Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-06-26
SPARKLING NOTES
FROM WASHINGTON.
tBy Special Correspondence, Washington
ID. C.. June 24thJ


tBy Special Correspondence. Washington.
ID. C.. June 24th-)
What Democrats have foretold has
come to pass and the Republic is COM
ing perilously near to a monarchy or a
dictatorship. Who would have be-
lieved it possible when Lincoln was
nominated, that the Republican party
would in few years tamely submit to
the Chief Magistrate, after two terms
of Office. decreeing who his successor
should be, and can anyone deny that
President Roosevelt has ordered these
doings of the Republican party. by just
touching the button at the White
House Allowing that President
Roosevelt is patriot, who can be
trusted to manage the politics and poll
cies of the United States how will the
country fare when some less able and
honest man undertakes to follow his
example in years to come?
If Mr.. Taft is elected can he be
trusted to dictate his successor? Ii
will be very dangerous proceeding TO
trust him, judging from what he has
done TO aid himself in obtaining his am
bition.
Here at Washington there is no en-
thusiasm for the Republican ticket,
for there is deep rooted feeling that
it may be defeated, as neither the can
didate for President nor vice-President
has that inherent strength with the
voters that is necessary for success.
But perhaps later on the Republican
managers will be able to work ND
enough enthusiasm amongst the of
flee holders to get most of them to 90
home to vote, if they are not assessed
too great percentage of their sala-
ries to prevent them from doing so.
The Republican managers will I'M
doubtedly have an enormous CAMPAIGN
fund, for all ''the interests will be
forced to contribute, by reason of the
pressure that can be brought to bear
on them by the Administration, through
the information obtained by the inves-
tigation of the Interstate Commerce
Commission, and the Department of
Commerce and Labor, of their infrac-
ton of the railroad rate law and the
antitrust law. With all this evidence
hanging over their heads what can
they do but come down" when the
Republican managers call on them for
boodleg
Taft and good times, is to be the Re-
publican slogan, but how can Taft
change Republican policies that have
brought panic and business disaster
more than Roosevelt could, whose poll
cies he is pledged to follow?
Former Senator Chandler is advising
the negroes to bolt the Republican
ticket; but the only effect will be to
raise the usual price of darkey votes in
the doubtful States from So to S25 a
head.
Under new indictments for rebating
the Standard Oil Trust is liable to be
fined $68, 600, 900. This is the Repub-
lican way of trying to make people be-
lieve it is Trust busting, but it does
not seem to worry Rockefeller, for he
knows it will not have to be paid.
Nominations by direct long distance
telephone beat direct nominations by
the people these days.
There would seem to be no doubt
that Mr.. Taft. if not entirely accepta-
BILE to Wall Street, has been adopted as
the best that can be obtained under
the circumstances. Wall Street ex-
poets to control Taft and has doubtless
had assurance it will do so. But a
specter arises as the result of Repub-
lican policies, that may well make an
honest citizen stand aghast at whittier
we are drifting. That we'll known f.
nancier of Wall Street, Henry Clews,
in a speech delivered before the Man.
chester Economics Club on May 10th,
gives us an inkling of what may be ex-
pected. 1t may surprise some to learn
that the great power concentrated in
the Presidents hands by Congress has
made the great corporations, including
the railway companies and banking in
situations ambitious and eager to con-
troll the Federal Government itself. and
they are resolutely working to control
1t as far as they can by the force of
capital, but as unobstrusively as posi- |
BILE. Already they are sub rosa power
fui political machines. In this connec-
ton it is Significant that some large
railway and banking interests have
identified themselves with the Taft
The success of the Democratic partv
therefore. is all that will prevent the
rule OF plutocracy, and the plundering
of the people with greater and greater
effect than ever before. Defeat now
may never be retrieved. With all the !!
powerful influence of concentrated |
wealth in the hands of the Republicans
and their alliance with trusts and COM
bines, if successful at the coming cleo
ton. 1T will be well nigh impossible to
hereafter.
When the Democratic Convention
comes to the nomination of candidate
for vice-President the geographical
question must be considered, and New
y rk will have the first call as being
The most important state. There are
TWO candidates being seriously consid-
ered-Francis Burton Harrison, who
when he was the candidate for Lieut.
Governor ran over $4,000 ahead of the
residential ticket. and the nrasant