Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1908-03-19
Washington Letter

WASHINGTON, March 10
One of the most distressing sort of
things that patriotic American
has TO encounter now and then in
these days is the frequent criti-
cism of the army and the navy,
the bulwark of our country, as 1t
were. Every once in while 1t
seems as though certain people are |
moved by our totally defensclcss
condition and unpreparedness for
war, should it come, and vent their
feelings in bitter attacks upon
these two branches mentioned, to |
our discontinue, and the delusion
of our foreign friends. The latest
of Commander Sims, the naval aid |
to the president, before the senate
committee now investigating the
celebrated Reuterdahl charges. |
Commander Simms came before the
commmitter primcd for action and
oaded for bear, and for while. It
seemed to use one of the committee
mems words, eff you continue you
are more likely to get the COM
mite in the air. - That he would
succeed in doing so. From his
statements it appears that the
gunnery of the Americans in the
battle of Santiago was wretched,
because the Spanish were only
saved from getting awav because
they were worse than we were.
/ That the cor ruction of the ships
is faulty; in short, that everything
has gone to the bowwows. So long
as the commander himself feels
that way, and the rest of US don't,
il will not result in much harm,
but there may be certain people
who will really believe him, and,
Of course, get fooled, and there
where the danger of such foolish
utterances exists. Our past ex-
PLOTS on land and sea will blaze
the way to similar results, no mat
ter what the conditions may be.
When one of our native humor-
lists arose the other day in Boston
, at a banquet and leveled his
shafts of wit at the expense of the
president, Secretary Taft, who hap
pened to be there, was brought to
his feet in a most loyal and low
able defense of his chief, even
though he knew the remarks were
made in fun. Mr.. TAFT has been
: one of the most loyal and stead
fast friends of the president, and ii
is becoming more and more appar
=. ent every day that his stand mis-
making him friends. He has DOM
mated the republican state conven-
4 ton at Columbus, Ohio, and not
a dissenting voice was heard when
:. that convention endorsed him for
:, the presidency next fall. He has
q made substantial gains wherever
i republican primaries have been
\ President Roosevelt's opinion oI
: the man is to be vindicated. He
has to face very hard task in the
next two weeks in swinging New
, England to his banner, but on the
v face of things he will succeed. A
= the present time, here in Washing!
;, ton, it is believed that Taft will
d receive the nomination. OF course
}. the political pendulum swings eve
IS to and fro, and what may be pre-
n dicted one week is apt to be owe
/. come by the results of the follow
it ing week. The politicians here
who are i'll any way familiar will
the trend of events, firmly believ
the republican party will have NJ
walkover this fall, and that Bryai
IS going to give the republican
10 nominee the run of his life if no
70 actually defeat him.
n There must be some reason TO
- this, as Bryan is not the kind OF
~ man t o inspire fear in the hearts c
is his opponent being twice defeat
=, ed and discredited man. The onl
- reason that can be ascribed to thi
&c belief, is that any man outside {
to Roosevelt is not Roosevelt, and III
TO people are not going to vote for hir
cr a man who displays the slightes
is faint from of being a reactionar
1g from the Roosevelt pr inciplcs. II
We argued that little child, learnin
er his A B C's looks to his teacher fc
a guidance, IS being the supreme on
of all, AMI likewise, the people
the country, having been under tn
of tutelage of Roosevelt, believe he
Id the only man who can help then
" If he won't run and isn't nominal
e ed then the one who teaches III