Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-03-16

his supporters in Chicago and was by
them authorized to call a convention |
after the Republican and Democratic
conventions for the purpose of put !
ting forth a declaration of principles |
and nominating a presidential ticket. |
One feature of this action is signifi |
cant Not long ago the announced pur-
pose of the Independence league was
to put its ticket in the field before the
convention of either old party. Another
significant thing was that in his ad- |
dress to his confrereS Mr.. Hearst re-
Trained from any attack upon the Dem
ocratic party, combining himself to the
statement that nobody could tell what
that party might do until its conven-
ton had acted. In brief. an observer
might be justified in guessing that the
| Independence league was really wait
| ing to see whether the reactionarics
would control either or both of the Old
parties and that its position would be
taken in accordance with the facts thus
| discovered
In q long letter printed in his New
York American of Jan. II Mr.. Hearst
set forth the platform which he would
urge upon the Independence league.
Even synopsis of this platform
would be impossible in Il letter of this
| length, vet it may be said with the ut
most confidence that there are only
two suggestions made by him, two rec
concentrations for which he stands,
that might not win place in a Demo
cratic platform. He declares for Il ship
subsidy. one of the issues on which
Democrats are unit in opposition to
the Republican policy. And he APP
proves, though it is true. with certain
hesitation and some apology, of the Is
suance of money altogether through
the national banks and not by the gov
ernment direct. There may be omis
sions from his platform of Democratic
ideas, but these propositions seem to
me the only ones that would not find
favor in Democratic committee Oh
resolutions. This being the case. if the
purpose of the leader of the 1ndepend-
ence league is to press principles
rather than men it seems probable
! that he will find his vital principles i'll
the platform to be adopted at Denver
next July.
Politics Af,oat and Ashore.
| Some little idea of what a subsidized
merchant marine might mean may be
/ derived from the storm now raging in
/ the capitol, the navy department and
/ in the press over certain charges made
/ by Congressman T.i.ley Of Connecticut
! concerning undue influence eXerted by
shlpbuilders and particularly by build
/ ers of submarine boats over members
/ Of congress. navy officers and repre-
sentatiyes of the press.
Everybody in Washington-that Is
everybody who mixes in congressional
or department circles-knows that the
! hungriest seekers for congressional IA
vors are the men who are here preach
ing the greatness of the United States
as nation and urging that they be
permitted to build the torpedo boats or
the submarines that shall defend its
high standing. When battleship costs
! $4,000, 900 and the administration asks
| that four should be built, it makes very
pretty pickngs for the men who are
hunting the contract particularly as|
OulSltlt VI tIc SONtl y uIuSs W In
1t has been the policy of this admins
tration to discredit, there are only
three shipyards capable of building
vessels of this class. The industry of
building submarines is still in its in
fancy. Navy people call them the fly
ing fish of the sea-nOw on the surface,
now plunging below The people who
represent the builders of submarines
have another quality in common with
flying fish. They travel in schools. They
nre buttonholing members of the naval
committee at every point. Indeed, one
member of that committee said to me
that the tunnel, not yet quite COM
pleted, which enabled representative
to go from his office in the new build
ing to the house without seeing any
body who was awaiting him at any
doorway was to him better source of
safety than the disappearance of the
submarine boat beneath the water was
to its crew.
Be that as it may, the scandal In
which the names of some very distn-
guished Republicans are mentioned is
likely to be aired very shortly. But
the whole inside truth. the real story
of the extravaganza and possibly worse,
in the navy department will never be
known unless the American people
select an administration which shall
have no interest in covering up what
has been done in that department for
twelve and more years past.
Democratic Conventions.
The Democratic state conventions so
far held have shown a gratifying una
nimity Of purpose relating to national
affairs. Wisconsin has instructed Its
delegates for Mr.. Bryan; So too has
Kansas; also Oklahoma. The really
notable fact about the conventions in
these states was not so much the in
structions as the fact that not in eight
years has the attendance upon the con-
ventions been so large and so en-
thusiastlc In every state which has
thus met in convention the tone Of the
Democracy seemed to be that OF en-
thuslasm and confidence. If certain