The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1908-01-04
NEWS OF A WEEK
IN WASHINGTON CITY
EpOme Of News In National Capital Is Ge1Poca Gossip al The
Great Executive Buidng0ter Nens

Ex-senator Blackburn, now
governor of Panama, is in Wash
ington on leave, and brings back
a radiant account of the progress
being made on the Isthmus. "Col.
Goethals, the chief engineer and
the chairman of the Isthmian
Canal Commission, is making Won
derful progress with the construc-
{ ton of the canal" said Senator
Blackburn, today. '"It is perfectly
amazing the rate at which they are
digging the big ditch, and the sat-
isfaction and contentment Of ev-
eryone connected with the work.
Colonel Goethals is an ideal man
to have charge of a big. project.
He is always perfectly cool and IN
absolute command Of the sltua-
ton. Secretary Taft is a most sat
isfactory man to have general
supervision of the work. He has
the capacity of selecting the best
men and then allowing them a free
hand to push the project. His
trips to the Isthn1us have done
good, for big Bill has smile. that
won't come off, and his handshake
is an inspiration to every man on
! the job.
Asked how living on the Canal
/ Zone compared with living in Ken
! tuckv, the Senator said that,
apart from the friends he had to
leave behind, life on the Isthmus
was decidedly pleasant, "a de-
/ lightful climate, a. pleasant circle
of people and the satisfaction ct
/ knowing that one is connected
with one Of the greatest undertak-
ings of the age, and an enterprise
which is going to benefit, the
Southern States incalct1Iably.
| Politics are seething in Wash
ington just now, but it is chiefly
Republican politics. -Four years
ago there was no certainty what
! ever as to who was going to be the
/ Democratic candidate, while the
Republican selection was all cut
land dried. Now the situation is en-
tirelv reversed. Mr.. Bryan is gen
/ eraliy conceded to be the choice OF
| his party, while the question OF 8
Republican 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 certain can
i didafe of the Republicans. How
ever, there are plenty OF Rapubll
the politicians, who have tI1ell
D sealping knives .sharpened for Iaf
/ and il they can catch the big Sec
ratary with his back turned. the,
I will scalp him as sure as fate.
The President has just preci
plated a pretty row IN the Nav.
. Department by his. order that
!, naval surgeon shall command. II
!. hospital ship Relief. The line off
) GERS of the navy are violently OF
posed to permitting a doeto
command a ship They say tha
whenever the navigating officer re
ports 4 squall in the .offing, th
c1antain-dnctor will order calC
! mel and consult his anatonaics
charts. Senator Hale, chairman {
!. the Committee on Naval Affair'
z insists that no doctor should con
| n1and a ship and threatens to i
troduce a bill prohibiting it. II
army officers are greatly rejolce
& because they have had to stand n
d end Of chatting over. the army: SUI
! geons who have received prefer
]. ment. For instance, Major Ger
3 eral AinsWorth was a doctor, an
E is said to have received his frs
promotion because Of his skill
1 keeping the feet OF the infantry
i men in good shape. Then ther
8 lis General leonard Wood who $
crued a regiment and special pr
motion over the heads OF hun
dreds Of other officers because /
was Mrs. McKinley's family ph.
sician, and President Mcknle
2 never could refuse any faVt
asked by his wife. Now the arm
officers are addressing every nav
officer as Doctor and evel