Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-08-29
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON.
Especial correspondence.)


West Point Hazing Matter.--Col
Hugh l.. Scott, superintendent Of the
~. s. military academy at West Point
ealled on Secretary Wright at the wal
department the other day to give in
formation that had been called for
Concerning the eight cadets whose
ismissal from the academy on
harge Of haziug has been under con
Iteration for some time. Secretary
wright will communicate with the
resident, and final action probably
Eill be taken on this matter in short
while
Highest Dam in the World.-WateI
Is now flowing through the great Sho
shone tunnel, which in itself foretells
the success of the governments work
In constructing the highest dam in
the world in northern wyoming, in the
canyon of the Shoshone river. The
installation of the water flow means
the reclamation of 10000 acres OF
arid land in the locality of Cody. AL
falfa, wheat, oats, barley and the har
dier vegetables and fruits can be pro
duced abundantly when water is ap
Piled. There is an abundance of fuel
in the coal mines in the vicinity and
lumber In the nearby forests. Pro
badly 10000 acres for which water is
now available are open to entry.
Cuban Soldiers ReIeased.-An or.
der was issued, recently, by the wal
department releasing from contine-
ment several enlisted men Of the Gu
ban army of paciflcation, who were
convicted by courtmartial for various
infractions of the army regulations in
Cuba. They are now in confinement
at fort Jay, New York The order
states that they were tried by courts
martial Illegally constituted" and
their sentences, therefore, are declared
void and imperative, hence their re-
leas from Imprisonment. The courts
martial were ordered by the tempo
Tary commander of the Cuban army of
paclhcation. Col. Owen j. Sweet of
the 28th infantry acting in the alb
sence of Gen. Barry The distinct
provision of the law and army regula-
tIons is that courts-martial may be
constituted only by department COM
manders or by full commanders Of an
army Whether the men now will be
tried by regularly constituted courts
martial has not been determined.
A New Senate Hero.-The senate
will have new hero when Joseph l..
Bristow of Kansas arrives and puts
on his toga March 4 next. The Capt.
tol guides will point him out as the
man who unearthed the big postoffice
frauds. But that is only one of the
interesting things about the one-time
fourth assistant postmaster-ge general.
He has had a career Of many interest
ing ups and downs politically since
President Roosevelt came into office.
AS a tremendously earnest official Mr..
Bristow has had more downs than ups
under the present reform administra-
ton. 1t is something of a coincidence
that the very day president Roosevelt
goes out of Office Mr.. Bristow, having
been virtually driven out of public
life by the president, will come into
the highest Office he has ever attained.
He is simply a man of aus
tere, old-fashioned honesty in the con-
duct of public affairs. His ideas. are
conservative, rather than radical. That
was apparent during the weary months
that he delved after frauds in the post
office department.
Succession to the Presidency.-The
extraordinary powers with which the
constitution entrusts the president,
when compared to the very meagre du-
ties which the vice-president is called
on to perform, have had the natural
effect of making the latter Office ap-
pear unimportant although the vice
president is the designated Immediate
successor Of the president in the case
of vacancy in the chief magistracy.
1t is a singular fact, that, while the
constitution purposely. conferred on
the executive the amplest authority
consistent with what was believed to
be safety, its trainers evidently did not
foresee any serious complications aris-
ing from the question of succession In
the case of vacancy in the office. The
constitution provides simply. that the
vice-president shall succeed, and, that
congress may provide for the case Of
removal, death, resignation, or inabilb-
ty, both Of the president and vice,
president" At the first session of the
49th congress. John Sherman was
elected president pro tenn Of the SEN
ate and the circumstance which thus
placed republican in the line Of sue
cession of democratic president sug-
gested to the republicans themselves
the legislation which now provides that
in case Of vacancy both Of the presi-
dency and the vice-presidency, the
cabinet officers shall succeed In the
order Of secretary Of state, secretary
Of the treasury, secretary of war, at
torney general, postmaster general,
secretary of the navy and secretayyeof
the interior. And the secretary OF com
merce and labor were added by sHBse.
Quent enactments.