The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-01-03
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Gen.
eraI Topics from
the Capital.

Ex-senator Black burn. now
Governor OF Panama. is in Wash.
ngton on leave and brings back
. radiant account of tie progress
hat is being made on the 18th
mus. Colonel Cocktails, the
Chief Engineer and the Chair
man of the | thmisn Canal Com.
is making wonderful
progress with the construction of
the canal" said Senator Black
burn. today. at is perfectly
amazing the rate at which they
are digging the big ditch and
the satisfaction and cnntentment
of every one connected with the
work. Colonel Cocktails is an
ideal man to have charge Of
big project. He Is always per-
fectly cool aud in absolute com,
mand Of the situation. Secretary
Taft Is MOST satisfactory man
to have the general supervision
Of the work. He has the capac-
ity of selecting the best men and
then allowing them n free hand
to push the project. His trips to
the lsthmus have done good, for
Big Bill has smile that won't
come off, and his hand shake is
an inspiration to every man on
the job.o
Asked how living is in the
Canal Zone compared with living
in Kentucky, the Senator said,
that apart from the friends that
he had to leave behind, life on
the lsthmus was decidedly pleas
ant "a delightful climate, y pleas
ant circle of people and the salts
faction of knowing that one is
connected with the greatest un
dertakings of the age, aud an
enterprise which is going to Oen-
eft the Southern States incalcu.
lably."
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
then all cut and dried. Now
the situation is entirely reversed.
Mr.. Bryan Is generally conceded
to be the choice Of the party,
while the question of Repub
lican Presidential candidate is
still in the air, although during
the last week the progress has
all been one way and TAFT looks
today like the almost certain can
didate of the Republicans. How.
ever, there sre plenty of Rspub-
licans. especially among the pol
iticians. who have their scAlping
knives sharpened for Taft, and
ii they can catch the big Secre-
tary with his back turned they
will scalp him as sure as fate.
The President has just precip-
itated pretty row in the Navy
Department by his order that a
naval surgeon shall command the
hospital ship Relief. The line
officers of the navy are violently
opposed to permitting a doctor
to command ship. They say
that Whenever the navigation
Efficer reports a squall in the of
Mg the Captain doctor will order
caiQmel and consult his anatomi-
cal charts. Senator Hale, Chair
man of Of the Committee on Naval
Affairs, insists that no doctor
shall command ship and threat
ems to introduce bill prohibiting
it. The army officers are greatly
rejOiced because they have had
to stand no end of chatting over
the army surgeons who have re-
ceived preferment. For instance,
Major General AiuswOrth was a
doctor and 10 said to have re
ceived his first promotion because
of his skill in keeping the feet
of the infantrymen in shape.
Then there is General Leonard
Wood, who secured a regiment
and special promotion over the
heads of hundreds of other of
ticers because he was Mrs. Nc
kinley's private physician, and
President Mckinley never could
refuse any favor asked by his
wife. Now the army officers are
addressing every naval officer as
"Docsor" and every naval sur
geOn as admiral" Surgeon
General Rixey, who puts his
name in the telephone book as
Admiral Rixey," although he
, has been forbidden to use the title
net Admiral, and who is the fam
olks physician to the Presidents
M snenly, is responsible for the
Nriends mems decision in the present
fENnkly, "a.
aMay." Il. Hitchcock, First AS.
ever seemed sostmaster General who
ment. She had ldest shouter in the
n father married pka for CartaIyo