Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1912-05-02
Chas. A. Edwards Discusses
Politics From Political
Storm Center
MAJ. BUTT, GENTLEMAN
Recent Primary Elections
Show Democratic Prefer
ence For Champ Clark

WASHINGTON. D. c.. Special Cor
respondence of the Herald, April rs.
1t seems like sacrilege to write
political news letter from Washington
when nearly everybody here is in
mourning for the heroic souls of this
city and of the nation who went down
on the steamship Titanic and the
columns OF all the papers are filled
with nothing else.
The only person | knew on that
fated ship was Major Archibald w.
Butt, the personal aide OF the Pres-
dent of the United States. | have
known "Arche" Butt, as everybody
called him who knew him and loved
him for over fifteen years. He was
contemporary of mine in the congress
sional press galleries for five years
until he entered military service as
a Lieutenant and Ass 'stant Quarter
master General He not only made
good in Cuba but in the Philippines
when he was called to Washington
and on account of magnificent ar
ticle that he wrote, PreSden RoOse-
welt admired it so much that he made
its author his military aide where he
has been ever since All | want TO
say is that all the beautiful things
that have been said and written about
"Archie" Butt has been beautifully
deserved, for there never lived man
who was more generous or kindly or
-chivalrous or gentle than Archie
Butt He lived a gentleman and died
hero.
The political situation from a pres
idential standpoint is becoming acute.
The latest phase OF the situation from
a republican standpoint, is the atti-
tude of Mr. Roosevelt. His remarks
on the stump lately have become very
significant. The other day he said,
81 think we are going to win the fight
this year; but if we do not, We are.
in for three years of the war"
Now 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. it will be upon
a platform embodying the new poll
cies that he is now advocating. He
could not afford to stand upon any
other kind of platform.
After Chicago will come the fight
against the common enemy which is
the democratic party If nominated
in Chicago, Mr.. Roosevelt must then
try his fortunes with the electorate.
not as an old fashioned but as new
fashioned republican also as an as
ailant of the third term tradition.
If Mr.. Roosevelt loses at Chicago.
and Mr.. Taft or another is nominat-
ed on a platform which does not en-
brace Rooseveltism, will Mr.. Roose-
velt support the ticket or will the
war 60 on? Will he try. either by in
erta or activity, to defeat the ticket?
That is the problem that confronts
the republican party today. They do
not know what he is going to do,
therefore, they cannot tell what the
republican party is going to do in this
year of grace. The republican party
is really, in fact, between the devil
and the deep sea. If 1t does not ac-
cent Roosevelt at Chicago. he VIII
defeat the candidate. If it does ac-
cent him. he is defeated man for
the reason that there are 2Ooo,ooo IN
this country in the republican party
who will vote against a third term
candidate. That means democratic
nresident, no matter who is nomlnat-
ed at Baltimore.
So far as the democratic preslden-
tial politics is concerned the shrewd
politicical guessers in the National
capital all agree that they are really
ostor;shed at the success Of the Hon.
orable Champ Clark. They are pas'
ing this expression Of astonishment
unor the fact, as everybody knows,
that Governor Harmon and Governor
wilson we're really candidates away
last summer and that their press pu-
roaus got busy last fall and were
sanding out bushel Of publicity notic'
=. IN the interest Of each Of those