The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1916-02-25
CIamOr For Prearranged Slate
at Republican Convention.
WON'T AWAIT FREE CHOICE.
Many Of the Leaders Want the Nomi-
nation Arranged In Advance, and
Some Citizens Share In This Desire.
May Be a Dark Horse Who Will Win,
After All.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.

by AK hUH w. DUNN.
Washington, Feb. 24.-lSpecial. i
Ills a strange people In this land"
remarked one of the prominent ltepub-
leans In congress-. There is Il great
outcry against the bosses and denun-
citation OF political states. and yet there
is a clamor for a slate for the coming
national convention. The people seem
to want to have the nomination all
fixed up In advance; they cannot wait
for a free and open convention TO make
the choice"
Perhaps on the other hand the people
fear that the leaders may put II over
on them" IL they wait for al open con
vention to act. At all events. there
are a lot of men who would like to be
able to pick out the band wagon ut this
very moment SO that they might climb
aboard. 1t seems as IL most Of the
cfamor FOR definite information as to
who will be nominated ONE from
the band wagon folk.
Looking Backward.
Looking backward for n moment 1t IL
recalled that on three occasions the Re
publicans nominated men who were
not considered possibilities before the
convention assembled. In 1876 Hayes
was chosen. In 1880 Garfield and In
1893 Harrison. The favorites lost, the
politicians could not get the men they
wanted, and the "open convention
chose these three men.
1t may be surmised hat the choice
in the matter of selecting n nominee Is
not going to be left to chance. No con
vention il going to nominate an entire
ly unfit man, and If the favorites can
not win the final choice is almost sure
to be an acceptable IL not a popular
candidate.
No Lusitania incident.
Here Ii a story told about Roosevelt.
A number of people were talking about
conditions I'm Europe, and one OF them
asked:
Colonel. If you had been president,
what would you have done In regard
to the Lusitania incident?"
IF l had been president there would
have beer no Lusitania incident" was
the reply.
"Just what do you meanT"
IF | had been president" came In
sharp R~ooseveltian tones, when adj
vertisements warning people not to 20
on the Lusitania appeared ! would
have informed the German government
that the loss of American lives OF pas
senger vessels by submarine attacks
would have meant war"
Matters of Sentiment.
Several days ago the house was con-
sidering a bin giving medals of honor
to those who earned them. 1t was OPP
posed by Minority Leader Mann.
81 do not suppose we can stop any
sentimental proposition of this kind
when 1t gets into the house." he re-
marked somewhat YEARLY.
A few days later there was a prop
osition before the house TO increase by
half a million dollars the amount for
the memorial to Lincoln. Mann was
its most earnest champion. During
the discussion 1t was shown that sen
timent almost wholly moved the house
TO support the increased appropriation,
sentiment for Lincoln. Everybody said
so, and 1t was n fact.
But what's the use? You can't expect
men to be consistent, particularly when
they have SO much TO look after as
Jim Mann.
Making Him a True Prophet.
Congress appropriated 100000 for
the Lincoln memorial. and they came
back for half a million more. Chair
man Fitzgerald opposed the increase.
II said at that time" said Fitz, that
the memorial would be complet-
ed for less than 81, 100000"
Having prophesied." interrupted Jim
Mann. that the memorial would cost
that amount, why do you complain
when we are trying to make you a true
prophet
New Members Apologize.
All the new members of the house
who have taken part in the debates
have begun their speeches with an
apology for being new members or for
speaking because they are new mem
bers. This modesty may be all right
and is In Difference TO the assumption
of older members In all organizations
that the new members ought to re-
main in the background for a time.
Champ on the Floor.
Champ Clark does not often join In
debate, but recently has taken an ac-
tive part more frequently than has
been the custom of speakers heretofore.
Champ has opinions about a number
of questions, and he does not hesitate
to express them. He came down to
talk not long ago. and he had to bat
Fitzgerald around and beat the chair
man OF the committee on appropria-
tions on q half million dollar item In
a bill which Fitzgerald, as he often
does. was fighting. The speaker apol-
-4--z g. INA r~l A.. l~f-