The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-12-21
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Gen.
eral Topics from
the Capital.
December 10, 1906.

Politicians Of all parties at the
capital are talking of the remark
able speech of Secretary Root
this week on the necessity of II
greater Capitalization of power
in the Federal government. 1t
is believed that this speech was
put out 10y the White House as a
"teeler," TO see how the people
would take the suggestion. They
have taken an interest III il all
right and it is just possible that
1t ma. furnish a campaign slogan
for the Democratic patty in the
next campaign which was thing
that the party was looking for
with considerable asSiduIty and
interest. Republican membe r 8
and Senators are some what
lOathe to discuss the situation
although some of the younger
ones, with whom the President is
"a fetch, 90 not hesitate to say
that they are with him in any
OF his plans no matter how they
are advanced. The elder ones,
however, SSem To fear that the
Pre- >ident may take the bit in his
teeth and run away with the
party band wagon. There are
plenty of observers who are in
cllned TO think that he has done
that already.
! From Democratic standpoint
the utteranceS of Secretary Root
are entirely welcome; they open
/ up the whole question Of States
Rights, which most Democrats
: believe have been TOO much in
abeA ance OF recent years, aud if Il
national issue IL TO be made on
the subject, it will be an issue
which will appeal to the North
as we'll as to the South, the East
as we'll as the West, and caunot
: be claimed TO have anything in it
OF class and mass distinction.
All the news that has been
received in Washington from the
Insurance Commits toner's now in
Germany trying to adjust the
insurance LOSSES on which the
German companies "welched"
after the San Francisco earth
quake and fire, Indicate that the
incident may become Internal
iOnal aud may have to be settled
through the State Department.
1t seems that the German com
panieS are not only not so strong
financially as has been generally
believed but they are distinctly
adverse TO coming TO the scratch
and settling their losses as did
he British and American CON-
panles. The aid OF the Kaiser
may be invoked and if lie orders
the German companies 10 settle
There Is no question about their
doing so. But if he does not
take cognizance of the situation
voluntarily. the State Depart
ment may be requested to bring
1t officially to the notice of the
German government. Whatever
the result may be there is no
question but that the State of
California will take drastic meas.
ures to provide against any future
repetition of the foreign company
trouble. a plan is now being
discussed by the Legislature to
compel all the foreign Insurance
Companies doing business in the
State to deposit approved secur
tiles with either the State or Fed
eral officials as q guarantee that
| they will settle their losses when
they are called upon to do so.
There is very little prospect of
an extra session to consider tariff
revision. 1t has been recognized
all along that there was no hope
of revision legislation during the
short session on, but delegations
have called on the President from
| many of the factory centers of
New England and throughout
the Middle West, to urge the
prOpriety of his assembling an
extra session after the 4th of
March to take up the whole sub
ject of tariff REIMBURSEMENT. The
President has not yet said posi-
lively that he will not do this,
but all of the indications are
against it and it is not likely
that an extra session will follow
the last session of the 59th Con
greSs.
Reform spelling as an official
quantity has disappeared from
the government equation for the
time being at any rate. Congress
has declared that it will stick
to the standard rules of orthog,
raphy and the President without
any poignant regret has told Rep
reSentative Lands of the Joint
Printing Committee that he will
repeal his recent Executive Order,
and hereafter let the Government
/ Isr. Il