The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1908-03-07
NEWS FROM THE NATIONAL
CAPITAL
Aidrich Bill Will Probably BE
Passed by the Senate This Week
Other News of Interest.

as 1t prefers to be called, is still the
occasion OF some anxiety and some
curiosity to Democratic leaders in
Washington. They are at a loss to
understand Mr.. Hearst's purpose
in spending untold sums of mone-
to promote this movement in ma
tional politics. At one time they
thought they had found the solu-
tion in the theory that Mr.. Hearst
purposed to hold his convention
after the Republican and before
the Democratic national cdnven-
tons, and to endorse himself for
President with the purpose of op-
posing Mr.. Bryan at Denver. It
is now officially announced, how
ever, that the Independence Lea
que Convention will follow the ma
tional conventions of both of the
othef parties, and the political
prognosticators in the national
capital are once more at sea.
There has been a rumor in circu-
lation here to the effect that it was
the purpose of Mr.. Hearst to have
his League endorse Theodore
Roosevelt for President, irrespect-
i've of what action might be taken
By the other conventions, and this
rumor is no. more welcome to the
Republicans than to the Demo-
Gratis. Those who maintain that
this is the real intent Of the Hearst
organization say that he believes
that by nominating Mr.. Roose-
welt his party can poll a vote so
large as to make it central figure
in all future national equations,
even though nothing else is accom-
plished this year, and in support of
their theory they point to the fact
that recent editorials in the Hearst
newspapers have been far more
Mttering to Mr.. Roosevelt than
ever before, and that from con-
demnatim they have changed to
praise. Of course, no such action
could be taken if Mr.. Roosevelt
could help it, as he particularly alb
hors Mr.. Hearst, and has. always
refrained from inviting him to the
White House. even when he was a
member of Congress- while the
speech of Secretary Root, which
Was largely inspired by the Presi-
dent, was probably the most po-
tent factor in preventing Mr..
Hearst from defeating MIR. Hughes
in the race for the goyernorship OF
New esk.
President Roosevelt's intense
feeling against Mr.. Hearst dates
baek to the time when, as Cover
nor of New York, Mr.. Roosevelt
felt constrained to refuse a pardon
to a woman Whot had. been SEN
fenced to death for a most revolt
ing saurder. Numerous frenzied
appeals for pardon had been for
warded to Governor Roose-
velt, and he had appointed COM
mission OF eminent jurlsts to IN
,vestigate the case ard advise him.
The commission advised that a
pardon would be a defeat OF JUS
tice, and he abided by its decision.
The Hearst newspapers were lead
ing the propaganda for a pardon,
and~When the Governor refused,
they printed lurid editorials IN
which they said, among other
things, that it would be their un-
changing purpose to prevent Mr..
Roosevelt 5 wife and children from
ever forgetting that their husband
and father was a murderer OF
women. Mr.. Roosevelt never
forgave the reference to his Wlfe
and family.
There is peculiar situation IN
the Senate Committee on Military
Affairs. When the final vote on
Brownsville was taken last week,
only two members had the cour-
ACE . to vote for resolution declar-
inc ing that It was theft conviction
m that the negro soldiers OF the
TWentylfifth Infantry did not
shoot fp tie af Brownsville.
These were Foraker and Bulkeley,
both of whom are intense haters
Of the present admins atlon.
Now, however, some OF the Ke-
n,1hlicans who voted as they
thought. saving that the evidence
showed III 8 that the negroes did the
shooting, are hearing from the ne,
orn ,1 voters ID their States, and