The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-03-04
az SIDNEY EsPEY.

0v SoONeY eSeeY.
WASHINGTON. March 4,--PoliticaI
mills in Washington are bus!ly grind
ing out campaign materials.
While everybody about here who is
interested in politics is willing to ad-
nit that the tariff question, and that
alone, must form the back bone for
next November's fight, still the purple
and green fire of the political cam
paigns, the pin.wheels Of issues and
the skyrockets Of stump speeches must
all be prepared. And that is what is
| taking place in Washington now.
More legislation and less investiga-
ton. has been the cry of a good many
leaders, both on the Democratic and
Republican sides OF the house of rep
resentatives, but notwithstanding this
fact. investigation goes on. and hard
ly a day at the national capital passes
| that does not see something in the
way OF a pyrotechnic argument or a
sizzling accusation added to the mu-
milton stores of the next campaign.
The Democrats are working over
time, with their majorities in most OF
the big investigating committees. The
Republicans are more or less putting
their eggs all in one basket and are
keeping an eye peeled upon every bit
OF legislation which even smacks of
tariff importance, whenever it shows
! it's head above the mass of matters
now before congress.
! Jim" Mann, of Illinois, minority
! leader of the house is the foreman Of
the Republican campaign fireworks
factory. Behind him stands Ebenezer
Hill, who is always right in the front
with a little bunch of statistics, to
prove anything in the world in which
the Republicans may be interested;
contempt for any Democratic tariff
legislation, and does not hesitate to
express it, and host of lesser work
men all vigilant and Industrious in the
work of boosting along the cause of
standpat Republicanism.
On the other side of the house, Os-
car Underwood, of course is at the
throttle of the big steam roller which
the Democrats captured from the Re-
]
eer. His cohorts include Representa-
tive Hay of Virginia, whose army re-
organization bill has produced as much
campaign stuff to the line as any mea.
sure now before congress. A. o. Stan
ley, of Kentucky, the chairman of the
steel committee; Hardwick, whose
committee report on the sugar indus
try was made public few weeks ago !;
Moss with his Everglade probe; Will
liam Sulzer, who is engineering the
Panama canal investigation before the
committee on foreign affairs, and
many others.
From the number of mills at work, it
looks as though there are a lot more
charges and counter charges stored up
| in the Democratic arsenals, to be fir
ed at their opponents, than the Repub
licans will be able to get together for
reply.
The two big issues will be economy
! with a capital "E" from the Democrat
ic camp as opposed to the Payne-Ald
rich ideas of tariff revision, which
the Republicans will urge.
Time and again however. the demo
cratic probes have brought to light in
formation of more or less value, if ap
piled to body of citizen kings, from
the top of stump, or the tail gate
of a wagon.
Take for instance the case of Major
Beecher Ray, of the Pay corps of the
army. The case of Major Ray started
out with comparatively insignificant
importance, as far as national pOlit
ical aspect was concerned. 1t appear
ed to be merely the story of how a
superior officer had been charged with
utilizing his official position to repress
his clerk. and break up home. But
once the probe got to work, there has
been dragged to the surface by the
house committee on expenditures in
the war department., information
which not only involves the President
of the United States, but his brother
Charles p. Taft. and former President
Roosevelt, who will undoubtedly be in
the running when the Chicago con
vention convenes to select the Repub
lican nominee.
The letters which President Taft
wrote to General Whipple concerning
the complaint which Major Rays
clerk made to the department, made
good sensational reading. but their
chief value as campaign material lies
in the fact that in one Of them the
President refers to political services
rendered Charles p. Taft by Major
Ray. and that the army officer had
been prone to place too high a value
upon them.
Right on the heels of this, came the
removal of Fred c. Ainsworth from
the post of adjutant general, by exec
utive order; and Richmond Pearson
Hobson, of Alabama. on the floor OF
the house, forsaking party affiliations
charged openly that General Aims
worth, he'd bartered INSTRUMENTATION