Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-04-17
WASHINGTON LETTER.

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"With three exceptions, every state
committee that has met has endorsed
Mr.. Bryan and has asked its members
to urge that the convention instruct for
him. The exceptions are the state Of
Minnesota, in which the friends of Mr.
Bryan expect to get majority of the
delegates for him; the state of New
York, which never instruct5, and the
state of Pennsylvania, which is doubt
full This statement was made by
President Newman of the District of
Columbia Democratic Association and
was followed by number of other cor
dial endorsements Of the great Ne
breaskan, voiced by members of Con-
gress and others prominent in the par
ty councils. If the sentiment in Wash
ington is any criterion, Mr.. Bryan will
have an easy time of it in Denver, for
while there are rumors of booms for
other candidates, no one of them has,
thus far, demonstrated the slightest
vitality, while the strength of the Peer
less Leader appears to be growing
steadily in all parts of the country.
There is, of course, considerable in
terest in the effort of Governor John
son, who has now formally announced
his candidacy, saying that he had pre-
ferred to remain out of the race but had
been forced into it by Democrats of his
state, and that having entered the race
he was in it to win. 'Mr. Bryan has
good start" Governor johnson is quot
ed as saying; 'but l am pretty good
runner when l get started, and | may
be able to close up the gap and beat
him in the home-stretch. If | had
been free to do as | pleased / would not
have entered the race, but now that |
am in it I'm in it to the finish The
opinion prevails in Washington that it
will not take the Governor long to reach
his finish.
The situation in the Republican camp
is becoming somewhat more interest
ing. Since Governor Hughes has lost
ten of the delegates from his own state,
since Massachusetts has declared its
preference for Taft, and since four Hi
nois districts have refusd to instruct
for Joseph G. Cannon, while two New
York districts and one from Illinois
have instructed their delegates to vote
for Taft, the opposition has practically
thrown up its hands so far as nomina-
ting one of its own number is concern
ed, but has decided to throw its paltry
strength to Roosevelt. The idea which
actuates the Foraker, ct al. crowd is
that if the Republican party is to be
condemned to another term of Repub-
licanism of the brand Theodore ROose-
welt has been giving it, ii can at least
so arrange matters that there will be
but four instead of eight years more OF
it, as they fear there would be were
Mr.. Taft nominated. Therefore, they
say, 'Let us nominate Theodore R0ose-
welt. He cannot possibly accept an
other term after 1912, and then we can
regain control of the party and give it
another dose of the good old fashioned
Hanna Republicanism, undiluted with
Roosevelt's antitrust and Taft's tariff
revision theories.
The extent of the Presidents infiu-
ence was very clearly demonstrated in
the Senate this week when the Employ
ers' Liability bill was passed precisely
as it came from the House. The report
had reached the White House that
there was a scheme to kill this bill i'll
conference and he suggested to Senator
Dolliver and others that it was wiser
to psas the House bill without amend
ment and thus avoid the necessity Of
sending the measure to conference. This
was done and now the House will have
no option but to sign the bill. The
Senate will sign it and it will go to the
President for his signature in its pres
ent form.
Considerable importance is attached
here to the action of the Republican
county convention held at Minneapolis
where the anti-Taft faction tried to
stampede the convention for Roosevelt
and Walter A. Hefelfnger, who had
Just been elected delegate and who is
a close personal friend of the President,
announced that every real friend OF
Roosevelt would vote for Taft, and that
if instructions to vote for Roosevelt were
adopted he would not serve as dele
gate. That headed off the Roosevelt
stampede and it is said at the White
House that as ended this effort to
stampede the faithful, SO will end the
effort to stampede it in the national
convention, if one is made.
1t is curious spectacle to see prom
inent Democratic member of the House
leading the fight for the Roosevelt
naval programme against many of his
colleagues and majority of the Re
publicans, and yet that is precisely
what Rep. Hobson, formerly of the
Navy is doing. Mr.. Hobson expects to
introduce an amendment to the naval
bill, early next week, which will pro-
vide for four battleships. Captain
Hobson is convinced, too, that he will
succeed in passing this amendment,
although the leaders of both parties
say he is counting without his host.
1t is very doubtful, however, if the
Senate would permit such an appro-
priation to pass even lift was successful
in the House.