OCR Text |
Show f WASHINGTON, P. C The pres-i ITJLjlent Presidential campaign Is uh-I uh-I I usual because of the tact that I 1 1 lalthougli there are no less th n 1 Ja score of "possibilities" In the field, no Individual candidate has, as yet, mado a dcfinlto an nouncement of his candidacy, and no campaign headquarters of the accepted variety have been opened for the fur thcrance of Presidential ambitions This docs not mean, of course, that tho supporters of tho various candidates candi-dates have been Idle; to tho contrary, tho literary lino of attack was resorted to by mest of them many months ago. Ilut when It comes to the old-fashioned headquarters, with lots of red, white and bluo bunting, barrels of badges, and other accepted campaign paraphernalia, para-phernalia, they aro conspicuously absent. ab-sent. Ono of the most gratifying phrases of tho present preconventlon campaign, cam-paign, from the standpoint of those who aro Interested principally In lie publican success this year, is tho lack of mud slinging between the various candidates. In the last campaign at thla time, tho Taft and Roosevelt supporters sup-porters were Issuing hourly statements denouncing each other, but so far as tho campaign of 1916 Is concerned, there appears to bo a general agreement agree-ment between tho various candidates to let tho other fellow alone, so that when tho time comes to decide between be-tween them, everyone can get together and work for a Republican victory In the November elections. National politics and politicians were given a lot of attention In tho recent re-cent minstrel show conducted by the National Press Club, of Washington, such as tho following gae. which made something of a hit: 'Mr. Bones," inquired the Interlocutor, Interloc-utor, "bow long will It be before the Ilepubllcan party nominates a presidential presi-dential candldater "Oh, 'Weeka," waa the reply. The question of geographical location loca-tion of presidential candidate! has be- . 1 i --n i como a dlsappeaiing element In poll tlC3, now that the professional polltl clans have less to say In tho selection of delegates to tho conventions, and the voters can exert a moro direct In lluence In the n.tinlng of their party's candidate. In .ho present campaign I we find strong men mentioned for the Presidency who live so far apart bb ..Massachusetts and Idaho, with Iowa thrown In between. "It's the man," the voters say, "and not tho place he comes from, that counts." Which, of course, Is disconcerting to the old-tlmp "leaders." "The Presidential campaign of 1916 will bo fought out on many Issues," eays Congressman Charles F. Curry, of California. In "Prosperity," "but the paramount Issue will bo tho tariff The Underwood bill, as a revenue pro ducer, has been a failure, and It has cheapened men, but It has not cheapened cheap-ened commodities to the consumer The Democratic party has never been able to think straight and act right on the tariff question. Freo trade, or a revenue for tariff only with Incidental Inci-dental protection, which Is tho nearest near-est possible approach to free trade In this country, Is a fraud, a delusion and a snare, and can only be supported by fallacious reasoning." Many strange things go into the creation cre-ation of a Presidential "possibility," and some of the city newspapers are having a little fun with Senator John W. Weeks, of Massachusetts, Just now, because of the persistence with which his supporters call attention to the fact that he originated the federal law protecting migratory birds. But with the country papers, it Is different, for they know that the migratory Insectivorous Insectiv-orous bird is tie farmers' friend, and whoever protects the birds protects the farms. So that is why Senator Weeks' friends keep on talking about his work In behalf of the country's migratory migra-tory bird population, and refuse to be disconcerted when aome of the tsewa-papera tsewa-papera refer to It aa a "piece of eri Umentallty." , |