The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1912-03-08
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Cen
eral Topics from
the Capital.
Especial Correspondence to the citizen
Washington, March 4, 1912.

and Republicans particularly. Every
body believed that Roosevets speech
would be radical and everybody acknow-
ledgeS that their belief was justified. In
fact, they say it is the most radical utter
ance that has ever been made from the
stump or the platform in the United
States. Some OF the more conservative
among the progressive Republicans the
near insurgents as they are called. are
frankly disappointed over the ColonePs
advocacy of the recall of judicial decisions
They try to make a good face over it and
TO accept the speech as whole because
OF the many other things the Colonel
uttered dear To the progressive heart.
The political advisers Of President Taft
are more deeply concerned over the effect
OF the radical Roosevelt propaganda on
the Republican National platform. to be
drafted at the Chicago convention than
they are over the Colonel's personal boom
for denomination The Taft forces feel
confident they can renOmnate the PreSi-
dent but they are alarmed over the CON
cessionS they may be obliged 10 make in
the National platform to obtain support
from the progressive wing of the party
1t is well known here that all of the
ideas advanced by Colonel Roosevelt on
the initiative and referendum and especi-
ally on the recall of judicial decisions
themselves, are abhorrent to President
Taft. There has been no comment from
the White House on the Colonel'S speech.
but Mr.. Tatt'S deep concern over the pos
Sibijty of any of these new tangled notions
creeping into the Republican National
platform, is well known to his advisers
SO deeply does the President feel on the
question of the recall of the judiciary, tina:
he will decline to accept a denomination
for the Presidency ather than stand on a
platform which contains such plank
Now that Roosevelt's long awaited
speech has been delivered. the Presidents
political advisers are confident that the
coming campaign is to be one in which
the lines between radicaliSm and Conser-
vatiSm are to be as sharply drawn as they
were in the famous 1896 free silver cam
pa1gn.
If President Taft is renominated, which
looks like toregOne conclusion 10 per
sons on the inside. there is but one thing
for the progressive Republicans to do and
that is to vote and work for the DemoCra.
tic nominee who, in all human probability,
will he progressive Democrat That
means either Woodrow Wilson or Champ
Clark, with the chances in favor of Clark,
for several reasons. In the first place,
Governor Wilson has opposition in his
own State and must overcome that 10
the satisfaction of every Democrat before
he can reach out and get other States lor
him. While he is well liked in many
States, there are as vet no assured maiori-
tIas, tAr htr,n i, 81,
he has little following in New York State
so far as the nomination is concerned and
little hope of carrying New York in the
election. On the contrary, Champ Clark
not only has his own State but half of
Oklahoma and possibly Kansas. His
strength in the West and Northwest seems
to be gradually growing from all reports
received here and there is no doubt that
The statement from William Randolph
Hearst, coming out unequivocally for
Clark, has helped him materially in the
States Of California and Illinois. At the
same time Mr.. Clark has many friends in
New York and unless New York Demo
Gratis are absolutely sincere and absolute
ly compel Mayor Gaynor to stay in the
race to finish, there is every chance that
Mr. Clark will fall heir to the New York
delegation in the Baltimore convention.
| only make these suggestions in case
the Democratic party thinks it is absolute
ly necessary to nominate well known
progressive Democrat. There are other
progressive Democrats in the country who
undoubtly would make just as good Presi-
dents as either one of the gentlemen
named, but who are not so well known to
the public, and it would take longer to in
troduce them than either Wilson or Clark.
There has been little else talked about
in the National Capital this week except
the announced intention of running for
President made by Theodore Roosevelt
1t puts the Republican party between the
devil and the deep sea. OF course, the
progressives are all smiling and the radi-
Gals in the Republican party are very
much pleased that their idol has once
more come to the front and announced
that he is willing to accept the nomina-
ton and run for President 1t has made
the old line Republicans however, very
angry and they are all out on the firing
line and ready to do battle against Roose-
welt and in favor of Taft This simply
presages the biggest split in the Republi-
can party that has ever been known since
From now on this will be the most dra.
matte campaign since the Lincoln Douglas
campaign in 1860 or the Blaine Harrison
in 1892. 1t means that the Republican
party cannot get together and bridge over
their differences and that whether there
is third party ticket in the field or not.
they can never get together sufficiently
to elect their candidate next fall. This
means that any good Democrat with
clean record and who is sane. safe and
decent, will be elected to the Presidency
next November.
The only thing that is worrying some
Democrats is how radical the party has
got to be in its platform adopted at Balti
more next une, but the more sensible
Democrats are not worrying themselves
about that matter for they believe that
radical Republicans would not support
Democrat on anv sort of PLATFORM but
will have a ticket of their own in case Mr..
Taft is nominated on a platform suggest
ed bv and made by the interests of this
country.
predicted way last fall that Mr. Roose
welt was going to do just exactly what he
has done and that he would be the thorn
in the side of the Republican party when
they got ready TO nominate their next
candidate. The curses against Roosevelt
are loud and deep and the Republicans
are saying that he himself is the real
President of the Ananias Club after all
his statements, first made on the Sth OF
November 1904, and the next in 1907,
that he would under no circumstances
accept third nomination for President