The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1912-05-03
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Gem
eral Topics from
the Capital.
Special Correspondence to the Ciuzen.l
Washington, April %, 1912.

+ 1t seems like a sacrilege to write a DO.
ltical news letter from Washington when
nearly every body here is in mourning
for the heroic souls of this city and of
the nation, who went down on the steam
ship Titanic and the news columns of all
the papers are filled with nothing else
The only person that | knew on that
lated ship was Major Archibald w.
Of the United States. have known
Archie" Butt, as every body called him
who knew him and loved him, for over
fifteen years, He was a contemporary
of mine in the Congressional press gal.
lerles for more than five years until he
entered the military service as a Lieu
tenant and Quartermaster General. He
not only made good in Cuba but also in
the Philippines, when he was called to
Washington, and on account of a mag
nihcent article that he wrote, President
Roosevelt admired it so much that he
made its author his military aide,
where he has been ever since. All that
] want to say is thar all OF the beautiful
things that have been said and written
about Archie" Butt, has been beauti.
fully deserved, for there never lived
man who was more generous, or kindly
or chivalrous or gentle, than Archie"
Butt He lived gentleman and died a
hero.
The political situation from Presiden-
tisl standpoint is certainly becoming
acute. The latest phase of the situation
from a Republican standpoint, is the
attitude of Mr.. Roosevelt His remarks
on the stump lately have become very
significant The other day he said, 81
think that we are going to win the fight
this year; but if we do not, we are in
for three years OF the war"
Now, then, that means something to
the Democrats OF this country and | want
to tell them about It, AT the present
writing, Mr.. Roosevelt is engaged in a
fight for the Republican nomination in
Chicago. If he wins that it will be
upon platform embodying the new pol
icies that he is now advocating. He
could not afford to stand upon any other
kind OF a platform.
After the Chicago Convention will
come the fight against the common en-
emy, which is the Democratic party.
II nominated at the Republican National
Convention in Chicago, Mr.. Roosevelt
must then try his fortunes with the elec,
torate, not as an oldiashioned, but as
new fashioned Republican, and also
as an assaiant of the third term tradi-
ton.
II Mr.. Roosevelt loses at Chicago, and
Mr.. Taft or another is nominated on
platform which does not embrace RooSe-
vetism, will Mr. Roosevelt support the
ticket or will the war go on? Will he try,
either by inertia or by activity TO defeat
the ticket? That is the problem that
conlronts the Republican party today.
They do not know what he is going to
do, and therefore, they cannot tell what
the Republican party is going TO do in
this year OF grace. The Republican
party, is really, and in fact, between the
devil and the deep sea. If it does not
accept Roosevelt at the Chicago Con-
vention, he will defeat the candidate.
Ifit does accept him, he is defeated
man, for the simple reason that there are
z, ,ooo, 900 voters in this country in the
Republican party who will vote against
third term candidate That means a
Democratic President no matter who is
nominated at Baltimore.
SO far as the Democratic Presidential
politics are concerned, the shrewd po-
litical guessers in the National Capital
all agree that they are really astonished
at the success of the Honorable Champ
Clark. They are basing this expression
OF astonishment upon the fact, as every
body knows, that Governor Harmon and
Governor Wilson were really candidates
away last summer and that their press
bureaus got busy last fall and were
sending out bushels of publicity
notices in the interest of each of
these gentlemen. What the political
seers cannot understand is WHY the public
sentiment was not thoroughly crystal
lied all during the months OF last fall in
the interest of one or the other of those
candidates. Champ Clark was really
mot a candidate, aud not a single thing
was done in the interest of his candidacy
until after the Missouri primaries last
February, which were favorable to him,
and he then announced his candidacy,
having said previously that unless his
own State endorsed him he would not
be a candidate for the nomination. The
point that these political prognostiCators
and old timers make is that there never
was anything seen in this country 10 COM
pare with the rapidity with which the
Clark sentiment clystalized all over the
country, and which has given him the
votes Of a number Of States in the next
National Convention and which seems
to be growing and getting bigger all the
time. have no means of knowing how
much either of the candidates have
spent in the way of publicity or their
expenses. but do know that the
Champ Clark people have spent less than
anybody else not only for the reason that
they have not had the time to spend it.
but for the simple reason that they did
not have the money to spend at any
time. The politicians have about con
cluded that the reason that the Champ
Clark sentiment has spread so widely
and grown so rapidly, is because the
Democrats of this country have about
come 10 the conclusion that he would
make the best candidate for President
after he is nominated |, Of course, do
not put nv personal opinions against the
opinions of majority of the leaders of
the Democratic party whom have come
in contact with and see almost every day,
| and therefore, am inclined to think
that they are correct. There is no queS-
! ton in anv Democrats mind that any of
! the gentlemen whose names have been
mentioned as candidates before the Bal.
| timore Convention would make admir-
able Presidents of the United States
believe that they would make bettei
! Presidents than any Republican upon the
face of the earth II they were elected, but
! now then the question arises, Can they
be elected if nominated, and that seem: