The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-09-30
A CRISIS IN THE CAMPAIGN.
The Blowing Up of Senator Foraker
May Change the Whole Course OF
Things.

So acute crisis seems to have been
caused by Senator Fcraker's sudden
political downfall that 1t may be ask
ed whether the Presidential campaign
has not now reached a momentous
turning point. 1t is impossible to an
swer such question. We can only
observe conditions and suggest pos
sible 1nes of development. There are
some reasons for thinking that, when
all is over, the present phase of the
campaign will appear to have been
the most critical that the Republican
leaders had to face. How they will
emerge from it is left for the coming
fortnight to determine.
The most important point to settle
Is the effect of the latest Standard Oil
disclosures upon the public mind. The
Archibold correspondence, which Mr..
Hearst Is dribbling out, has already
demonstrated the liveliness Of that
much detested corporations interest
In three Of the most essential institu-
tions Of the republic-legislativ
| bodies, the courts and the press In a
free and democratic government,
these must be kept undefiled. But in
| the letters from Mr.: Archibold to Sem
| ator Foraker may be observed an in
| sidious attack upon all three. First,
| the Standard secretly employed
United States Senator Of great in
fuence to strangle BIDS not to it's lik-
ing in the Ohio Legislature; second,
the Standard Oil sought to exercise
| an influence upon the nomination of
judges Of the Supreme Court Of that
State; third, the Standard Oil readily
| advanced $4,000 Of it's corporate
funds to help buy if possible, one of
the chief daily newspapers of the
| commonwealth. Can the American
people study these revelations, at the
| present time although the events re-
ferred to took place six and eight
years ago. without feeling hot resent
| ment? Is the Foraker episode. in
short, likely to have no effect in re-
viving the popr lar fec ling against the
| great corporations and in forcing both
the leading political parties to en-
phasize hereafter their unfriendliness
to the forces Of syndicated wealth.
AS the campaign had been develop
ing through the summer, conserva-
| tive drift was perceptible. Mr.. Taft
preferred, in the main, to reassure
business interests and while pledg-
ing himself to "clinch" the Roosevelt
policies, he repeatedly sought to con-
vey the impression that his election
| could be depended upon to calm agi-
tatfon and restore prosperity. Even
Mr.. Bryan, on his present Eastern
| tour has displayed, for him, compare
| lively conservative tendencies His
carnegie Hall speech was far less
"Populistic" than many Of his ad-
dresses in the past. and he has been
at pains everywhere to contest and
| ridicule Mr.. Taft's assertion that
Bryan victory would involve business
chaos. Such being the situation, pri-
or to the bursting up of Foraker. It
| is evident that the campaign may be
| radically changed i'm character il
popular wrath rises to an intense heat
once more against corporate wealth
and power. 1t is q reasonable as
sumption that Mr.. Tafts approach
Ing tour in the West will be somewhat
affected one way or another by these
latest developments. Whether he will
adopt much stcrner tone toward the
| sO-called trusts may not be predicted.
perhaps, but it seems safe assump-
tion that the Foraker episode will
leave him less free to appeal to the
conservative classes OF the country for
support. That any change in Mr.
Tafts attitude would instantly affect
Mr.. Bryan's attitude Is to be expect
ed, and here we have the basis OF a
possible developmnt along more rad