Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-05-20
SPECIAL ATTENTION GVFN
To NEWS OF IOWA PEOPLE
Special Representative viii Keep
Public Opinion Readers Posted.
Interesting Developments of Ma
tons Affairs Tersely Described
by Former Iowan for Iowa
Readers.
Public Opinion Bureau
Washington, D. G..
Lind and O'Shauchnessy.

| NaShlngton-Where the frailtieS of
the great have caused them to be
| catalogued among other classes of
ordinary clay. The correspondent of
the Public Opinion sat opposite the
"watchful waiter" of Vera Cruz, in
the dining room of a prominent hotel
g few days ago, and had a splendid
opportunity to study the strength of
character and the deep battle scars
that furrow the brow and face of
Minnesota's former governor. John
Lind looks the part that he played
in the important affairs of Mexico
and Washington regards him as a
man who has made a success of a
very difficult job. In a short talk
with our late representative at Huer-
ta's court, the impression came home
strong to the writer of this article,
that in the affairs at Mexico City,
the American government was par
ticularly fortunate in having a live
wire like 'Shaughnessy. His poll
cy of using "molasses instead of
vinegar" with Huerta evidently was
the only way to secure fair play for
American citizens. 'Shaughnessy
was real "hit" with Huerta and he
used the advantage by backing his
demands upon the basis of his own
personal relations with the crafty old
Indian, with whom he usually ended
| up: you surely do not want to put
me in bad light with my govern
ment?' By these persuasive meth
DDS 'Shaughnessy secured person
ALLY what he could not have obtained
in the name of his government. The
supposed friendship with Huerta has
brought no end of criticism upon
O'Shaughnessy, but Washington has
joined officially in the popular praise
accorded O'Shaughnessy.
Parcel Post and Express.
The Buffalo Chamber of Commerce
has got rise" out of the Postmas-
ter General, by passing a resolution
opposing any increase in parcel post
weight limit, on the ground that
such action would drive the express
companies out of business. The
Postmaster General declares that the
parcel post is universal service, in
creasing trade between cities and
farms, and that its rates are based
on the cost of operating in both
profitable territory, which is defined
to be the extent of the systems of
private express companies, and un-
profitable territory, into which the
express companies never go. The
Postmaster General says that the
express companies will not be driven
out of profitable territory as their
limited field of operation gives them
the advantage over the parcel post,
which is loaded down with "unprof-
liable territory" Now that matters
have settled down somewhat it is ap-
parent that there is plenty of room
for the parcel post and express COM
panies, and the American people are
carefully distinguishing between the
two.
The Realignment.
Most of the leading Washington
politicians in the Republican and
Progressive parties are very anxious
for realignment that will bring
them together in a united attack to
recover control of Congress. Two
years ago it was asserted that the
Republican party was left with only
the standpatters to run it. Today
it is claimed that ''standpats" are in
party in Delaware, while the Repub-
licans are the Progressives. The
Delaware situation is pointed out as
illustrating condition existing in
many sections Of the country Most
of the Republican Senators and Rep
resentatives who supported Colonel
Roosevelt two years ago have de-
clared themselves to be members of
the Republican organization, al
though they insist the position of
Colonel Roosevelt was right-and
they declare they will continue to
support him. The get-together SEN
timent is strong, but in contrast
there are few political officials who
like the Secretary of the Republican
Congressional Committee, helped to
send Taft to oblivion, and now con-
slider it their mission to excommuni-
cate all bull moose" from affiliation
with the Republican party, even
though they had worked with the
latter organization for q lifetime. II
the Capital offers the key to the Sit
uation, there are plenty of signs that
a solid front may yet be presented,