The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-02
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent.

Washington d. c. Oct. 26, 1905.
There has been a saying among
congressman since the election of
President Roosevelt, You had bet
ter not get in Roosevelt's way or
you'll die" 1t has always been
said with laugh but Roosevelt
luck" is something more than a
superstition with a great many
people. Since the assassin's bullet
made the way for him to the White
House death has again come to in
terfere with these who stood in the
way of his progress and in the case
of Senator Hanna removed the only
serious obstacle to his election.
When almost Immediately after the
speech of Senator Foraker in oppo-
sition to the administration he was
taken sick people shook their heads
and said Roosevelt luck again. !"
Senator Foraker still lies very i'll
al Columbus, Ohio aud the series
of speeches he had planned and
which would doubtless have had
for their theme opposition to Gov
ernmenta control of railroad rates
have had to be abandoned. Sena,
tor Foraker and the President have
always been good friends and the
President has appealed to the Sena-
tor for advice OH many questions of
policy during his administration,
and en,ertains for him high person
al regard but they were unalterably
opposed on the railway rate ques.
ton and the Senator's sickness it
must be admitted removes from the
campaign one of the most powerful
opponents of the Presidents policy
in this matter.
XXX
Senator Foraker has been in i'll
health for some time and his friends
predicted for him a collapse at the
close of the last session of Congress
unless he should put aside all work
and take long vacation. His ap-
pearance on the streets here in the
early Spring left no doubt in the
minds of those that saw him that
he was in need of rest, if in fact he
were not really a sick man then,
He had completed a winter of hard
work and close application. He
was a member of the Foreign Re
lations committee, Chairman Of the
Committee on Pacific Islands and
Porto Rico, aclose attendant OF the
Reed-Smoot heariugs and active in
the Military Affairs Committee
He was deeply interested in the
work of the Interstate commerce
Committee which had the consider
alton of the railroad rate question,
he led the hght against Senator Be-
veridge's Statehood bill on the floor
of the Senate and gave his personal
attention to large law practice
outside of his Senatorial work. 1t
is small wonder that he left Wash
ington for his home in the late
Spring that he should have been
run down and that the plunging in
to campaign work should have re-
suited in this illness which is ser
ious enough to be giving his friends
considerable concern.
XXX
A letter given out by Isham Ran
dolph, one of the members of the
Consulting board of Engineers of
the Panama Canal says that the
Canal will be finished by 1915 or
that ten years will be sufficient for
the completion OF the big ditch,
This estimate is official and is
the first of its kind to be made,
Mr.. Randolph has just returned
with the Commission from the Is
thmus after having made an ex-
haustive examination of the work
to be done and the conditions there.
1t is claimed that his prediction
that the work will be completed in
ten years will be confirmed by the
majority of the other members OF
the board which if it is true will
furnish the public the most welcome
news it has had about the canal re-
Gently. The commission will give
out great deal more information
about the Canal in its official report
which is about due, and will also
make report on the disbursement
of the ten million dollars appro-
priated by Congress. Mr.. Ran
dolph believes that the introduction
of the eight hour labor system on
the Isthmus has been a serious mis-.
take, that will add twenty-five per
cent to the cost of the canal, as