Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 July 1904 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

Political and Oeneral Gossip of the National Capitol. Special Correspondence to The Democrat: The campaign will cautiously begin in about a fortnight, and both parties are getting ready for the fray. When the principal candidates have published their letters of acceptance the first guns will have been fired, and the fusilade will thereafter get lively. Both parties will undoubtedly establish headquarters in New York City Bround Madison Square with branchee in this city whence the tons of partisan “literature” will be addressed and franked.

The President will retrun to Washington about the end of this month to gather up some loose ends of unfinished business. At Sagamore Hill he is obtaining some rest in the midst of busy days for the entire family. Himself and Mrs. Roosevelt, the four boys and Miss Ethel rise, with the sun and go to bed with the chickens. The President hunts, and walks and rides aud sleeps out-of-doors occasionally, and boxes with the boys and plays golf and tennis. Fishing is too slow for him. t t t

The ladies of the cabinet are somewhat scattered. The Hitchcocks are in New Hampshire. Mrs. Shaw and Mrs. Payne are enduring the rigors of a Washington July, and will probably tarry into August. They manage to make life endurable by taking a week end trip to Old Point Comfort or Virginia Beach. Secretary Shaw, accompanied by his daughters, Misses Enid and Erma, left Washington Sunday for the Thousand Islands and the New England resorts. Mrs. Shaw and Mr. Earl Shaw will remain in their Massachusetts Avenue home. Mrs. Metcalf still lingers in California, where she has a delightful home in Oakland. She will come here in December and resume life at the Arlington, knowing well the trials and tribulations of getting and keeping good servants for housekeeping. Mrs. Paul Morton and her daughter Pauline are spending July at “Arbor Lodge,” the handsome Morton property near Nebraska City. Mrs. Morton will take a house at the West end, possessing that large private in come which is rather necessary to social success in Washington. t t f

The real status of Paul Morton, the new member of the Cabinet, is yet to be determined. His refusal to succeed Mr. Cortelyou and the announcement which he made when he was appointed Secretary of the Navy, that he would occupy the place only nine months, caused a shrugging of shoulders and a raising of brows in political circles. He stijyi retains his position as President of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, and is merely on a nine months’ leave of absence in Washington. The President’s purpose in calling him to the position is inscrutable for he knows absolutely nothing of its duties, and is not trying to learn anything. Indeed, he could not learn the rudiments in a year unless his familiarity with prairie schooners might be considered preparation. Of course the labors of a Cabinet officer can be, as they are in the case of Hitchcock, merely perfunctory, and performed by hired subordinates. But the President ought not to be a party to such a definition, and it lodks now as if Mr. Morton took the position remembering that the administration might change in nine mpiitbs, and that the important pdrtfolio was carelessly tossed to him as a kind of political souvenir without the expectation that he would do any work. ttt

The case of Charles Emory Smith was entirely similar. He was made Postmaster-General for his social and newspaper prestige when the President knew that he took not the slightest interest in his work and allowed it all tb be done by his bureau chiefs. It was too much of a risk to run on the part of both. What a sorry figure, indeed, has Charles Emory Smith cut since the revelation of the Post Office frauds! t t t Republican newspapers are greatly afflioted in their minds in recalling certain uncomplimentary language which Col. Bryan is alleged to have ottered concerning Judge Parker previous to the St. Louis convention. They no doubt fear that the disparagement points to permanent alienation between these two gentlemen. They worry unnecessarily. Let them possess their souls in patience. Large minds do not cherish grievances forever. If they did, what aort of relation wonid exist between Platt and Odell? Or between Spooner

and La Follette? Or between Roosevelt and Grosvenor? Since the notnination of Judge Parker Col. Bryan has appeared only in the role ”f a magnanimous and patriotic statesman. t t t

Is Mr. Secretary Loeb large enough for his place? Even if he conducted himself politely and prudently in peremptorily refusing the interview with the President requested by the Miner’s committee, which does not seem certain, did be reverse the engine and take the back track diplomatically? The next day the Miners telegraphed asking once more for an interview. Mr. Loeb jumped at the chance and exclaimed in reply “Many thanks for your telegram!” Why “many thanks?” Why need the President emotionally express his gratitude to men requesting an interview? It is not virtually saying “Yes; I was wrong yesterday and you don’t know how tickled I am to set myself right. Many thanks for the way out!” Is this the same Mr. Loeb, by the way, who made the mess about the Lipton dinner and who in the president’s name accepted many presents and then declined a little silk flag made by a little girl? t t t

Professor Cook of the Agricultural Department reports from Texas that the red ant from Guatemala is attacking and destroying the cotton boll weevil in great shape, and justifying lively hopes of its future usefulness.