Evening journal., 1908-03-14
HOUSTON REPLIES
TO HIGGINS
fcontInued From Frrnr pnee. /,

aContinued From First Page.g
your tent. II was therefore with sin
cere regret that read this recent pub
lie avowal Of hostility to the present
Republican organization Of this State
and its present leadership.
Although no longer intimately con-
nected Herewith. have believed that
the overthrow OF Addicks and the sue
cessful adjustment Of narty difference,
followed by the election of two emin-
emily satisfactory u. S. Senators.
marked an advance step in the history
Of the Republican party Of this State
and an Improvement in the political
leadership thereof, which argued well
for its future welfare and the good cf
the State Our Senators are not
orators, it is true. but they are men in
every sense Of the word: of honor and
probity; clean and unsullied, and free
from debasing policital alliances. ana
not weakened by selfish political or
! pecuniary ambitions; men sufficiently
trained by experience in business, and
association with the leaders of men,
to afford their party a clean, up-lift-
ing and upbuilding leadership that
would raise it from the mire Of Ad-
dicksism and redeem it from the selfish
leadership Of the men who had de-
bauched and betrayed it.
Against Leaders.
Yet, at the very dawn Of this new
era of Republicanism in this State, we
find you, whose record in the past
would lead us to expect you to bo
commanding force in the van of this
fnf4
self against the leaders from whose
leadership we have a right to expect
SO much, and with the very men who
have by their leadership in the past
decade done much to drag the fair
name Of this State through the muck
Of public opprobrium and scorn and
make the Republican party OF the State
a bye-word and reproach to the self
respecting members thereof 1t is true
that you make your friendship and ad-
miration for Secretary Taft an excuse
for your criticism and attack on the
present Republican leadership of this
State and thereby seek to array the
supporters Of the reform policies of the
present administration against that
leadership but the following inference
you draw from my editorial, that
The writer Of this article did not
even wait for the finish of the great
battle, SO conspicuous and so memor.
able, which has been waged by the
President with the aid Of Secretary
Taft and other statesmen against those
forces Of capital which have so gravely
abused their power. but he would
actually have Roosevelt and Taft
Ha AZ Al
before the power Of Wall street, and
have the Republican party of the ma
tion in their own convention stab them
to their hearts because of their fidelity
to the great interests of the country.
The Republicans of Delaware want no
such light and no such leading" is un-
justifable and untrue. I would have
the Republicans do no such thing, but
on the other hand I uphold every word
you say in your interview in condemna-
tion Of trusts and monopolies and am
in favor Of such regulation as public
necessity demands, by a Public Utility
Commission or otherwise, but / am in
favor of the selection Of a Republican
candidate for President who can b,.
elected and thus assure the successful
accomplishment Of these great policies
of reform which you so ably champ
ion.
When 1 said. IF it is possible for the
party to nominate a candidate for
President, who will not only receive
the support Of the people generally, but
viii be acceptable to the monied and
business interest Of the party and
country, certainly he would be the
stronger candidate" I meant just what
said. and by "monied and business
interest" ] meant Republicans like the
business men Of Wilmington who
direct the financial interest Of its large
business and Industrial establishments,
and who. in the past. have proved
such potent influences in advancing
the cause Of Republicanism in that
city and this State under your leader
ship. Not the money sharps and gamb-
lers of Wall street. but the solid and
substantial monieA and business men
throughout the United States, who,
with the labor thereof, are our brain
and Drawn. to whose puIsations the
great heart of our business world keeps
time.
Have they confidence in Taft? And,
II they have. is there any assurance
that he can be elected in face OF fhe
open and avowed opposition to his
candidacy Of the labor organizations OF
the country; in face Of the opposition
Of the colored Republicans all over the
United States, body Of whom in your
own city have openly arrayed them
selves against him,-indeed, Senator.
you have drifted far from the house Of
your friends who were wont to flock to
your support In days Of yore.
I can heartily Join in the words OF
commendation you utter in behalf of
Setretary Taft, but il seems to me ii 4
Governor Hughes, who is acceptable 10
the opponents Of Taft and whose re-
markable and courageous investigation
of the great insurance companies
made him a national figure and en-
deared him to the public, and who is
in fact the father and creator Of the
very public utility bill whicr you ad-
vocate for the control Of the abuses
you reoite, and, whose successful adj
ministration as executive Of the great
Empire State-which present govern
mental difficulties second only to those
of the TYnffad Ctafea-pro1qa HIS abil-