Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-05-11

@eSaeee are otTon9 ana NeSouTCetu',
May Combine on Some Other Candi.
date-Warming UP the Fat Frying
Pan - Possible Senate Changes.
Country Faces a Treasury Deficit.
BY WILLIS j. ABBOT.
The story has been assduously circu-
lated that as the result of the recent
primaries in Pennsylvania the delega-
ton to Denver from that state would
be hostile to w. j. Bryan. Colonel j.
NJ. Guffey, the national committeeman
from the state, who has long been
recognized as the leading power there.
made that statement explicitly. The
newspapers quote Governor Johnson
which the alleged interview with Coy
ernor johnson comes leads me to
gravely doubt it's authenticity.
The fact of the Pennsylvania situa.
ton, however. as stated to me by Dem
ocratic leaders in that state. are that
at least two-thirds of the delegates
chosen to the state convention, which
will meet on the Goth Of May. are
either directly or indirectly committed
to Mr.. Bryan. A swinging majority Of
those delegates are under absolute in
structions for him. Fifty-one out Of
siXty-four of the district delegates who
will make up the delegation to the ma
tional convention are Bryan men. Hon.
Warren Worth Bailey of JOhnStOwn,
Pa. secretary of the Bryan Democrat
&c league, writes me that the state del
egates by large majority are Bryan
men and that the convention will send
to Denver a delegation instructed for
the nomination of the Nebraskan and
the Endorsement of his policies.
The Republican Lineup.
The Republicans have progressed
much further in the selection of dele.
gates to their national convention than
have the Democrats. fact only to be
vention will be held three weeks ahead
of the Democratic one.
Obviously it is still Taft against the
field. But the field is strong enough
to make the situation very interesting
for the secretary of war. The bitter.
ness Of political opposition to him
could not be overstated. In hardly one
instance is he the second choice Of
any of the other possible candidates
mentioned in the foregoing table. All
might combine on some other man, but
never upon the Roosevelt legatee.
Moreover. this table. which on its
surface is wholly favorable to Mr..
Taft and which is accurate up to the
moment of writing. is nevertheless to a
certain extent misleading. So far ev-
cry southern delegation instructed for
Taft and so counted above is accom-.
panied by a contesting delegation and
may. If the anti-Taft men control the
organization of the convention. be re-
fused seats or have its vote cut down
one-half. We have heard much in the
last week Of the wicked things per-
formed by those eminent statesmen w.
]. Corners and Charles +. Murphy in
a Democratic state convention in New
York, and it must be admitted that
they ruled with heavy hand But in
the exigencies Of politics Republican
party managers have not always con.
fined themselves to the good, the true
and the beautiful. The gentleman in
the White House is not the only GUS
tOdian Of the big stick. When it is
necessary for the insiders in Repub-
lican national convention to make their
rule supreme by recognizing contesting
delegations and creating for them
selves majority which they may not
have won they have never failed to do
1t. Secretary Taft has one supreme
politician and one great power back of
him-namely, Mr.. Roosevelt. He has
against him practically all the old line
manipulators of caucuses and conven-
lions. The outcome of the struggle is
yet to be determined though at the
present moment every chance seems
to favor Mr.. Taft's nomination.
BattIeships and Politics.
1t is nearly time for the collection Of
campaign funds an art in which the
Republican party Is past master.
Observers of politics point out that the
presidents device for tariff commits
sion to sit through the summer of q
campaign year will help a good deal
in carrying out the famous programme
of frying the fat out Of the protected
manufacturers. A like suspicion as to
his purpose in making so bitter a fight
for the construction of four battleships
at cost exceeding $3O.000,OOO was
current in the house Of representatives
and led to the Reputation of his policy
and the authorization of only two bat
tleships. The greatest beneficiary Of
enormous expenditures for ships Of
this class is the steel trust. In forging
armor plate 1t stands alone in this
country. Its monopoly is complete.
or the raw material or for that mat
ter. the finished material going into
naval construction, four-fifths has to be
bought from the colossal monopoly en-
gineered by Mr.. J. P. Morgan and Mr..
Andrew Carnegie. To toss n matter Of
twenty or twenty-five million dollars
worth Of government contracts into the
cavcrnous pockets Of these gentlemen
would certainly justify some recogni-
ton from them which might help
struggling party in a pending cam