The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1908-01-30
WASHINGTON
From our Regular Correspondent.

1t is generally conceded in Wash.
ington that tie Democrats have
gained a strong support III the
Senatorial branch OF Congress i'll
the election OF John Sharp VII Jams
as member of that boiy. He is
well liked and his ABILITY is dis
puted by none.
~
The announcement by Governor
Hughes that "Barkis is willn'. 4"
has aroused multitudinous and di-
verse sensations in the breast of the
Republican Pegotty, anticipations
that are not altogether pleasurab e.
however interesting the prospect
may be for the country at large.
The prediction is made in political
circles i'll Washington that the seat
of war III the Republican party will
now be transferred to the New Eng
land States and that the Ohio con
flict will look like ssirmish when
compared with his Waterloo bs-
tween the Roosevelt policies led by
Taft, and the corporation interest.
headed by Hughes. The develop.
ments of the next few months vii
be watched with the most absorb
ing interest by the country at large.
*"
'T>hara u, ,a cn,,,a ,,a,, -, ,1,a nn,,~
cratic party who occupy RESPONSE
bic positions in the councils OF their
party in the House of Representa-
tives that believe their party's well
fare will not be best subservsd BY
the nomination of Mr. Bryan for
the Presidency, and 50 when Champ
Clark nominated him in the House
last week, the demonstration cie-
ated through the art of oiatory,
with which the eloquent Missourian
is so familiar. did not strike res
ponsive chord in the breast of every
Democrat OH the floor. These men
believe that, twice defeated as the
candidate of the Democratic party,
MIR. Bryan's candidacy would,
under existing conditi MS, be Just
as fatal to success in 1908 as it was
in 1896 and 1909, and they believe
that the party should seek out some
man who can bring strength and
confidence 10 the national ticket.
Democrats who have unhesitatinglv
urged the withdrawal of Bryan as
the only road which would lead to
party success, joined with their col
leagues in the demonstration
though they deprecated anything
which would appear to commit the
minority members of the House as
a whole to the personal cause of
Mr.. Bryan. That the Republicans
joined in the cheers at the mention
of Bryan's name was significant.
These cheers were called forth by
the belief of the Republicans in the
weakness of Mr.. Bryan as candi-
date against the man chosen by
the Chicago convention next June,
whonsoever that man may be.
*4*
Major General Bell, Chief of
StaH, in his annual report Just
issued, declarsd himself of the opin-
ion that the law which abolished
the canteen from the army should
be repealed for the general good of
both the soldiers in the army and
the War Department officials. He
says that under the new law there
is more alcoholism and more dis
ease than there was prior to it's
enactment. Among many other
interesting paragraphs in this re-
port is the following which is re-
garded as most pertinent Gun
less other great nations are wrong
and wasting time and money, they
are giving us an object lesson which
Americans will have to learn some
day by costly and humiliating ex-
perience. Time and training are
both necessary to convert an un-
trained volunteer into a soldier,
whether for infantry, cavalry,
artillery, engineers or signal corps.
The last great war clearly demon
strated that the side which is ready
and acts promptly gains decisive
advantages"
*a*
| President Roosevelt has been OBJ.
liged, after all, to alter his riding
test order so as to waive the test in
the cases of officers engaged in civil
duties who would not, in all pro-
liability be called upon to engage in
field operations. The Pr, sident's S
decision was made after confer
ence with Secretary Taft OH the
subject, called forth mainly by the
case Of Lieut.. Col. William L. Mar
L L ~ -