Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-24

| were a half dozen things he wanted to
see accomplished before he disap-
peared into the heart of the mac
cessible continent. He wanted tC
start a reorganization of the Navy De-
| partment-a subject very near hi:
! heart. He has done it. After hard
| battling for months, he has seen Con-
| gress authorize commission, just
when his battlefield was returning
| from the world cruise and when he had
sailed down to Hampton Roads for the
| final review. 1t was undoubtedly about
the proudest moment of the President s
entire career, when he saw the
| monster battleships steaming past the
| Mayhower, the last maneuver of the
world circling sail.
He wanted to cnch his great work
of conserving the natural resources
not alone of the United States but of
the northern hemisphere of which the
United States is the larger part. He
has cinched that. A few days ago he
called together a big company of news
paper correspondents in the cabinet
room to point out what had been done
in the conference between delegates of
Canada, the United States and Mexico
and to outline the plans for a con-
servation conference at the Hague.
The occasion was also a farewell to
the newspaper correspondents whom
the President has often called into
that cabinet room, since he occupied
the White House. He has always been
active in arousinS public sentiment
and he knew that the newspapers
offered him the shortest and quickest
avenue to get his ideas before the
great constituency that elected and
reelected him.
Thus through long list of final
activities the President has been
Fastening in recent days. There have
been a few tried and trusted friends
he wished to look out for. There were
many little things he wanted done.
Now a week before he goes into
private life, practically all these mat
ters have been attended to.
And Congress, slow inert, ponder
Gus as it is. is rounding up at the end
OF its course in pretty fashion. True
it has left many things undone. But
that is always the case with a Con-
gress and many wise statesman
rcckons the success of a Congress by
what it has not done, quite much as
bv what it has done. a very few days
ago and there was a great hue and cry
that the appropriation bills could not
be passed The time remaining was
too brief There were too many
quarrels in full progress, too
much bickering too much elimination
and recrimination. Let the extra ses-
sion assume some of the work! What
use to waste energy fighting insurrec-
tionists, We can attend to them IN
the spring!
Nevertheless and notwithstanding
the mighty Congressional mill has
been grinding. The completed appro-
priation bills have been coming out in
the hopper. The worn and jaded
leaders have been proceeding TO con-
ference rooms and emerging with
agreements and messengers have been
sent flying up the Avenue and coming
back with fresh ink upon red bordered
parchment tracing characters that
spelled '"Thcodore Roosevelt, President
OF the United States" And the hue
and crv about lack of time has been
growing fainter and fainter as cach
messenger returned from his two milc
ride up the Avenue to the White
Housc and down the Avenue to the
Capitol.
"Time enough, Time enough, but
none to spare the old ones say eau
tiously but glcefully. And the on
lockers see that it is to be the same
old story over again. A Republican
Congress will perform it's allotted
tasks and do it's duty to the Govern
ment. before it passes out ana taxes
its place with other Congresses ana
other administrations in history.