-
ed to bring the Bryan vessel into the
port OF third Democratic nomina-
tion, now generally conceded. and yet
the leader OF the opposition presents
the unusual spectacle of smiling ap-
provaI OF much OF the Roosevelt pro-
rramme. Theodore Roosevelt began to
BoNNiiui vPpVSiAi'h i'h s''N
first time in his own party while the
popular cry for third term grew
louder. In his own state new figure,
that OF Governor Hughes. was attract
ing much attention by his quiet way
of bringing the Republican organiza-
tion to his feet. appealing direct to the
people for his measures OF reform,
chief of which. was the creation of the
public service commissions for state
and city. with power to bring the util-
fly corporations to terms.
1t WAS on the morning of APRIL
that the president woke up To find
himself on the defensive by the publ
cation of the Hartman letter telling
OF an alleged deal between Roosevelt
and Hartman In 1904. At once the
president published his Sherman letter
telling of Harrimsn's brag that he
could buy laws and judges al libitum.
for which the president had class.
ell him along with Debs. Meyer and
Haywood as undesirable citizens"
This Incident assumed great signiii-
canoe owing to the fact that organized
labor resented the slur upon the West
ern Federation officials about To he
tried for their lives. Much was made
by the enemies of Roosevelt of the re-
mark In his letter to Hartman that
".you and are practical men,"
In the face OF the increasing hOstll-
ity OF many wealthy citizens the presi-
dent persisted In promulgating his re-
form policies. notably In his Memorial
day speech at indianapolis. advocating
the theory Of federal control OF rail
roads under the postal clause OF the
constitutions; at ProyincetOwn. Mass.
AUG. 20. where in laying The corner
stone of the Pilgrims monument he
charged Certain malefactOrs Of great
wealth" with conspiring 10 depress
business In the hore Of discrediting his
policies in the eyes of the people, and
again in his series OF speeches Mt the
dedication OF the Mckinley tomb at
Canton SEPT. 80 and on his ensuing
southern fonr
expressed by Secretary OF War Taft in
the series of addresses beginning at
Columbus. o.. AUG. 10. In which he
took his stand as candidate for the
Republican nomination as the chosen
defender Of the administration. Such
was the launching of the Taft boom.
a dramatic feature being his start on
the long Journey around the world.
In tho meantime all the antiadminis-
tration strength in Ohio had been sum-
moned into action by the avowe,l can
didacy OF Senator Foraker. who glories
in his differences with the president.
Furthermore. all the legal and exec
utlye machinery OF the government
was being brought into action against
the big railroad, oil. coal and other
combinations Secrets OF the Standard
OIL company were laid bare and its
head haled into n federal court. after
which came the big Landis fine. In n
defiant Interview John d. Rockefeller
openly attacked the administration and
predicted financial chaos as the har-
vest. referring to himself Ms being
.shitched to the cart in which the .peO-
pie ride That was IN July VIM
by the middle OF August stocks were
tumbling. and the rest ix part OF the
business record.
Whether Justly or unjustIy, the nd
ministration was blamed By many
when the panic came, and besides the
gibe Of Chancellor Day about the raid
on prosperity" Roosevelt received hard
knocks from such sources ms ex-Sena-
tor Spooner and Justice Brewer. the
latter charging the president with
..playipg peeknboo with the Ameri-
can people" about the third term. In
November the president did order fed
eraf employees to desist from Efforts
for 4 third term delegation. and after