Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 August 1908 — CAMPAIGN CONVOLUTIONS. [ARTICLE]

CAMPAIGN CONVOLUTIONS.

Evidence that the President is running the Republican campaign is quite as plain and pointed as that he nominated the Republican candidate, and it is of the true Roosevelt variety, the kind with which we have been familiar for years and which when first Indulged in filled or thrilled the country with a new sensation, tonic to a degree. As Robbert Louis Stevenson said, the country exclaimed, "Here’s a fellow!“ But fater more followed and the fount seemed inexhaustible a slight spirit of weariness overcame the spirit of our dreams, and now the Republicans ungratefully enough are pleading for their candidate (whom the President gave them) that he is to be taken by opposites. He is easy, he is smiling, he is unstrenuous, he is a soother, he is good for that tired feeling, he is “Bill.” This is ungrateful, but that does not matter to the President. He is still the biggest “I” in the country. He started in with the upsetting attempt at the Standard Oil decision. At once he announced the criminal character of the Standard Oil* Company, and the rough and ready “Department of Justice” was called into conference while the air reverbrated with the presidential threats of vengeance and slaughter. The President has been much blamed for this, and Judge Grosscup improved the occasion to snub him with severity, showing how little he knew of law and how helpless he was in the face of the judge’s decision. But the President was right for all that, from his point of view. This is, as always, practical. The President is no vague theorist, he is no mollycoddle, and he felt with the swift instinct of the able politician that a thing worse for the Republican campaign prospects \than this Standard Oil decision could hardly happen at this time. So he laid

about with him the “big stick” to counteract its effects if possible, to drive into the popular mind, if so it might be, that this decision was no sign of the reaction which the platform and the Wall street complaisance With the candidate had argued. From the point of good practical politics the President was right. If he can convince the plain people that the Republicans still stand for popular hurrah against corporation domination, it will mean votes. If not, the Republican campaign will be “Grosscuped” to that extent. And now comes another demonstration of the same kind. The good old “Department of Justice” gives an “opinion” that national banks in Oklahoma can not share in that State’s plan to protect deposits. Not improbably if the Democrats, in their platform, had notkapproved a guaranty of deposits, the “department” would not have been dragged from its summer vacation to give a hot weather decision that such a guaranty was a device of the evil one. It was probably z because the Democratic platform adopted the guaranty of deposits as a principle that this last move has been made. It was adopted, it will be remembered, as an alternative to getting a postal savings bank system. The Republicans have declared for a postal savings bank and as deposits therein are guaranteed by the Government, prudence might dictate that there were rather a slim edge here on which to rest a campaign' assault. If this sort of thing keeps on the Republican national committee will have its hand so full nullifying the zeal of the President that it will have appreciably less force tp apply to a nullification of the Democrats. For it is apparent to everyone that this “cutting in” is disastrous politically. Bryan and the Democratic leaders see it at once, and chuckle approval.—lndianapolis News (Rep.)

President Roosevelt has appointed a commission to Investigate and report means to Improve the general condition of the farmer. This scheme recommends itself from several points of view. Ist. It gives the commission appointed jobs. 2nd. It puts money in circulation. 3rd. It will bring the home conditions oLthe’farmer to the attention of the city folks and the stock brokers, a fact tharc should not be overlooked because in this way these board of trade men who have been taking toll of the farmer have never been sure whether they have got their share or not. But by being put next to the farmer’s true condition by this Roosevelt commission they will be able to determine the matter with accuracy and govern themselves accordingly. The farmers themselves are disposed to frown on this commission business, and to assert that it is not only unnecessary but astually presumptuous on the part of the President to assume that they are not in just as good condition as other people.We have great respect for the farmer and are inclined to the opinion that they should go slow In this matter, as it may be of great Importance to them. Suppose this commission should discover a way by which noxious weeds could be eradicated, utterly anihilated as It were, by employing a sleight of hand performer to exercise his magI 1c on them, wouldn’t that be worth while? Suppose it should discover a way of doing the chores while lying abed, even on cold mornings, wouldn’t that beat the present day way of doing them? Suppose they would happen to discover a way to plant, harvest and get the crops to market, while the farmer and his hired man lay in the shade of a tree and smoked 50 cent segars, wouldn’t that be something? Many other great reforms that are needed may be ferreted out by this commission, and thereby place the farmer in the millionaire class along with the stockbroker, the railroad magnate, and the manufacturer.