The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1908-07-02
Letter From Washington
Comments on Current Events
and Matters Political as
Viewed at the National Cap
ital = President Roosevelt
Establishes the. Dangerous
Precedent of Naming His
Successor.
Special Correspondence.

W asnngtOn, ID. C.<0une 20, l9US.
What Democrats have foretold has
come to pass and the Republic is coming
perilously near to monarchy or die
tatorship.
Who would have believed it possible
when Lincoln was nominated, that the
Republican party would in a few years
tamely submit to the Chief Magistrate.
after two terms of Office, decreeing who
his successor should be, allow him to
prescribe the platform, edit the speeches
delivered, and even dictate the nomina-
ton of the Vice-President? Can anyone
deny that President Roosevelt has Or
dered all these doings of the Republican
party by just touching the button at the
White House?
Allowing that President Roosevelt is a
patriot, who can be trusted to manage
the politics and policies of the United
States, how will the country fare when
takes to follow his example in years to
come?
If Mr.. Taft is elected can he be trusted
to dictate his successor? 1t will be a
very dangerous proceeding to trust him,
Judging from what he has done to aid
himself in obtaining his ambition.
When the campaign opened for the
nomination of candidates, as far as Sec
rotary Taft was concerned, he having
but little personal strength, the crucial
test was whether with all the power OF
the Administration he could secure the
delegates from Ohio. Boss Cox, whom
Secretary Taft had denounced as cor
rupt, would control the delegates from
Cincinnati and some other counties, and
prevent them from supporting Taft, and
these held the balance of power. They
were naturally allied and favorable to
Senator Foraker.
What was promised or paid to Boss
Cox to go back on Senator Foraker may
perhaps never be known, but whatever
the influence was it can hardly have
been honest influence. Secretary Taft
and his sponsor, the President, must
know what broug ht about this CONVEX
sion of Boss Cox. Senator Foraker
might perhaps tell what happened, if he
would. 1t is said to have been the die
tation of the principal State Offices by
the corrupt Boss Cox, which many Re-
publican newspapers are now denounc-
ing.
The question for voters to consider is
whether they are willing to perpetuate
the Roosevelt dynasty by electing Taft
after his unholy alliance with Boss Cox,
and then again elect whomsoever he
may decide should succeed him. The
TAFT policies, whatever they are, will be
Just as dear to his heart as my poll
cies' are to President Roosevelt, and
whether good 'or bad the effort to per-
petuate them can be made just as sue
cessful through the exceeding power of
whoever is President of the United
States. The precedent of the Admins
tratiOn debating it's successor has been
set, and ambition will force it to be fol-
lowed if Mr.. Taft is elected. There per-
haps will never again be such strong
combination of Republican leaders at
tempting to defeat the Administration
program OF perpetuating itself. But all
these favorite sons have dwindled into
nothing and get a few compliment
airy votes without any prospect for a
future for any Of them. They were as
clay in the hands OF the White House
potter. They will have to take their
medicine and shout for their master, or
the Republican elephant will be ruthless
~ driven over them. The Republican
leaders can only blame themselves. They
have been persistently giving power to
the President, and following this Hamil-
tonian policy Of Capitalization, have de-
feated their own plans and purposes:
There is said to have been SO million
aires who were delegates to the Repub-
lican National convention, and those Re-
publicans who are dissatisfied with the
candidates nominated, or the platform
| adopted can hardly wonder that their
party favors Wall Street, and the Trusts
when those representing 'the interests
were so numerous in that gathering.
Some OF those ''malefactors of great
wealth. are no doubt practical men,
! like Hartman, who was a delegate to
the Republican convention of 1904, but
was perhaps for obvious reasons, unwil-
ling to represent his party this year.
AS one practical man" drops out, there
would seem to be a dozen others drop in
to the Republican game of practical pol
tiles. Their Doodle, if not their presence,
will no doubt be badly needed before the
campaign is ended. 1t is not difficult to
decide whether these citizens of great
wealth who were delegates to the
Republican convention are interested in
Republican politics for their pockets
sake, or whether they are just patriots
like the office-holders and expectant Of
fice-h Olders that made up the balance OF
that interesting gathering, but shrewd
guess can be made that they were not
there for their health. The candidates
nominated, and the platform adopted
would indicate that the millionaires
were the guiding stars and their inter
ests were carefully provided for.
The question has been asked, Chow
much did it COST" 1t is safe to say mil
lions.
Mr.. Charles P. Taft, the brother of Sec
rotary Taft. when asked by the New
York Herald whether he had not thus
far laid out 100000 to win the nomi-
nation for his brother, replied: ."No
such thing, no such amount of money
has been spent. 1t is ridiculous" Still
it must have been expensive in money or