The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1904-09-30
WASHINGTON LETTER.

1ICSluGut INOOSCtClt 4Ctdl hSd " tb@ Nisy
aud his workshop last week. The Secre-
tary of War had the good sense not to
trot out squad of cavalry to escort him
up the Avenue, as the President did when
the Secretary himself arrived. and there
were no estentatious ceremonials such as
that bombastic scene suggested There
was the usual expression of hearty aud
cordial welcome from clerks and citizens,
who turned out several thousand strong
at the depot and hurrahed with good
deal of enthusiasm Many people in the
city of both parties, or, as Tom Watson
say, of all parties, are glad to see the
White House again occupied by its ten
ant of this quadrennium. For the pres
ence of the Executive means the presence
of thousands of Office. holders and social
butterflies who have been away, and OF
another ten thousand who are attracted
by the return hither of oficialdom and
all that officialdom implies. Political
rancors and hostilities have little place in
the social economy of Washington, even
during heated campaign. Both Repub-
licans and Democrats often. have their
best friends on the other side of the
chamber, and the families of New Eng
land Senators and those of the South
often assist each other at receptions. A
few are narrow and provincial, of course,
but these are in wholesome minority.
A few Congressman are greatly afflicted
because they have to live on their salaries,
but some of the happiest and most pop
ular are those who have no other income
and piece it out with wit, genial manners
aud good cheer.
Many distinguished" weddings are on
the tapis, including some army officers Of
prominence. But affection may hereafter
be regulated by civil service examina-
ton. If General Corbin has his way a
matrimonial bureau will be organized in
the War Department before which all
army officers will be arraigned before
being permitted to marry. 1t will
be kind of amatory court-martial. If
the young officer has inherited fortune
from his pa, or has had the discretion to
propose to an heiress, as General Corbin
did, Cupid will be allowed to have his
way; but if the subaltern is poor, and the
lady in the case ditto, he will be COM
manded to cancel his engagement, quite
without regard to sentimental considera-
tons. Tie restriction Of marriage to
rich officers will of course confine West
Point to wealthy cadets; and this, in turn,
| will lay beautiful foundation for a mil
tary aristocracy as exclusive as the world
has seen. Congress. in making appro-
priations for army salaries, always takes
marriage into consideration and fixes the
allowance sufficient to support wife and
family by practice of decent economy.
When West Point shall be in possession
of the millionaires of the country, and
every lieutenant has $roo, 900 to fall back
on, our army maneuvers will be indeed a
glittering pageant, and Cupid will hide
his head and break his bow to flinders
Almost all of our American heroes have
been the sons of Poverty, and it will be
interesting to see how the gilded scions
of the new aristocracy will acquit them
selves on the genuine field of battle. The
War Department may not adopt the idea,
which General Corbin got last year from
Emperor William, but as he projected
the military cavalcade which received
Secretary Taft. it would seem that the
suggestion should have a favorable
reception.
| Nv
| The scientists are returning to town
from their summers field work, loaded
down with notes about insect life, the
migration of birds, the study of plants,
the progress of the boll-weevil.eating ant,
the development of agriculture in Alaska,
the cause of early and killing frosts, how
to prevent peach yellows, the protection
}of forests, etc. DR.. L. o. Howard, who
discovered that Standard Oil will kill
mosquitoes, is home again from Arizona,
where he has investigated insect life and
the cactus. This plant grows upon arid
soil, and the exciting problem is to dis
cover how it gets water from the earth.
DR.. Tittman has returned from not very
pleasant trip to Alaska, where he has
been planting posts on the international
boundary line between Canada and the
United States. He had to carry load of
shovels and pick-axes on his back, besides
rations and canoe. The woods were
dense and dark, the clouds capped the
mountains; the insect life was awful; and
some of the streams were impossible.
The new boundary is I,aoo miles long.
~
Wrong impressions are frequently
given to the public by writers who, in
their esgerness to be lively. picturesque.
/ - <r;o;oa1 affar,0k 70 das,r;l,.