The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1908-10-15
Washington Letter.

Washington, IL. u, Oct o, l5oo
The lack of money, an absorbing
topic in almost every household In
the land, was also the sordid subject
which the president was discussing
nearly all day yesterday with George
r. Sheldon, Treasurer of the Re-
publican National Committee. Ear
ly Tuesday morning Mr.. Sheldon
appeared at the White House and
with other politicians was closeted
with the president until the regular
meeting of the Cabinet. Then aft
er an intermission of Il couple OF
hours matters bearing on the cam
paign were taken up again at lunch
con and it is doubtful if man pres
ent at the meal would be able to tell
what there was to eat SO absorbing
was the subject. In the evening
there WAS another meeting, and the
president who is the real manager of
the Taft CO mpaign, managed to
learn all there was to be learned
from Mr.. Sheldon as to the state of
affairs and doubtless to distr' butte a
good deal of advice as to how it
should be conducted for the exciting
three weeks that will intervene be-
fore election. OF course reporters
were excluded but Mr. Sheldon re-
ported on leaving the conferences
that the president is thoroughly sat
isied with the work of Mr. Hitch
cock and that the rumor of his dis
approval of the way things are going
is wholly without foundation. 1t is
generally believed, however, that the
interviews were arranged with Mr..
Sheleon preparatory 10 the final de-
cision on Mr.. Roosevelt's part as to
whether or not he would take the
stump for Mr.. Taft and it is likely
that that point is now definitely set
tied and that in day or so his final
decision in the matter will be given
out.
1t would not lie a surprise to any
one if the president should decide
favorably on this course, and it is
the general opinion that if he be-
lieves that something is necessary to
offset the lack of campaign contribu
tons he will not hesitate to take a
swing around the circle and let him
self be heard. Certain it is that if
anything can Offset it campaign
speaking on his part is the surest
method of doing it. Mr.. Roosevelt
is today the astutest politician of the
country and he doubtless knows that
the criticism he would receive for
his unprecedented meddling with
campaign affairs would be more than
made up for i the numl err Of votes
he would add to the Taft majority
He has never yet heoi!attd to do any
thing because no other president ev-
er did it, and it is not likely that lack
of precedent will deter him now.
Miss Ethel Roosevelt, the de
butante daughter of the president,
has returned to Washington and has !
taken her place as the young lady of
the White House rather than the |
school girl she has been heretofore
Mrs. Roosevelt is being freely crit
cised for allowing Miss Ethel to
leave school so early and for bring
ing her out in &c ETY.; but it is prob
able that neither the president OF
Mrs. Roosevelt has anything to do
with it. The Roosevelt family has
a way of doing as it pleases and even
if the president is able to have his
way with politics and politicians and
the public generally it is fully agreed |
he meets his Waterloo whenever his
opinions do not happ n to coincide
with those of his children. On one
occasion, it is true, when Mrs.
Longwolth was still girl at home
he refused to allow her to accept the
German Emperor's invitation to
come to Europe; but his experience
on that occasion after the battle was
over left him in frame of mind to |
avoid future domestic international
complications of the sort, so that
when she determined to have an au-
tomobile and he was determined she |
should not he succumhed with the |
best grace he could muster AS
long as she did not have the money
to buy it he held out, but when she
came into the Inheritance from her
mother she bought it straightway,
aud her dashing about the streets of
the city was the signal of victory
which the onookers enjoyed perhaps
is much as she. Miss Ethel is quite
a lift rent type flom Alice but she
possesses the Roosevelt spirit, even
if it is not so apparent to the out
slider and she has felt aggrieved for
several years that she should have