Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 71, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 May 1908 — The Democracy and Labor. [ARTICLE]

The Democracy and Labor.

Mr. Fred Felck, the gentleman who was knocked down and run over by the Hon. Stephen-B. Fleming’s ballbearing. double back action brewery machine up in the Twelfth Indiana congressional district, the other day, is the same gentleman who was quite prominent in the effort to make the wage earners of the state f believe that the Hon. James E. Watson was their mortal enemy, and therefore should bq deprived of the Republican nomination for governor. Mr,' Felck was not even given a respectable look-in' at the congressional convention, the sum total of his strength being fourteen votes from his own county, and these seemed to have been allowed to him as a matter of courtesy. There are a good many wage earners in Fort Wayne, but the Fleming machine did not permit them to exercise any very great amount of Influence In the Democratic primaries. The nomine® of the was an Angola banker. Mr. ferkins of Indianapolis, who was associated with Mr. Felck In the labor movement against Mr. Watson, got the same sort of treatment when he was proposed for congress In the Indianapolis district a few years ago. Mr. Perkins is one of the most consistent Democrats In the state. He works for his party in season and out of season, even during Republican campaigns for nomination, but’ when ft came to giving him recognition his party took the position it has usually taken In Indianar—it turned down , the wage earner for another fellow. —Marion Chronicle.

When plans go astray and Mr. Bryan finds himself confronted by an unexpected opposition, he always falls back on thi allegation that money fs being used to defeat him. At such times his utterances give the people to understand that he is an Immaculate statesman who Is being persecuted by the money power, Mr. Bryan protests too much against the Imagined Influence of money. He now knows of a plot whereby one-third of the delegates to the Denver convention are to be purchased for the purpose of defeating his nomination. Such a charge doesn’t speak, very highly for Democratic integrity; really It is an insult to those Democrats who honestly believe that Mr. Bryan, respected as he Is, Is not the most available man to nominate. — Frankfort News.

In his latest message to congress the president says the public gets whst it demands. The demand for immediate revision of the tariff is general. Vice President Fairbanks has urged that the revision be done by the present congress. This plan has been praised by every Important journal of public opinion in the country. But its author is a candidate for the Republican nomination for president President Roosevelt says the public gets what it der ands, and in the same lecture to the national legislature he talks of the appointment of a tariff commission to get at the facts necessary for ‘‘lmmediate action in revising the tariff at the hands of the congress to be elected next fall.” The next congress to be elected will not sit in regular session till December, 1909. It could be called in special session next March. Its possible partisan complexion should not be ignored. If it were Democratic, the tariff would not be revised for years, as the Republican senate would be a rock against free-trade foibles. Mr. Fairbanks has the right idea.

Democratic writers are so short of campaign material that they make “mountains out of mole-hills," The trouble at the Girls’ Industrial School Is being “worked" like it was a national “paramount issue.” The only trouble there was a difference of opinion as to the mangement of the school. Miss Montgomery, the principal, and Mrs. Elam, president of the board of control, differed as to certain policies? There was no charge of corruption or mismanagement. It was just the case of* two excellent women differeing on the general management. The resignation of two internal revenue collectors is a great card for Democratic editors. These men were forced to resign because of inefficiency, and were loafing on their jobs. But whoever heard of the Democratic party "cleaning house” or forcing any of its incompetents out of office’ It Is much to the credit of the Republican party that it has the courage and honesty to clean its own house. The people will approve it for such a course.

The news Items in the Indianapolis Star recently that James P. Goodrich, state chairman, will not be in active control of the state committee is misleading. Mr. Goodrich will be found at his post at proper and critical times. His efficient and industrious secretary, Carl Riddick, has matters so well in hand that Mr. Goodrich will not be needed for routine work. Secretary of State Fred Sims will assist Mr. Goodrich, but Mr. Sims will not neglect the -duties of his important office to serve the state committee.

Secretary of State Root may believe it, like most other folks, but when he says, as he said in a speech in Washington recently, that the world is growing better, becoming more humane and that bloody wars are becoming lees frequent and soon will cease for good, he left himself open for a good “talking to” by the head of the cabinet family.

If the Prohibitionists permitted Tom Taggart and Steve Fleming to finance their campaign this year, the saloon men would foot the bill gladly. ——