The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-04-17
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Cen
eral Topics from
the Capital.
April I1th, 1908.

ask ed Its members to urge that
the convention instruct for him.
The exceptions are the State OF
Minnesota, in which the friends
of MIR. Bryan expect to get ma
Jority of the delegates for him;
the State of New York, which
never instructs; and the State of
Pennsylvania, which is:.doubtful. -
This statement was made by
President Newman, of the Dis.
trict of Columbia Democratic
Association, and was followed by
q number of other cordial en-.
dorsements of the great Ne
braskan, voiced by the members
of Congress aud others prominent
III the party councils. If the SEN
timent in Washington is any
criterion, Mr.. Bryan will have
an easy time of it in Denver, for
while there are rumors of booms
for other candidates, no one of
them, has thus far, demonstrated
the slightest vitality, while the
strength of the peerless leader
appears to be growing steadily
III all parts of the country.
There is, of course, consider
able interest III the effort of Gov
ernor JolnsOu, who has now form
ally announced his candidacy,
saying that while he had pre-
ferred TO remain out OF the race
ne had been forced into by the
Democrats of his State, and that
having entered the race hs was
in it to win. 'sMr. Bryan has a
good START" Governor johnson
Is quoted as saying, "but l am a
pretty good runner when | get
started and | may be able to
close up the gap and beat him
i'll the home stretch. If | had
been free to do as L pleased L
would not have entered the race,
but now that | am in it, | am in
it to the tiniah."
The situation in the Republi
can camp is becoming some what
more interesting. Since Gov
ernor Hughes has lost ten of the
delegates from his own State,
since Massachusetts has declared
its preference for Taft, and since
four Illinois districts have re-
fused TO Instruct for Joseph G..
Cannon, while two New York
districts aud one from Illinois
have instructed their delegates
to vote for Taft, the opposition
has practically thrown up its
hands so far as nominating one
of its number is concerned, but
has decided TO throw its paltry
strength to Roosevelt. The idea
which actuates the Foraker, ct
al. crowd. is that If the Republi
can party is to be condemned to
another term of Republicanism OF
the brand that Theodore Roose
Welt has been giving il, it can
at least so arrange matters that
there will only be four years more
instead of eight years more OF it,
as they fear that there would be
if Mr.. Taft were nominated.
Therefore, they say, sLet US nom
inate Theodore Roosevelt. He
cannot possibly accept another
term after 1912, and then We can
regain control of the party and
give 1t another dose of the good,
old fashioned Hanna Republican
ism, undiluted with Roosevelt's
antitrust and Taft's revision
theories
The extent of the Presidents
influence was very clearly dem.
onstrated in the Senate this
week when the Employers Liza
bility Bill was passed precisely
as 1t came from the House. The
report had reached the White
House, that there was a scheme
to kill tue bill in conference, and
he suggested to Senator Dolliver
and others that il might be
wiser to pass the House Bill
without amendment and thus
avoid the necessity of sending
the measure to conference. This
was done and now the House will
have no option but to sign the
bill. The Senate will sign it and
it will go. to the President for his
signature in its present form.
Considerable Importance is at
tached here TO the action of the
Republican County Convention
held at Minneapolis, where tn,
anti Taft faction tried to STAN
pede. the convention for Roose
welt and Walter A. Heffelfinger
who has just been elected dele
gate. and who is . close persona
friend Of the President, announc
cd that every real friend o
Roosevelt would vote for Taft,
and that if instructions TO vote
for Roosevelt were adopted ht
would not serve ~ a delegate
That headed of the Roosevelt,
stampede and it Is said at thu
! White House that as has ended