The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-03-04
AZ JAMES J. MONTAGUE.

WASHINGTON, March 3.-Th0 nc.+
two nrenaratfons that are making II
the United States Senate to invess!-
gate the scandal of dread line pOtt-
tics" as played by the Taft suppor.-
ers. proves that Theodore Roosevelt
nicked a first- class fighting man
when he made Senator Dixon dircc-
tor of his presidential boom.
Under the leadership OF Dixon tho
progressiyes In the Senate are gotn8
10 stop the career of the steam roAers
In the. South before Il does the 49,.
dent any more good. IRIS VII
done by holding up till after conven-s
ton time every appointment Of ~
Federal officeholder in the South tnA1S
Mr.. Taft sends to the Senate.
Hereafter delegates to the conven-
ton. who are looking for jobs. VIII
have to take chances on getting them
after convention time. Any Southern
politician who swaps a pledge OF -
Taft vote for a promise OF an ONCE
will reckon without the Senate. ana
the Senate will have the last word In
the bargain.
Thus deferring the administration
political pay day will play havoc with
the steam roller. Incidentally VIII
check one OF the most crying scam
dals that exist In American politic0s
but It is a safe guess that altruism ~
not the sole influence that IL gutdtno
the progressive Senators who arc f0l-s
lowing Dixon on the trail OF tno
President.
Swings Patronage Club.
Up 10 today the patronage club. ap~s
parentIy under the direction Of Chair
man Mckinley, of the National Ta9t
Bureau, has been going like na1I
throughout the South. Whenever IL
has been rcportsd that leaders werAS
leaning toward Roosevelt that leader
has been notified that he will set no
appointments. In the case Of DuncAUSa
Of North Carolina. appointments th92
had already been made, were pul1e0s
back nv the stern hand OF the pre1l.s
dent himself Ugly reports have
reached the Senate OF actual threats
made to officehoiders who talked Abcte|
going to the convention to vote agatn9e
the nomination of Mr.. Taft.
Postoff1ce inspectors. who are tha
ward men for the Taft managers, aro
charged with writing letters TO poote
masters whose terms are about ID
expire. warming them thas thfysaAa4E
better vote for Taft or look for to60
of the public pay roll M
There is no question that the DotGss
ocrats in the Senate will join with
the insurgent Republicans in maklmx
! this fight against the steam rol19
That ingenious machine. a. c0ndu&4S
| ed by Postmaster General Hitchc0&l
| four years ago. turned the party N
| the South into an organizations fyV
| the promotion OF once seeking. -
| nothing more. 1t gave Taft the to01
with which he went into the cOnveGA
| ton, and practically assumed his no46
nation weeks before that great TIL
and ,untrammeled deiiberative body 90I
| into action. $s
| Hitchcock Sulks. But Roller ROM
| This year Hitchcock ID sulktn9 III
| his tent, but the steam roller ~
| perfect trim. and under McKini0y
! has been doing stunts hitherto MHl
heard Of.
| The Taft managers have opeJxx&
boosted that with the steam r0lIee
| terrorixe the delegates. and the
| tional committee to settle CORN
! Roosevelt would not have . chn1&
| for the nomination X he could ptG
| that nine-tenths os the party Wan&
| him for the nominee. ssSI
l. This boast came to the eAFQ8
| Dixon. and he quietly began aff11
| Ing TO bring the matter befcge
| Senate. All the lines are lal6 Mx
and the first hold-up Of appOimtn
may he expected an eoQp Al ~
| batch comes from the White III
To say that the newR Of th1G
| tempiated action fiIled the
| House with alarm In 10 ~
| ultra conservative. The NE1o4
| the President have hn IN
confidence on their x14
| few over on r. r. hi
they expressed II.
| that the daily news o.
/ good Taft men for stanl14
the Prcsident would hape
effect. M RI
Cannlcsing Clnl SSsas
out statements of victos
ons Southern Stats 4hds
| To-day they ennoiA1e
have dNlagateN
\ MOST ~ them e4Inln