Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1907-05-17
WASHINGTON LETTER
trrom our Regular CORES ponden..,

WASHINGTON LETTER
(From our Regular correspondent
Washington, ID. G.. May 10-FOr a
time at least, politics in Ohio have calm
ed down, and there is apparently a
truce in the ragged ranks of the Re-
publican party in that state. The
President and his advisors are watch
ing it closely, however, not being by
any means sure whether 1T is truce
or lasting peace between Taft and
Foraker forces. Senator. Foraker was
in Washington this week, but be de-
clined to talk politics, and especially
he had nothing to say to the suspen
sion of hOstilities between him and
Secretary Taft. 1t Is generally accept
ed in Washington, however, that the
Ohio fight has been really settled, that
Taft will be allowed to control the state
delegation to the national convention
In return for allowing Senator Foraker
an unhampered re election to the Sen
ate.
In the meantime, there is the Hughes
boom looming up on the horizon, and
this Is liable to cause fresh dissension
In the Republican party. Gov. Hughes
is undoubtedly the choice Of New Y Ork
Republicans for the nomination, and
it is said that be will be officially en-
dorsed by the state organization very
shortly This is one of the outcomes
of the fight that he made, but In which
be was defeated at Albany for the pub.
lie utilities bill Should Hughes go to
the national conve ltion with the
strength of the New York delegation
behind him, he would be serious
factor in the fight. The story has been
started that al effort will be made to
induce him to accept the second place
ON the ticket. But this is not at all
likely on the face Of it. The vice-pres-
ident by tradition and necessity has to
be rich man, which Hughes is not.
and preferably he is nOnetity, which
Hughes Is not, and never will be. Fur
Their, he and Taft are both honest,
however, their principles may be diff
fered with by political opponents. and
while the Republican party might
stand for one honest man on the tick
ct, two would be rather crowding the
limit.
Commissioner of Patents Allen has
resigned, and when he leaves the Pa
tent office, 1t will be like the case of
the famous western orator who did not
leave a wet eye nor dry throat In bis
audience. The patent office service
under his administration has been
lamentably lax and inefficient. There
were at one time nearly 80. 600 cases
piled up in the Office awaiting action
while the Commissioner took bis GUS
tomary three months vacation. The
work of the office has fallen so far be-
hind that it has been necessary to add
an hour g work day to the time Of all
the clerks, and even at, that rate 1t will
be long before the Office catches up
But worst of all has been the way in
which the Commissioner has allowed
an influx Of all sorts OF questionable at
torneys and questionable methods in
the business before the office. The pa
tent office has control over the meth
DDS of the attorneys who practice be.
fore it, even as to their advertising,
and it has become the regular thing
for attorneys to make all sorts of im-
possible claims as to guaranteeing"
patients, making applications and do
ing all sorts of service without and
selling patents without regard to merit.
This has brought an influx of inventors
with all sorts of inventions that pa
tents could not be allowed on and
which would be valueless if they were
allowed. The result has been to swamp
the office with Improbable work to the
benefit OF horde of interruptions at
torneys, and the Commissioner has
done nothing to check the evil. 1t is
to be sincerely hoped that the next
commissioner will institute as thorough
a house cleaning as is now going on in
the land Office.
| 1t is seldom that there has been such
a week of galety In Washington as that
just passed. The town has been full
of the officers from the visiting foreign
warships at Jamestown. the Duke de
Arbruzzi has been the centre Of a dOz en-
fashionable entertainments, and now
there has been added to the round of
festivities all sorts of functions for the
benefit of Gen. Kuroki, the command
or of the Japanese Army in Manchuria
and the chief strategist and foremost
tactician of the Japanese Military ser
vice. There was brilliant reception
to the Duke de ArbruZzi at the Italian
Embassy on Thursday evening, a
luncheon to Gen. Kuroki at the White
House on Friday and ON Saturday
evening an even more brilliant recep-
tion and dinner to Gen. Kuroki at the
Japanese Embassy. One of the figures
in most of the social functions of the
week has been the Countess Grey, wife
of Earl Grey, Governor General Of
Canada She has been the guest of
the British Ambassador during the
week and will accompany the British
party to jamestown and to Richmond
where there is to be a brilliant reception
by Gov. Swanson.
The Medical Congress which has oc-
cupied Washington most of this week
broke up on Friday night with big
smoker at the Arlington Hotel. There
were distinguished medical visitors
from all over the world. several having