The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-05-12
HARRIS SEES WAR;
COL0RS ON THE 1
HORIZON
Washington EnveIoped In a Fog
OF Dark Doubt
TALKS OF FORAKER'S CHARM
And Still Thinks There 10 a oosslbI!I.
N Of the denomination Of
Roosevelt.
TALKS OF FORAKER'S CHARM

Editor OF the Banner: The only
consolation In the present political
middle Is that the worst cannot come.
It Is already here. Conditions cannot
be any more uncertain, and II any
change comes, 1t will necessarily be
for the better. The Chalmers are hav-
ing things all their own way, and no
body can prove or disprove anything.
1t is a beautiful condition of things
when one can Believe what he pleas
es, swear that It is so and dare any
body to prove the contrary. The state
and district conventions are not set
thing anything, nor even pointing the
way. AS an illustration: Two states
this week have instructed for Taft,
two (Texas and Utah for Roosevelt,
two more are unpledged and fifteen or
twenty delegates are contested This
sort of thing doesn't settle anything;
II only adds darkness to gloom.
One face which may carry impor-
tant results Is that the delegate
strength of Foraker Is suddenly in
creasing. Beside the four which are
understood to be instructed for him In
Ohio. he has been picking up quite
few In the south recently. 1t Is pos
sible that he may go to the convention
with towards fifty instructed delegates
and will have twice that II the con-
tests in the southern states are fairly
decided. There Is much lack Of &C.
curate information regarding the per.
s0nallty and character of Foraker.
He is not feather-brained, pugilistic
fire-eater, but exactly the opposite,
He is a man of wonderful personal
magnetism and attraction. In the for
mer respect he more nearly resembles
James g. Blaine than any man who
has been In public life since that
statesman's decease No great Amer
lean today has sdch power to win
and strongly hold friends through
thick and thin. He attracts every one
with whom he comes In contact. He
is no trimmer or coward, but has the
courage Of virile ideas and will fight
to maintain them. even II he stands
alone.
This was especially shown in the
fact that he was the only republican
senator to vote against the railroad
rate bill, and 1t now looks as II his
Judgment In this matter might be full.
| ly indicated. II II ever goes to the
supreme court, very likely at least
half of 1t will be declared unconsti-
tutional He is a great, big hearted,
brave and honest man, and his polit-
ical end Is not yet. While am on
the subject of the popular misconcep-
ton OF public men, | want to say
word of Fairbanks. or all the candi-
dates for the presidential nomination
he is by odds and by far the most gen
ial. cordial and approachable The
cheap and silly joke which represents
him as frost" or an iceberg" is
both maliciously unjust and foolishly
untrue. To high and low, rich and
poor, he is alike cordial, warm and
sympathetic. He Is a great American
and great Republican. and richly de-
serves more from his party than he is
ever likely to receive
In the discussion of presidential
possibilities from the republican view
have to take Taft to defeat Roosevelt,
or take Roosevelt to defeat Taft?
Some eminent Republicans consider
that this question is getting ''up to-
them, good and hard. They even al
low that this may be the vital Ques.
ton In Chicago. It may require q
speedy decision, and so they are now
Submerged In waves OF profound and
anxious thought. And yet there Is
another little matter which may make
trouble. Taft or anybody else can de
feat Bryan, but what II Johnson is
nominated by the Democrats. Here
Is also food for reflection. But the
Chicago convention cannot know what
the Denver convention Is going to do
and therefore all that can be done Ii
to take every possible precaution
This will necessitate the choice Of
who?
Meanwhile the call for Roosevelt
continues and increases from day t
day. There can be no doubt about
that. Not until the past week have
whole states been pledged to him a.
. first, last and only choice. And yet
the question of whether he would sub
: NIT to forced draft In the event o.
an enthusiastic and unanimous nom
nation Is as uncertain as ever. 1t 1.
the general opinion that he would per
force accept the nomination. Here 1.
the vital question In the matter. /
; he were to refuse such nomination
and compel the convention to nomi
nate another and weaker candidat,
; with whom the party would go dowr
to defeat would not he be held per
sonally responsible for great catas
trophe to his party? This considera
: ton is likely to have much influenc,
over his final action.
All other candidates besides Roose
welt and Taft are long Shots" onl,
possibilities, And yet, we must re
member that republican national con
ventions frequently nominate the leas
mentioned man. The party will pla,
for safety and to win, not to compli
ment somebody.
From the democratic point of view
impartially, the prospects yet favol
Bryan. but 1t is yet quite possible fol
the opposition to encompass his de
feat. Let us hope not. He Is a re
, publican asset, and as long as he l.
. the adversary the coast is PRACTICAL,
clear.
. Congressionally, everything Is in tn,
| air, away up out OF sight. Boil
. houses are working furiously and put
ting In long hours accomplishing
nothing, falling over each other ant
rushing In every direction M once
Hours Of time, cubic feet of hot air
, precipitation by the gallon, and as
net resultant! Final adjournmen
) has gone glimmering into the univer
sal fog.
J. =. Harris.
, Washington. May 0, 1908.
= a. - TO n "A.
! sssn III. HIS Kind You Have Always Bough