Arizona republican., 1899-12-24
et4sos>s~s>e~o>o~s~s~e>s%1
. TOPICS OF THE HOUR 5
UH He0HoH0Hc10ee 0o00


 Wheeler of that state, both democrats. MT. Berry is an anti-Goebel democrat, while MT. Wheeler is a Goebel man. The most significant thing about this democratic sQuabble was the declara- tion of MT. Wheeler that GOebel would be governor of Kentucky before spring, W hich indicates an intention on the part of the Goebelites to try to get the legislature to oust Governor Taylor and put Goebel in. It has been understood for some days in Washington that Joe Blackburn was working towards that end, because as long as he can keep the governOrship dangling before the eyes of Goebel, he can keep Goebel from try ing to get the senatorship- At the con- clusion of the democratic washing of dirty linen, Representative Boreing of Kentucky, a republican, made a few remarks. He said: ''I am willing to admit that one faction says it is. but in so far as I understand the remarks of MT. Wheeler, that the election of Gov ernor Taylor was accomplished by fraud and rascality, I desire to de- nounce that as untrue. The election was held by Goebel democratic com mission, under the Goebel election law, enacted for the express purpose of ele vating Goebel to power. It must be in bad taste and must be humiliating to both MT. Goebel and his representative upon this floor, to announce that they appealed from the decsion of their own board
 "The early days of mining camps are interesting, amusing and picturesque" said Albert Travers of Butte. Mont, to a New York Tribune reporter the other day T shall never regret the years l spent in the Occur d'Alene in its be- ginning No one travelled under his own name then, as nicknames were bestowed on the slightest of excuses. For example, on one cold night poor devil named Dan fell into Pritchard creek and was pulled out almost dead and carried to Irish Mikes place. When he came to Irish asked him what he'd have to drink, and Dan, who stuttered, replied, I think I'll have a l-I-Iemonade,' and Lemonade Dan was the name he went by to the end of the chapter During the placer excite ment of 1883 a very bright mining pa per. called The Barbarian threw off the epigram that there were three kinds of liars in the world, liars. damned liars and mining experts, and in trial that took place about that time the report of which stated that a certain witness named Davis had be- come confused in giving his testimony The Barbarian took occasion to re- mark that if Davis had become con- fused in giving his testimony it must h f,.x-i %n tell the truth Why a shooting didn't follow that witticism we all wondered. for those were the times when it was the order of the day and no questions asked for a man to die with his boots on. but let a man come to natural end and there was widespread curiosity as to what he had died from. which in variably resulted in a coroner being called in and an autopsy being held.
 
 The inadeqUacy of West Point as school for the education of officers for the United States army has for years been spoken of by army men, and while they all agreed that the institution was the best of it's kind anywhere, far sur passing in many respects the similar institutions in other countrieT, its size has for many years caused much criti- cism among its stanchest friends.
 While the country was at peace with all the world the arguments in advO cacy of a greater West Point found lit tie favor in the eyes of the men to whom they were addressed. and for several years there was a tendency to- ward reducing the number of cadets. and it became popular to say that too many United States officers were being turned out of West Point and that the supply was greater than the demand. It was in keeping with this sentiment that the number of cadets was reduced by giving the president the appoint ment of ten cadets during his term of office instead of ten every year.
 When the war with Spain broke out it was found that there were not enough officers to command the troops, and even after the first class at West Point had been graduated ahead of its time to provide junior officers there were vacancies to fill, and over one hundred men had to be taken from civil life and placed in the regular army as officers. The war was an unanswer- able argument in favor of expansion at West Point, and with an army of sixty five thousand men in view there is now less talk about reducing the efficiency of the school.
 During the recess of congress a party of twelve ur fifteen representatives, in cluding Mir Payne of New York, MT. Dalzell of Pennsylvania, Mir. Steele of Indiana, MT. Heatwole of Minnesota and others, made a journey to Alaska. They had a good time and acquired much valuable information. That which surprised them most was their own ignorance of the conditions exist ing in that far-off section of our na- | tional domain and the neglect of con- gress to provide a suitable form of gov ernment for the people who live there. Mir. Dalzell says that he and his com panions had no comprehension of the political and social conditions of Alas ka, and were greatly surprised that the ! inhabitants had been able to continue ea lopor ,r-irbo1,t 1au-c or. Iacra1