The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-24

IRE was ever Introduced III good faith.
" IN the hope of making II q law, but
Il has already passed tho House ana
Should It pass the Senate and receive
she signature Of President Roosevelt
X will undoubtedly mean the defeat of
eeoretHry Taft In tho Chicago Con-
Sention.
,southern Republicans will he forced
BY public sentiment IN their own states
10 resent any nurtailment In thelr
present representation In Congress, and
Mr. Taft can hardly look for a dele
gate south OF the Mason and Dixon line.
Having assumed sponsorship OF MI.
Taft's candidacy. President Roosevelt
will naturally reap the whirlwind OF
wrath which VIII find expression III
the withdrawal of all Southern support
from the Taft movement
Interested In Scrap.
Governor Johnson's attention was
rallied to the Washington dispatches,
which told of a serious breach between
the President and Attorney-General
Il do not know. OF course, what
ground there is for the report" said
the Governor. Milton d. Purdy. who
figures in the controversy and VINO
Is assistant Attorney General, comes
from my state, and ] understands that
he is close to the President He has
done effective work in the pfosecu,,
tion of the Northern Securities and
Standard OIL cases, and while the con-
crete results OF this trust busting are
not very plainly in evidence, President
Roosevelt has indicated at least his
personal approval of Mr.. Purdy's work
Minnesota This appointment, how
ever, was made without consultation
with Minnesota Senator'S. and the ap-
pointment is now being held UP in the
Senate. Further than this ] do not
care to be quoted as to the reported
friction between the President and
Mr.. Purdy's chief"
DO you know" said the Governor,
Southeast before, and am charmed
with the country and the hospitality
of the people of Richmond 1t was
indeed. gratifying to speak before that
was pleased with 1t, whether or not II
was pleased with me. 1 was somewhat
embarrassed, as I had supposed that
my remarks were to be part OF the
ufacturers' meeting, realized, OF
course. that an address to the spin,
iners was not expected to be polltical
affair, but at some time in the future
! hope may have the pleasure of Wis
iiting Richmond for an address along
more general lines"
Should Help the James.
Coming down the James River from
Richmond yesterday Governor john
son was continually admlring the
scenery ana the Olu colohial homes
that dot It's banks.
James is OF sufficient Importance to
warrant a liberal appropriation for
deepening its channel From its his
toric value alone it has peculiar claims
on the American people, inasmuch as
its banks contained the first American
settlement l am an ardent advocate
an eNpending the peoples money on
waterways rather than in the creation
~ a err " "a m n
q great standing army. l believe the
solution OF the railroad question is the
development of our waterway carriers.
the deepening of harbors and navigable
rivers and the canalizaton of the
small and at present -nayisable
streams
1t was an easy reach from this wa
terway subject to Federal control or
owners ship.
ct does not now appear" he added,
that any man large in the public view
advocates government ownership OF
transportation companies. but when
ed as though it might be a paramount
issue ! toook strong ground against
1t To-day l am more than ever con-
WINGED OF the wisdom of my position
by the present trend toward federal
Ism. l am equally convinced that II
can never become national issue. The
strict regulation of interstate com
merce by the government and proper
State control of -intrastate traffic, Will
! believe, solve the problem to the sat
tsfaction of the people, though moro
careful study of the waterway plan
will hasten the end of much internal
strife.
thrift Is Paramount.
I'm our campaign. while the tariff
is the paramount issue, closely allied
10 1t is the trust, and this new fed
eralism. which has been forced upon
us within the past few months. II it
hopes to win In November the Demo-
cratic party must frame platform
with tariff revision as tho dominant
issue. Our Two Victories in fifty years
were won with that as our battle cry.
The platform must be one which APP
psals to the people-to the business
people-whether they have slO or $40
BOO Of invested wealth. The trust is
the offspring of the tariff do not
believe in legalized destruction and
eonfiscauon of property, hut believe
Of that which they create. and by the
government of shat which T. has au-
1hcrized. There is. indeed, magnifi-
rent opportunity for the party to win
platform. which after all. is more to
be considered than the man"
Great Record ut Home.
,o a9 'oo II h "a, ma Goysfo0p J9nn
acter in rhis year, of politics is often
asked and less frequently answered..
HIS wonderful running ability at home
coupled with brains and platform san
ity had much to do with 1t, Colonel
Henry Watterson first called outside
attention to his availability When
Roosevelt swept Minnesota in 1904 hyI
a plurality Of i6l,00o Johnson. the
Democratic candidate for Governor
captured It by a plurality of about
1000. The two extremes We're hardly
reconcilabie To sha,ter the charge that
his election was political accident he
went before the people two years later
Standing on his record. and piled IN
a plurality of 10000 in a State which
had not elected a Democratic Execu-
tive since 1858, The son of an unsuc-
! cessful village blacksmith and little
known beyond the borders OF his Com
monwealth, he had forced his way to
I the front by iron courage and his hard
4 common sense. When he came out of
! the pool this afternoon l figured his
| age at forty-two. Too low by five
4 and half he said afterwards though
! he does not look It, His struggle has
/ Seen much like that of Abraham In
! colin. but he does not hesitate to say
| chat the lrudgery of his boyhood made
him the better man, and it has not
lruined his constitution. He will not be
Ia candidate for recollection In Mime
tEota, no matter what happens at the
tpenver Convention
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