Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-07-16

The Campaign Generals.
| l cannot remember in sixteen years
Of political observation a time when
the campaign had progressed as far as
It did this year without either party hav-
ing centered upon chairman Of It's ma
tional committee. To an observer from
the outside 1t would seem that the work
done by Mr.. Hitchcock in the prelimi-
nary campaign would justify his APP
pointment to lead the real campaign.
But perhaps the very effectiveness of
his work, and particularly the hard
hand with which he carried through
his purposes, has bred so many an
tagonisms within the party as to af
feet his usefulness at the head Of the
pational committee. Senator Murray
Crane, one of the Republican party's
most astute politicians. would not ac-
cept the position because. it is report
ed. he thought that the real campaign
manager would be person with prom
inent teeth residing at Oyster Bay.
On the Democratic side there Is no
chance Of the reelection Of Thomas
|
part to seek reelection. There never
was any chance for the choice of
Roger Sullivan, and his name was men-
toned only for the purpose Of EN-
barrassing Mr.. Bryan. Former Sena-
tor Il. +. Pettigrew would make an
ideal chairman, but he himself has
said to me that he did not desire the
place and would not accept it. He
will be national committeeman from
his state and hopes to be Il member
of the executive committee. There is
serious consideration Of Hon. d. r.
Francis Of st. Louis. A member of
Mr.. Clevelands cabinet, in 1896 Gov
ernor Francis bolted. the ticket with
loud outcries. He came back two
years later. expressing regret and re-
pentance and not seeking party elect
oral honors. and has declared more
than once in the last four years that he
would like to take hold as a worker
and prove his sincerity in the cause.
| Governor Francis is q man of force,
indomitable industry. wealth and asso-
citation with men of wealth who might
be useful in the financing of the cam
paign. Finally on the list is Tom l..
Johnson. the hard fighting mayor of
Cleveland, who needs no introduction
to the American people. Out Of this
list 1t should be easy to pick a man
who would lead the Democratic CO.
horts to victory. While of course the
national committee formally selects
the chairman, 1t has been the practice
to give the candidate practically a
deciding vote.
The Eclipse of Hearst.
Democrats in the middle west, par
ticularly in Illinois and Indiana. are
| inclined to chuckle over the complete
collapse of the Hearst mayoralty re-
count. Here In Chicago Hearst has
been something Of menace to the
Democratic party, especially while
that party has been in it's present di-
vided condition. Former Mayor Dunno
one Of the cleanest and most we'll
meaning executives Chicago ever had,
but probably the worst politician that
ever sat in the city hall, practically
turned his administration over to
Hearst without preliminary inquiry as
to whether the influence thus built up
was to be exercised for the good Of
the Democratic party or to advance
Hearsts own personally conducted In
dependence league. AS might have
been expected, it was used for the lat
ter purpose. and Dunno retired from
Office. chagrined and broken in politi-
| ct,
lzatlon behind him. Hearst agents
have been working perslstently in Chi
cago. where he has two newspapers,
building up an organization. But the
collapse of his mayoralty pretensions
in New York has been a serious blow
to his pretensions here. The fatal
thing for an aspiring politician is to
put himself In a position to be laughed
at. For nearly four years Hearst has
been crying from the mountain tops
that he was elected mayor of New
York and that a judicial recount of the
ballots would prove it. He has hcaped
opprobrium upon his opponent, Mayor
Mcclellan, calling him ''fraudmayor"
and declaring that his acts were Tile
|
and the Hearst gains are immaterial.
Apparently the chief political asset Of
the Hearst movement is this clamorous
cry charging corruption on the part of
his adversaries and claiming complete
integrity for his own forces.
"Say," said local Democratic poll
tician in Chicago who has flirted some
what with the Hearst forces, eff it
took Hearst $4,000 and four years to
prove that he wasn't elected mayor
after all, what would happen if those
Independence guys nominated him for
president? Would we find out who
was elected any time this century|
1t is the passing gibe of the man on
the street of this kind that is likely
to put the Hearst movement out OF
business before 1t becomes menace
nationally.
| Chicago.