The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1905-07-14
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER


the belief that as Secretary of State he
will devote his entire energies and abili-
ties to the interests of the country with
absolute singleness of purpose.
The selection Of Mr.. Root for the first
place in the cabinet places new signih-
canoe on the political situation within the
Republican party and is accepted by many
leading Republicans as unquestionable
evidence that the President hopes to make
Elihu Root his heir to the presidency.
Even Secretary Shaw, who cherishes
large sized presidential aspirations of his
own, fears the result of Mr.. Roots acces-
sion to the secretaryship of State, fears
it so much that he is almost inclined to
give up the fight for which he has already
been making elaborate preparations.
What becomes of the presidential aspi-
rations with which Secretary Taft has
been credited is not known and Mr.. Taft
is not here to speak for himself, but it is
intimated by those on the inside OF Re-
publican politics that Mr.. Taft will re-
ceive compensation in tho form Of
promise from Mr.. Root of the Chief JUS
ticeship of the Supreme Court in the event
that Melville W. Fuller is not sufficiently
accommodating either to resign or die
during the present administration. Mr..
Taft is essentially lawyer and he would
dearly love to preside over the Supreme
Bench. That is life position whereas
the presidency may not last more than
four years,-cannot last to exceed eight
in any event,-and besides Mr.. Taft
might not command sufficient support to
secure the nomination, where as Mr.. Root,
who has the absolute confidence Of the
Wall Street crowd could, doubtless, with
the assistance of the President, command
the nomination and would then be sub
jected only to the danger Of defeat at the
polls, danger which will prove small
unless the Democrats bestir themselves
and perfect stronger and ADLER organi-
zation than they now possess, between
now and the summer of 1908.
News has reached here from Tokyo and
St. Petersburg which has been interpret.
ed to mean that tho first formal meeting
of the peace conference between Russia
and Japan will occur in Washington on
August /, in accordance with the earnest
representations of tho President that all
possible expedition should be used to pre-
vent, in so far as may be, further loss Of
life in Manchuria. It Is now expected
that the plenipotentiaries will hold one
formal meeting in Washington, after
which they will adjourn to meet at some
sea shore city in New England. It is
further expected that the plenipot entiar-
les, with their respective suites, will EN-.
bark at Washington on naval vessels
which will be provided for the purpose,
and will sail directly to Oyster Bay, there
to pay their respects to the President, be-
fore proceeding to such place as may be
ultimately selected for their summer
meetings. Whatever place may be select
ed for the meetings of the plenipoten-
tiaries during the hot weather. it is assum.
cd that they will return to the national
capital for their final conference and will
here sign 1.-The treaty of Washington"
which, it il expected, will be the pro-
duct of their conference. 1t would sur
prise no one if the meetings extended
over considerable period of time, say
three or four months; and it is expected
that before the time comes for the signing
of treaty and temperature in the nat
ional capital will have become once more
bearable.
The Republican party is constantly
finding itself in dilemmas as tie result of
employing honest men to conduct inves-
LEGATIONS and make recommendations.
Such was the case when Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General Bristow investigated
the Postofice Department. Such was the
case when Secretary Taft found that the
protected hays" were trying to rob the
government by charging domestic prices
for materials for the Panama Canal and
such is now the case since Mr.. Bris-
tow, in his new capacity of Special Pana-
report and recommend ations on the COM
mercial side Of the Panama Railway. The
Panama Railroad has always accorded the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company mon
opoly Of transportation carried across the
Isthmus and that company has had the
temerity to demand a renewal of it's con.
tract. When this was done the President
appointed Mr.. Bristow special commits
sioner to investigate the claims of the
Pacific Steamship company and Mr.. Bris-
lows report practically substantiates the
finding of a congressional committee
which found, in 1893, that the transconti-
mental Railway Pool was paying the Pan
anna Railroad 100000 year for the priv
ilege of debating rates via the Isthmus,
80 that the extortionate rates ch arged for
freight and passengers across the CONT