Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-06
WASHINGTON LETTER
RY H,R. lM STAR STAFF
WALKER tal!gss ESPoNDENT
TO HARNESS PoToMAc's FALLS

some of the Bull Moosers to wonoeS
why Roosevelt picked out this pass
ticular time to go hunting, when tho
Progressives are fighting TO make a
showing and prove themselves a real
party, in New Jersey and Massa-
chusetts, and while the anti-Tan-
many fight in New York city Is sadly
in need of all the pepper that can
be added to make 1t look like a win
ming fight.
1t is known that strenuous efforts
were made to induce Roosevelt to lead
the fighting for John Purroy Mitchell
in New York; for Colby, in New Jer-
sey, and for Bird, in Massachusetts,.
but that he blithely pleaded previ-
Gus engagements in Patagonia or
elsewhere, and nimbly sidesteppsd all
the off-year campaigns in sight.
Many Republicans who look for
ward to the coming back of their
party in 1916, with Roosevelt as It's
candidate, are joyful over the situa-
ton, and look upon Rooseyelts
departure at this time as evincing
his Discrimination to mix up in State
politics in a manner that might cost
him delegates three years from now.
While there is no little interest and
anxiety at the White House and
among Democratic leaders over the
outcome of the impending guberna-
torial elections in New Jersey and
Massachusetts, the real test of Will
sonian politics Is to take place in the
elections for Congress next year, and
already all parties are planning for
this contest. If New Jersey and
Massachusetts go Republican this
fall, on the goyernorship. it will be
urged by the administration that the
elections were decided on State issues.
in which the tariff and the Wilson
policies cut no essential part. Next
year, though, will be different.
By the time congressman are chos-
en- next fall, the new tariff and cur
rency bills will have been in opera
ton long enough to make it apparei-t
whether or not their effect upon the
country is good, bad or merely in
nocuous In the regular session of
Congress next winter, the president
will have had chance to work out
the remainder of his program for
trust regulation, railroad control,
postal reforms and other plans for
reduction of cost of living and res
toration of competition. Upon the
Legislative accomplishments UP to
that time, the Democrats will go to
the country for approval or condem-
nation.
following the tariff, currency and
proposed antitrust legislation will
give the Republicans or Progressives
the opportunity they are seeking to
come into power. the Democrats do
not propose to wait inactive for this
verdict Already they are planning a
wide campaign of publicity to explain
what has been done with the tariff,
and why it should cheaper cost Of
living, whether it does or not. They
are planning to have Democratic
newspapers Of the country explain
carefully to the voters that the high
cost of living grew out of twenty
years of Republican protection and
misrule, and that the bad results of
twenty years of bad government can
not reasonably be wholly changed in
two years.
So much depends upon next years
elections. Not only is the control of
the House at stake, but of the Senate
as we'll. Thirty-two United States
will all be elected by direct vote of
the people, for the first time in the
history of the country. While the
Democratic majority in the House
is now so great as to be unwieldy,
the Senate majority is made up of
bare six votes, and three or four OF
these are refusing to stand hitched
on many subjects. By winning half
a dozen senatorships, and holding
their present strength, the Republic
cans would control the Senate. Fully
third of the present members of
the House were elected by less than
a majority vote in their districts, and
should way be found to amalga-
mate the Republican and Progressive
parties in the congressional elections
next fall, the same vote that put the
Democrats into power last fall, would
lose them their majority in the House
next year,