Gilpin observer., 1913-06-05
WASHINGTON NEWS
By Edward Keatdng.

ed, q good many OF the political wise
acres of the National capital regard
ed him ais an "easy mark" -
Hes just schoolmaster,' they
chuclaled as they slipped their tod
dies. Hes theo.dst, am idealist,
dreamer. Watch US tie him up In
boweknots. He will be eating out Of
our hands with!m six months"
Less than three months have pass
ed since Inauguration day, and 1t Is
just beginning to dawn on these as
tute gentlemen that "a theorist, an
idealist, and, a dreamer" may know a
little something about the political
game-may be able to play 1t in a
bigger and better way.
II the astute gentlemen have taken
a single trick frcm the president,
no one has been able to discover 1t.
In fact, the schoolmaster threatens
to capture "high, low, jack and the
game"
The fight over the sugar tariff is
a case in point. On several occa-
sions the Representatives of the sugar
trust have believed that they had
the votes to block the presidents pro
gram. AS / stated in my letter of a
week or two ago, they figured that
If four Democratic senators desert
ed their party caucus, the Underwood
bill could not be parsed In It's pre-
sent form. The two senators from
louisiana had already agreed to play
the trusts game, and the lobbyists
sought fevertshly for two more. It
was rumored that they had them.
Then,
II leaked out that a Progressive
and possibly Republican, senator were
prepared to support the president in
case combination was formed be-
tween the sugar trust and traitorous
Democratic senators.
That gave the president high. low,
jack" and now the supreme struggle
is on to determine who shall have
the game.
A real bomb was exploded in the
camp of the trust when the president
in a public statement told what every
member of Congress knew, and what
hats been repeatedly asserted in my
letters, that the trust was maintain
ing "an ils.dious and Industrious lob
by in this city for the purpose of in
fluencing Legislation.
The organs of the interests immed-
lately clamored for proof, and the
president promptly announced that he
would accommodate them.
The senate has agreed to appoint
a committee Of inquiry, and 1t Will
have begun its sessions before this
letter Is printed.
The administration Is determined
that all facts shall be laid before the
country. THE schco'master" is also
a first rate fighting man, as the su-
gar trust and its Republican and
Democratic allies will discover be.
fore many days have passed.
Praise for
"country" Press.
Last Thursday l asked permission
TO print IN the Congressional Record
William ]. Bryan's reply to former
Senator T. NJ. Patterson's plea fol-
a tariff on sugar. In that connection
l took oc~ Won to pay deserved
tribute to ne so-called country
press of Colorado. am reproducing
1t here, net for the benefit Of the
editors but for the information
of the men and women who read the
papers which have been printing my
letters. My remarks follow:
''In my judgment. Mr.. Speaker, Mr.
Bryan voices the sentiments Of the
overwhelming majority CT the voters
OF Colorado on this sugar question.
IN support of this statement,
wish space would permit me to quote
the scores OF editorials from Colora
do papers which l have received dur
ing the last few weeks. Almost with
out exception the Democratic press o
Colorado, outside Of Denver, is vigor
ously supporting free sugar.
For a quarter OF a century, have
been connected with the papers o.
Denver, but l want to be placed or
record now as saying that the cause
of genuine Democracy In Colorado
must look for support to the courage
GUS and untrammeled country press
OF the state.
"It Is very gratifying to be able
to state that the most ardent sup
porters of free sugar are the Demo
cratic papers published in the cftie'
and towns which contain sugar fac
tories. They have disregarded the