The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-02-10
elssIP FROM WASHINGTON.
Special session OF Congress to be Call
er-Rooscveit Trying to signailzc
His Retirement by Overhanling the
Navy Department From Top to Bot
teh.

nv kktoStNtit Cabinct mas resigned
and II may be said he has already be-
gun his active work In the senate for
although he will be ineligible 20 a
ssst In that body until after the 4th
cf March he has gone to Albany. New
Yorl<. whore before body composed
largely OF Republican State iegisla-
tors no made an address outlining h,s
Views on important basic political
problems and stating specifically that
hs favored q parcels post. This stutc-
ment comirg from the successor OF
senator Thomas Platt the president cf
agrcat express company and its repre-
eeataslve on the floor Of the United
ktet<s senate is most significant. Tho
STATE of New York has had some dis
tings ishsd men N Representatives In
the United states senate. az Conkling
and Seward. II has never had more
txpsrienced and thorough statesman
than II WIN have In Senator Root.
Less tnan thirty working days Ut
he present congressional session re-
msiu end at q joint council Of the
coatroIins party of the house and SEN
are Il has been agreed to confine lesis-
latIbn strictly to appropriation bills.
Tho leaders or bosses of the senare.
Aldrich. HALE. Gallinger and. Eikins
tn1liN that there In barely time for a
confederation OF the regular appro-
rriasIons- The president and some OF
the iaembers OF the house are ursins
the Ia~aEe OF hills admitting Arizona
and New Mexico to statehood but the
contIo'snS element In the senate Is
nos favorable to this measure. II hrs
also beer agreed that a special sss-
sson for the confederation of tariff
revision ~lIi be called for the 1Uth
Of Marcl. or six days after Inaugural
ticn. OF coui a. 1r. Taft who is now
"a fanana. will have the final say as
90 'his date or another but members
Of tire house and the senate ate,
.consulation with Senator Knox who
y 60 be the head Of the Taft cabinet
have nxed upon March the 10th as
desirable early date to begin work on
this bill It 10 also predicted that the
special session will probably adjourn
before the frst Of July but there are
those who say that Il Ia more likely
20 Be In session until the middle Of
the summer. NJ
All the details Of President
Rocsevelt's departure from Washing
ton have been prearranged. He will
N d customary ride with the piesi-
dent-elect to the capitol and there
witness the inauguration ceremonies
and perhaps attract as much atten-
tion as his successor but he will not
return from the capitol to the white
House. In this repsect he will de-
part from an old precendent. He viii
~ private citizen drive from the
capitol Immediately to the Union Sta
tlon and take a train to Oyster Bay.
There set remain TO him about thirty
days Of his remarkably strenuous
term and the navy department just
now 10 coming In for his reforming.
90 ~ the boss senators OF his party
VIII perhaps put II "msddlesome and
misunderstanding activity" There is
NO doubt great deal Of mildewed red
tape In use In the navy department.
Its arrangement is by cumbersome
and antiquated system. The presi-
dent while assistant secretary Of the
navy became aware OF this and Il is
remarkable that ne has put OF
changes and reconstruction until the
last month OF his term. Now however
ne seems determined to set tho ball
rolling with the assurance that his
euccessor as the devisee of the Roose-
veltian policies will carry this out
also. II 10 to be hoped that he may.
with . man like Root I'm the senate.
himself well acquainted with the
weakness and inefYiciency of the
clumsy naval establishment. some
thing may be accomplished. But the
present system is firmly intrenched In
various navy yards scattered along
the Atlantic coast from Portsmouth.
Mains. to New Orleans and these navy
yards are the strongholds Of certain
senator's and contain the machinery
and furnish the funds through which
they keep their seats. Millions OF dol
lars are yearly appropriated for navy
yards at Portsmouth. Maine. Boston.
Philadelphia! Charlestown. Port Roy
nj. Key West. Pensacola and New Or
leans None Of these navy yards have
dry locks OF sufficient capacity to re-