New-York tribune., 1912-03-20
THEDA DAVINWASHI,NGTON


iuence which President Roosevelt coulu
command. fell far short Of accomplishing
the purposes for which 1t was designeu,
and which had to be materially anehueu
and augmented in the early days OF t"e
present administration. All experienced
legislators are agreed that IN the race Oh
specific evil il is the part OF Wisoo'ii u
prepare and press to passage the siinpies'
possible measure, one neither so extreme
as to afford a reasonable excuse TOT oh
opposition nor so complex as to present OF
portunlty 10 those who would Kill II by the
indirect method OF compllcating and con-
fusing the issue. It is the opinion or those
who sneak from experience and with SIN
cerity that time will be gained rather than
lost by such a course. that the passage OF
r. simple measure OF the type described
would all the more easily be followed by
similar measures affecting other REFORMS
and that thus. as concrete issues are pre-
sented, the entire law may be revised step
by step, and the ultimate result achieved
more expeditously than II could be by
general revisonary measure.
AN ENFANT TERRIBLE. Senator
Luke Lea. popularity known as the BABY
Senator" because he is It's youngest mem
Der, has created CONSERVATION in that au-
gust body by proposing to contest the
right of venerable members TO such pubic
building appropriations as they may them-
selves deem proper for their respective
statcs. Such thing was never heard OF
before, It having been matter or Sena-
torial courtesy TO assent 10 the PUBIC
building measures proposed by Senator'S for
their respective states. Senator Lea yes
terday broke all precedents and moved the
recall of certain measures recently passed
without discussion. Among these are ap-
proprations for $4,000 for q public building
at Sun Dance, Wyo, which Mr.. Lea de-
clares had a population of 5l5 people IN
1890. but now has a population Of only Isl /;
s67 800 for public building at New Castle
Wyo., the homo of Representative Mondel
which Mr.. Lea says Las population OF
only go and $4,000 for public building at
Thormopolis. which, according to Mr.. Lea
has a population of only 1,53 Senator
Warren the sponsor for these bills, points
out that tho proposed buildings arc to serve
not only the towns in which they are 10
Gated as postoficcs, but much or the sur
rounding country. as they Will house the
local land office. the local forestry oillce
and I'm some instances, the United states
District Court and the federal weather bu-
Ieau IL f. probably fact that there IL
no state in the union which has been 20
fortunate in the matter Of public buildings
as Wyoming where cities are greatly or
nan,ented by the character and type OF
public buildings erected, but, as has been
said, il is contrary TO precedent to raise
question of the necessity Of public build
ing demanded by Senator, and the action
Of the Tennesseean has caused cohSterha-
ito I'm the upper house.
4 QUESTION OF OXEN--Ex- Senator
Hemenway. Of Indann. Is authority for the
statement that the attitude OF the Roose-
velt campaign managers toward Presiden-
tial primaries depends wholly on the ques-
ton OF whose OK Is likely TO be gored. For
instance, In Indiana, where popular pri-
maries held thus far have given President
Taft a vote Of nearly three 10 one as
against Mr.. Roosevelt, the local managers
of Mr.. Roosevet's campaign are doing ev-
ervthing in their power TO prevent any
further primaries, and to that end are
raising every possible legal technlcalty 10
prevent a show OF hands. In those states
where what is coming to be popularity
known as the recall OF the Wild Is popu-
lar. the Roosevelt managers are inslstent
on popular primaries, whether with or
without legal sanction and safeguards, but
in those states where there Is likely to be
the slightest danger that tho Roosevelt OK
may he gored they are answering the
question Shall the people rule?' with Hn
emphatic negative. All this leads Mr.
Hemenway. az it does good many others
TO believe that, after all. the vociferous de
mand for Presidential primaries under all
circumstances and In all sections is 'jcs'
politics" u. o. H.