Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-01-03


just DOW but it is chiefly Republican
politics. Four years ago there was no
certainty whatever as to who was 60
ing to be the Democratic candidate
while the Republican selection was all
cut and dried. Now the situation is
entirely reversed. Mr.. Bryan is gen.
orally conceded to be the choice of his
party, while the question of a Repub.
lican presidential candidate is still in
the air, although during the last week
the progress has been all one way and
Taft looks today like the almost GER
tain candle ate of the Republicans.
However. there are plenty of Republi
cans, especially among the politicians,
who have their scalping-knives sharp
ened for Taft and if they Can catch the
big Secretary with bis back turned
they will scalp him as sure as fate.
The President has just precipitated
a pretty row in the Navy Department
by bis order that naval surgeon shall
command the hospital ship Relief.
The line officers of the navy are vio-
lently opposed to permitting doctor to
command ship. They say that when
ever the navigating officer reports a
squall in the offing the Captain doctor
will order calomel and consult bis ana
tomical charts. Senator Hale, chair.
man of the committee on Naval At
fairs, insists that no doctor should
command ship and threatens to in
troduce a bill prohibiting it. The
army officers are greatly rejoiced be-
cause they have had to stand no end
of chatting over the army surgeons who
have received preferment. For in.
stance, Major General Ainsworth was
doctor and Is said to have received
his first prom o ton because of his skill
at keeping the feet of the infantrymen
in good shape. Then there is General
Leonard Wood who secured regiment
and special promotion over the heads
| of hundreds of other officers because
he was Mrs. McKinley's family physi'
clan and President Mckinley never
could refuse any favor asked by bis
wife. Now the army officers are ad'
dressing every naval officer as doc
tori and every Naval surgeon as "Ad.
miral', Surgeon GENERAL RixeY, who
puts bis name in the telephone book
as Admiral" Rixey, although he has
been forbidden to use the title of ad
miral, and who is family physician to
the Presidents family, is responsible
for the PRESIDENTS decision in the
present case.
Frank Il. Hitchcock, First Assis-
tant Postmaster General, who was the
loudest Cortelyou shOuter In the Re-
publican camp, less than two weeks
ago, IS now shouting for Taft and ap'
piled recently for the position of Taft
campaign manager. The inslgnifi-
canoe into which the COrtelyOu presi'
Dental boom has shruken is enough to
make the unfortunate Secretary weep.
In this connection story has been
going the rounds to the effect that
Hitchcock was to succeed Vorye,
Taft's Ohio manager. Ofcourse there
is no truth in the story. Vorys has
done too good work In Ohio to have
anyone placed over him by the astute
Secretary, but the story served to
worry Vorys and that 10 what it was
printed for.
The Philippine Government recently
sent to w Washington an order for the
smallest and yet the most expensive
shipment that the Government has
ever been called upon to make. Its
order was for one thousandth of a
gram of radium and the price paid fol-
it was So, 000 The ..Insular bureau,
which has charge Of the shipment. ID
wondering how it can send the tiny
fragment of mineral without danger
of it's being lost. Tue Philippine
Bureau of Science wishes to use the
radium in a series Of experiments 1t if
conducting. And the poor FiIipinos
pay the shot.
Rep. Hobson, who is always bus
tier and constantly springing some
new idea, has hit upon novel one
1t consists of bill providing for the
| weekly publication of an official jour
nal which is to give briefly the impor
tant events in every department Of
the government, the important Ofhcia
acts of the President and the proceed
ings of Congress; not in full, as is ths
case with the Congressional Record
but summarized for busy readers
There is grave question if Mr.. Hob
sons bill can become law, but be Ii
In deadly earnest, has published
sample copy of his proposed sheet and
believes that great good could be &C
complished by its publication and dis
tribution by postmasters throughout
the country. His idea is. of course
to circulate it free. Incidentally, be
would have the paper contain a guide
for the use of people who visit Wash
| ington.
The chief Engineer of the Panama
Canal has decided that two locks
nearest the Pacific shall be placed
four miles further from the sea than