Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1911-07-21
COP. OBJECT OF
MANY ASSAULTS
Republican Capacity to Govern
Properly Is Impugned.
IS SERIOUS FOR THE PARTY
Democrats Talking Quietly of Noni-
mating Senator Chamberlain of
Oregon for Vice-President
His Strength on the
Pacific Coast.
BY WILLIS j. ABBOT.

Washington, = mo wonder the
thermometer stands about 95 In the
shade" said a senator from a cooler
state to congressional crowd the
other day, ''just look at this!"
This" was a Washington evening
newspaper, an exceedingly conserva-
tive, usually Republican and always
administration organ. It's first page
was decorated with five display
heads" to use the newspaper phrase.
OF these four bore evidence damag-
ing to the administration or the Re-
publican party brought out in one or
another Of the Investigations now in
progress. The department of state
was accused of irregularities in the ex-
penditures Of money and a RESPONSE
Bile congressional committee recon-
mended the dismissal from the serv-
ice Of the consul general at Calcutta
(salary $4,000 and the disbursing
clerk of the department of state.
A federal grand jury spurred to &C
ton by the Stanley committee, is
ready to report indictments against
prominent figures in the steel trust.
George H. Earle, Jr., of Philadelphia,
testified before the committee inves-
tigating the sugar trust that Roose-
welt, when president, ignored the de-
sire OF Mr.. Purdy, ad interim attorney
general, to prosecute the sugar trust
and awaited the coming into Office of
Attorney General Bonaparte who let
all proceedings lapse.
Finally there was set forth In gIar-
Ing type the testimony of Hines In
the Lorimer hearing identifying ex-
Senator Aldrich and President Taft
with the successful effort to put
over" the Illinois boss.
Not All Done by Democrats.
mo wonder it's hot" repeated the
senator. THAT is the sort of broadside
of political scandal which every news
paper has been giving us daily since
the new organization of the house was
completed and the investigating COM
mittees got to work. 1t isn't ell un-
earthed by Democratic efforts either.
are Republicans. The keenest cross
examiner on the committee is Sena-
tor Kenyon Of Iowa, Republican and
former law officer of the Taft ad-
ministration. If anybody has been
able to discern In Kenyon'G work the
slightest desire to shield either his
party or the administration they must
erto unknown.
The federal grand jury which is
reported to be about to hand down in
dictments Of steel magnates neces-
sarily was appointed by Republican
officials and the cases were presented
by Republicans.
1.-THE sugar trust and state depart
ment investigations were set under
way by Democrats and are conducted
by committees having a majority of
Democratic members
ut is true, however, that the inves-
tigating activity began with the in
coming Of a Democratic house. and
while the Republicans, for a time,
thought they could minimize the effect
of the disclosures made by ridiculing
the number of Investigating commit
tees, the matter is becoming serious"
Serious for the G. o. p.
1t Is indeed becoming serious. The
senator spoke from the view point OF
Republican, but an impartial obser-
yer Of politics must recognize the fact
that every bit of evidence of careless
ness, negligence or criminality on the
part of any federal official during the
last sixteen years will infallibly be
charged UP by the people against the
party which has held unrestricted
power during that period There Is
a generally accepted maxim that lie
will travel miles while the truth Is
putting on it's boots. Without passing
on the veracity of either Mr.. Hines or
Mr.. Earle, 1t may be said that thou.
sands will know of the charge that
President Taft urged Lorimer's cleo
ton, and that President Roosevelt pro-
tected the sugar trust, to one that will
read the denials that will doubtless be
put forth before this article is printed.
Meanwhile other Investigating com
mittees are busy. The ones engaged
on post office, war department and
navy department expenditures have
rich veins to follow 1t will be under
stood readily that the political prom
inence of Postmaster General Hitch
cock, chairman Of the Republican ma
tional committee, will spur a Demo
cratic committee to special energy in
the investigation of his department.
The committee to investigate Dis
trict of Columbia affairs has Just be-
gun work, but the conditions into
which 1t is to inquire have long been
notorious.
1t begins to look as though the tar.
If would share place In the next cam
paigu with determined attack upon
Republican capacity to govern the ma
ton economically. intelligently and
honestly.
Chamberlain for Vice-President.
Political people here-and of course
all the people about the capital are
more or less political--are beginning
to talk about vice-presidentiaI posi-
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