The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-07-07
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Gem
eral Topics from
the Capital.


the personal endorsement of the
President. There are many straws
which the political prognoStica-
tors interpret TO support their
theory and it is undoubtedly true
that Mr.. Taft is one of the largest
men il the Republican party of
today. 1t is a grave question,
however, as to whether the stand
patterS would ever be willing hat
the nomination should go to the
man who was responsible for the
Panama purchase order, which
has done so much TO enlighten
the public as to the iniquities of
the Dingey tantf schedules.
If Mr.. Taft We're nominated it
would be without the delegations
of a good many Republican States.
For instance, the State of Con
necticut would never sanction the
nomination of a man who in so
''insanely euamored OF the Philip.
pines, as they puttit. that i've wants
to establish free trade between
the islands aud the United States.
They are afraid of the competi
ton of Philippines tobacco aud
when, last fall, Secretary Taft
took the stump in that State aud
advocated the abolition of all
! tariff duties between the Philip
pines and this country they be
came very angry. Colorado would
not permit it's delegation to vote
for Taft for the same reason. He
wants to take the tariff off of
Philippine sugar and the best
sugar growers of that State are
up in arms at the proposition. In
fact. it has been chiefly the oppo-
siti0n of the Colorado Senators
which has prevented this change.
which has been strongly advocat-
ed by the President. from being
made before now. 1t is, in fact,
question whether any of the
radical protectionist Republicans
would be willing to have Mr.. Taft
made the party nominee and I'M
less he could attain such a popu
larity as Theodore Roosevelt's
which compelled the Republican
convention to nominate him nOlenS
uolens, he would be unlikely to
poll a majority of the delegates.
Charles j. Bonaparte took the
oath of office today and those who
know the eccentric scion of a
great family will watch with ex
ceeding great interest his conduct
of the important Department of
which he has assumed the bead
ship. There is no question but
that he possesses considerable
ability as a lawyer but those who
know him best declare that he is
utterly lacking in tact and predict
that he will quarrel with his
bureau chiefs almost before the
sun goes down on his first days
administration He called at the
Department yesterday and was
introduced by the retiring Secre-
tary 70 the various heads of,
bureaus. When he met Admiral
Mason. Chief of Ordinace, he ask
ed the Admiral if he was the man
who had turned a deaf ear to the
pleas of so many meritorious in
vestors who had patent weapons,
and methods of destruction guar
anteed to wipe any enemy out of
existence. Admiral Mason ad.
mitted that he was the man, he.
yound doubt.
The resignation Of Chief Epgi.
neer Wallace of the Panama Canal
Commission has not worked to the
serious iRjury of the Government.
as his place has been promptly
filed. Nevertheless, it was an I'M
just proceeding. So far, lie has
spent practically his entire time
acquiring knowledge of the
problems with which be was pre-
pairing to deal and his services in
any other respect have not been
worth any material proportion of
his salary. Haring acquired this
knowledge aud now being ready
to perfect his engineering organi-
cation, he might in the next year
have proved of invaluable service
to the Government, whereas. as
it is, a new man must now be
broken in and must spend many
months acquiring the same know
ledge which Mr.. Wallace has. pre-
sumably acquired during the year
just ended.
People who know the new Chief
Engineer, John +. Stevens, pre-
dict great things for him. That
he is an able engineer and an ex-
ceptionally able administrator
seems to be a fact beyond all
question and as he is not to be
made a member of the commission,
at least until time has served to
demonstrate whether or not he
will prove congenial to Chairman
Shonts and Governor Magoon.
there does not seem to be much
prospect of friction in the com