Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1903-08-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our Regular Correspondent.)

(FrOm our Regular COrreSponuento
Washington, d. c., Aug. 10 Wash
ington politicians are taking consider
able interest in the Ohio situation
where Tom johnson. mayor of Cleve
ladd, has announced that he will be-a
candidate for governor If the party
desires. 1t is generally believed that
Mr.. Johnson g chief object is the de-
feat of Senator Hanna and that be will
lend his support to any other candidate
if an apparently stronger man appears
in the arena. The defeat Of Senator
Hanna is regarded by eastern demo-
Gratis as an end devoutiy to be hoped
for as it would result in sadly democrat
izing the republicans and would pave
the way to democratic victory, rem0v-
ing the head of most undesirable ele-
ment from national politics. 1t is gen.
eralIy appreciated in Washington that
most of the corruption in the Post
office Department was due to the Han
ma STYLE of politics he having, as has
been already told in these letters, sad
died Perry Heath when tho latter was
| FIRST assistant postmaster General,
| with several thousand political pledges,
made to accomplish his own election
| to the Senate and that of the republi
can candidate for President.
| 1t is regarded as somewhat remark
able that Secretary Root should have
been the designer Of the general staff
law which, it must be admitted, cor
reefs the defects in the military sys-
tenn which made General Miles posi-
ton almost untenable. but which also
will have the effect of robbing the Sec
retary of War OF all opportunity of
making a great man Of himself. in the
future. Under existing law the Sec
rotary of War and the ten heads of
staff bureaus have had all power In the
management of army affairs and the
position of general commanding" was
an hOnof'without pr0portionate pow
er. Under the new law, the ranking
general will be the chief of staff made
up OF these bureau heads and the staff
| will be almost supreme, 30 that the
powers of the Secretary of War will be
materially curtailed. One of the
virtues of the new law rests in the
fact that in the future no adjutant
| general can, by systematically seeking
| the favor of the Secretary of War and
of the politicians, secure the inOrdi-
nate power and promotion which has
been acquired by Adjutant General
Corbln. Another benefit will result
from the direction of the army by ex-
perienced officers, instead of by a civil
ian secretary of war appointed, usual
tly, for political reasons and largely in
| fiuenced by sycOphantic subOrdinates.
Secretary Root will be accorded great
| credit by historians for bis OrganiZa-
tion and promotion of the general staff,
but he has burned the bridges behind
him and it is difficult to see how there
can ever be another great secretary of
war like q Stanton or a Root. In fu-
ture, that position will be decidedly
analogous to that of the general COM
| manding'' from which General Miles
retires. 1t is also unlikely that under
the new law such men as General Leon
ard Wood will be able to gain rapid
promotion over the heads of men with
far more experience and entitled by
long service to the highest hOnors, but
this applies only to the principle, for
by this very law General Wood is
scheduled to become lieutenant gen
eral and chief of staff, and, because be
is now comparatively young man,
will retain that position for twelve
years before he reaches the age of sixty
four.
Reports from Bogota are occasionlng
great anxiety to the friends of the
Panama canal. 1t appears that the
railroad lobby, which has been work
ing in Bogota in the interest of the
transcontinental railways, has per
suaded the ColOmbians that they must
amend the present treaty and that will
mean an entire renewal of the old fight
between the Panama and Nicaraguan
routes in the United States Senate.
Senator Morgan is as convinced as ever
that the interests of the United States
lie in the construction of the canal by
the Nicaraguan route and will make
q vigorous fight if it is attempted to
accept an amended treaty.