Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-05-25
CULBERSON OF TEXAS
Of Presidential Stature, but Not
Seeking Nomination.
JUDGE GRAY NOT RECEPTIVE.

Delaware Statesman and Jurist De-
cljnes to Enter Lists-The Paper
Trust lnvestiga tion-Trouble Ahead
For the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Of
the New England Democracy-Mr
Hearst and His independence Party.
By WILLIS j. ABBOT.
Much of the political talk in Wash
lngton has centered about the retire
ment Of Senator Culberson of Texas
and Judge Gray Of Delaware from the
Democratic presidential race.
Nobody who knew Senator Culber-
sons position ever thought that he was
a party to the effort to force him to
the front. That effort was made with
out his knowledge and without his APP
prevail. 1t began to be exceedingly
embarrassing to him when the story
was started that there would even be
a contest made for the position Of
chairman of the Democratic national
committee by the friends Of Culberson
and in his interest. His denial has
been explicit and categorical. 1t was
prepared by him and sent to the Wash
ington newspapers and declares that
he is not and will not be candidate,
that he believes a majority Of the DEM
Ocrats desire the nomination of Mr..
Bryan and that the delegation from
Texas. of which he will no doubt be
member. will be instructed for Bry-
an. No one who has observed Senator
Culberson's actions and utterances in
the last two years could possibly be
surprised by this position, now form
ally taken. He is one of the men Of
what might be called presidential stat
ure who have watched the sentiment
of the masses Of the party and have
not run counter to 1t. There is little
likelihood that any one save Mr.. Bry-
an will be nominated at Denver. If
by any chance there should be
break, the loyal and consistent attitude
which Culberson has maintained dur
ing all the preconvention campaign
would, in my judgment, make him the
strongest second candidate.
Within two days Of Senator Culber-
sons declaration that he was not
candidate Judge Gray of Delaware,
who has six delegates pledged to him,
announced in a public speech that he
would not under any circumstances
ff,p +I,o Ia ie
the United States bench and not even
a receptive candidate for office. This
would seem to leave Mr.. Bryan the
only present candidate to be reckoned
with in the convention.
The Paper Trust Inquiry.
The investigation into the paper
trust is dragging its slow length along.
AS Il rule. only three of the congress
sional committee of five appointed to
conduct it are present at the hearings.
Thus far nine-tcnthS of the evidence
presented on behalf of the publishers
has been given by John Norris. bust
ness manager Of the New York Times
and for ten years business manager of
the New York World. Medill McCor-
mick manager of the Chicago Tribune,
has given some useful testimony.
Sometimes it is embarrassing to be a
witness before Il committee of con-
gresS and at the same time the editor
of great newspaper. The other day
the Washington correspondent of the
Chicago Tribune wrote a very iustifia-
BILE criticism Of the hostile attitude of
Chairman Mann toward the publishers
who appeared before him. When MI
Mccormick came up for his next or
deal the chairman asked him If he
had knowledge of this article printed
in his paper. Mr.. Mccormick answered
that he had not directed that it should
be prepared or sent, but that he had
read it, considered it an accurate state
ment of facts. Il piece of news, and ap-
proved its publication. The chairman
of the committee, who has throughout
acted as If he were special counsel for
the paper trust, subsidized and said no
more. The incident has some impor-
lance as indicating what the great Re
publican newspapers of the United
States are likely to do to the Repub-
liCdh patty III INC event VI It's
to smash this trust, which is so easily
to be reached.
The room in which the committee is
holding its hearings is one of the enor-
nous committee rooms in the new Of
flee building for representatives in con-
gress. While the room is completed,
its furnishings are not, and with little
furniture and no curtains it is a sort
OF echo gallery, a cave of the winds
The stenographers and the press men
who are five feet away from the wit
ness cannot hear what he is saying.
The other day in the cloakroom Of the
house one Of the Associated Press men
was complaining about the difficulty Of
reporting this hearing. Another man
said: THAT room isn't circumstance
to the new room Of the ways and
means committee overhead. You can't
hear two feet away from the witness
there" John Sharp Williams, who has
been trying to get the ways and means
committee to give some attention to
various tariff reform bills, drawled out
in his characteristic way: Boys. they