St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1910-09-03
POLITICAL PROSPECTS TO DATE,

President Taft does not seem to
be able to rid himself of the stand
patters. He no sooner makes an I'M
successful effort to make seapegoats
Of Cannon, Aldrich and Ballinger
than he takes up with Crane, the
most inveterate conservative, as his
principal political adviser. 1t is
about time that the President tum-
bled to the fact that all those stand
pat statesmen must stand by the Adj
m%inistration, or their goose is cooked.
There is no doubt that a majority of
the Republican voters in the West
ern states are with the Insurgents,
and if there were a free and fair
vote in the Eastern States the Old
Guard would be boWled over. 1t is
mainly the control Of the Republican
organization, with the power Of count
ing the votes cast at the primaries,
that allows them to hold the whip
hand. To that must be added the
enormous power Of the distribution
of the Federal Offices which Presi-
dent Taft has allowed them to die
tate. From this view Of Republican
politics it is impossible to give Presi-
dent Taft credit for any leaning to-
wards the Insurgents, although he
still keeps on friendly terms with
some Of them to escape the charge
that he has split the Republican
party.
Colonel Roosevelt had evidently
been waiting, with his usual political
shrewdness, to see the result of the
primaries and conventions in the de-
batable states when he was forced to
show his hand as the result Of the
turn down" by the Republican state
committee of his own state. He is
now openly with the Insurgents and
will fight for the control Of New
York.
Will President Taft still take coun-
sci with Crane and the other reae-
tionaries, or will he veer towards
Roosevelt to prevent a factional
fight in the state Of New York?
which if thus lost to the Republican
party might lead to making a Jonah
Of Taft himself. The President is
thus confronted with a dilemma, and
to grasp either horn is dangerous.
The Democrats, Of course, have
troubles Of their own; but they are
subsiding and the party is. perhaps,
nearer unity on essentials than
since the first Cleveland Administra-
ton. Under such conditions, those
who believe that Democratic policies
are necessary for the welfare Of the
people Of all the states will draw
even closer together as they see the
chances of success SO favorable. But
oYer-confdence would be folly with
such opponents as the Republicans
with their organization and money,
and their greed for power which, at
the last moment, will lead them to
stoop to conquer.
ADMINISTRATION PAP DISPENSER
So Postmaster General Hitchcock
is in Arizona and New Mexico, ac-
cording to a Chicago Associated
Press report, to start organizing
the two new states with a view Of
electing four new Republican United
S t a + E s Senator's" Meanwhile he
draws his salary and is supposed to
be attending to his duties at the
Postofice Department where, in con-
sequence of his prolonged absence,
business Of Importance to the people
will be hung up awaiting his return.
This is evidently not a Civil Service
reform administration. How could
it be, with Hitchcock as the active
dispenser Of political pap? There is
a report in Washington that Hitch
cock bankers after one Of these SEN
atorships from Arizona for himself.
and that he has been using the pat
ronage Of the Postofie Department
that end. It is hardly probable,
however, that even a Republican boss