Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-07-28
Secretary OF Interior Once
Thought Presidential Light
ming Would Strike Him
TRIP TO HAWAII EXPLAINED
Got Out of Country in Order to Avoid
Charge Of Being Untrue to Taft
Congress to Be Asked for Appropria-
ton for Rem arkabIe Memorial, q
Highway to Gettysburg.

Especial Washington Correspondent
Washington July 2S.--There is an
interesting story anoat in this town,
which assumes to explain why Secre-
tary of the interior james r. Gar
field went away to Hawaii shortly be-
fore the republican national conven-
ton.
Mr.. Garfield, 1t is declared has firm
conviction that he is destined to be
president. He has been told as much by
various people who believed they could
read his destiny and he has been
rather willing to believe them
Mr. Garfield, it is averred. came to
believe, in the processes of the pre-
convention campaign, that Secretary
Taft could not be nominated; that the
convention would reject the war secre-
tary. but would need an Ohio pan
one VINO could bring peace among the
factions in that state. So the situation
narrowed down. as Mr.. Garfield viewed
it, to Mr.. Garfield for president. The
story goes that the youthful secretary
of the interior seriously believed there
was an excellent chance of lightning
striking him.
Mr. Garfield however has been com
mitted to Taft from the beginning. He
did not propose to be open to the
charge of infidelity to his leader. He
has been reminded all too often of the
charge made against his famous faith
err James a. Garfield, of unfaithfulness
to John Sherman. The elder Gar
field, as is well known, was
chairman of the Ohio delegation
which in 1880 was sent to the Chicago
convention Instructed to nominate
John Sherman. Instead, after a long
and complicated fight, Garfield was
himself named; and it was small Won
der that, despite the most clrcumstan-
tial denials by close friends of Gar
field. that charges of improperly CO.
quoting with the nomination were
made against Garfield.
The younger Garfield didn't propose
to be subject to any such accusations
and so, it is declared he took himself
out of the country in advance of the
convention, in order that IL president
ial lightning should get to darting In
his direction he could not possibly be
accused of any connivance or OF bad
faith to Taft.
Professor Henry c.. Adams, author
OF the scheme of uniform accounting
and supervision of accounting for all
railroads. is likely according to re-
ports to retire from the government
service within the next year. in order
to return to his chair of political econ
omy at Michigan university, Ann Ar
Dor.
Professor Adams has had charge OF
statistical and accounting work for the
Interstate commission for practically
the entire period since that body was
created For many years he divided ms
time between Ann Arbor and Washing
ton. supervising and directing the sta
tistical work here. When the Hep
burn act passed he was induced to
secure leave OF absence from the uni
yersity and devote his entire time to
the government work. In the two
wears he has been working under this
arrangement he has devised the COM
plete scheme for uniform accounting.
and has induced its acceptance by the
railroads, which is regarded as great
achievement in diplomacy. More than
this. he has enlisted the railroad au-
thorities of Canada Great Britain and
France in his system; Canada has
adopted it in toto and it Is now APP
piled to all the railroads there; Great
Britain's board of trade is working Out
preliminaries which are likely to leaH
to it's adoption there; and the French
authorities are studying it with refer
ence to a like conclusion. Thus
scheme of uniform accounting. which
would make it possible accurately ana
intelligently to compare railroad sta-
tistics from many different countries
with most beneficial results, Is cons1d-
cred fairly in slightly
Representative Daniel Lafean OF
PENNSYLVANIA hopes to get congress to
make an appropriation next session for
a remarkable memorial, one that Is
certain to attract national notice. He
has a bill prepared for introduction
early the coming session TO approprl-
ate 100000 for a highway from the
CITY of Washington to the battlefield of
Gettysburg.
The bill has strong backing from
distinguished men all over the United
States, 1t seems likely it will become
a law. President Roosevelt is friendly
to it and so is Senator Knox. Every
r,ember of house or senate who fought
in the civil war. at least on the north
ern side, will support it and doubtless
MANY of the southern members. Rep
re sentative Lafean lives near the bat
tlefield and he is deeply interested In
the project He has had much assist
ance in getting the movement under
way by ex-Representative J. T. Nc
Cleary Of Minnesota, now second as
sistant postmaster general and lead
ing member Of the Abraham Lincoln
Memorial Association.
1t is the plan to introduce the
bill in the house first and push 1t thru
that body In the senate, Senator Knox
will take charge of it. 1t is hoped to
have the bill signed and a law by Feb
ruary ~ next, which will be the one
hundredth anniversary of the birth Of
Abraham Lincoln. If this is found i'm
possible, 1t is hoped to have the pres
ident sign the bill on that day.
eAve Dill NOT CRUSH TRUSTS