Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-02-01
THE BooMs.
CONTINUED from Page one.)

between hlfnSell ana the Honorable
Senator Tillman of South Carolina,
broken in health but fiery as of yore.
The court of honor's the thing, What
does it matter what this court is
about? 1t is secondary that Marse
Henry has cast off the Honorable
Woodrow Wilson. as a presidential
candidate, because of ingratitude to
hackers. Marse Henry gives his rea-
sons Ter the casting OFF and the Hon
.orable Tfl1man declares damboyantly
that Marse Henry does not SO into
the details sufficiently for man of
his high sense of honor.
Marse Henry likes the appearance
of combat; he likes to make people
talk and when he is accused of trying
to tie the Honorable Woodrow Wilson
up with that mighty magnate,
Thomas f. Ryan. he suggests a court
of honor.
That incident will be hardly ex-
hausted, however. before there will be
something else equally exciting in
political tactics and then something
else while the play is on Then, after
awhile, all this tinsel stuff-more or
less material. however, in making an
impression upon the public mind
viii be thrust aside. Six months
from now one must look up an expert
political chrenicler to recall all the
highty-tity things that are now
monopolizins public attention. But
il goes IN the making of Presi-
dent, or rather in the making of two
presidential nominees.
The man of any political impor-
lance ut home, who comes down to
Washington these days, can have a
mighty interesting visit for while.
if he arrives in town with IAN open
mind" There are lots of boomers
watching for him, ready TO over
wheim him with courtesy and argu-
ments. They will tell him rosy sta
,ries, assure him that this incident or
that, is exceedingly significant or
does not amount to anything at all.
according as it applies to their
political candidate.
BE he a Democrat, still with an
open mind, he may fall first into the
hands of the Champ Clark boomers.
Outwardly the Champ Clark boom is
most conspicuous of all the Demo-
cratic booms, as far as Washington
is concerned. There are plenty of
trusted workers TO lead him gently to
that corner room, at the moment
when the Speaker escapes from his
duties on the floor The Speaker will
shake him by the hand. talk pleas
antly upon almost any7topic. general
~ avoid the subject of the presiden-
tial nomination. but show most
friendly and 'dignified interest in the
visitor -Four years ago the same
proceeding was under way in the same
quarters, but that was while Speaker
Joseph G. Cannon was grooming for
the Presidency.
The Democrat with an open mind
will not be long at the Capitol. how
ever, before Wilson boomers will get
him. They keep tab on the arrivals.
From the Democratic senators and
representatives these Wilsonites learn
who is on the way to Washington. as
certain. what time his train pubs in
and where he is likely to stay. They,
too, make things as pleasant as can
be. They regale him with accounts
of the mighty progress of the Wilson
boom. touch gayly upon the Waiter
son-Harvey incident. get the visitors
facts on straight-from their view
point-assure him what a great help
Marse Henry has been to them, ha ha,
and then comes the final touch in the
melodrama. They urge him to an in
terview for the newspapers.
The Wilson workers are strong on
getting the visitor committed. Will he
say a few words for publication. as to
which generally means his own indiv-
idual opinions about the qualifications
of Gov Wilson for the highest office
in the land? Perhaps he will. If so.
the pro- Wilson interview will be
promptly put upon paper, multi-eopied
and the sheets distributed quickly. to
the newspaper offices in town. The
visitor must be kept in good humor by
further attentions. If he is going to
New York-and most Of the Washing
ton visitors from afar at this season
of the year are going to New York
special pains are taken to pass him
along to the Wilson bureau in Goth
am.
Neither the Harmon boomers nor the
Underwood boomers are operating at
all actively in Washington, but the
visitor will surely encounter a cham
pion here and there to assure him in a
resigned sort of way that Harmon or
Underwood, as the case may be, is a
mighty fine man and would make a
mighty fine President. 'tAll these 9TH
er booms, that are making so much
fuss can not endure till convention
| time"
Would not any Democratic visitor
| feel puffed up at so much attention
Naturally. For in ordinary times, IL
! he visited Washington hardly any
I body, except his Congressman, would
| pay much attention to him while he
| sojourned in the town. And even the
| Congressman might not be particular
about calling him by his first name
and making small talk about local af7
fairs. 1t is little wonder with Wash
| inston being such a pleasant town
| just now that the Democratic politi-
clans want to look in and see how
| things are going.
| But it is not so very different If the
visitor be a Republican. He will have
to come in q disguise and go to some