The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1909-02-05
ROOTS BRILLIANT CAREER
Great Services Rendered While
Member Of Cabinet.
NAVY YARDS ARE USELESS
Millions Wasted on Them.
form is Needed.

1
disintegration of the present cabinet
has begun. The secretary Of state
has resigned and will spend a few
days 10 Albany. after which he will
20 TO the Arkansas Hot Springs, 10
order that he may be ready for his
Onerous duties in the senate at the
special session after March 4th.
Whether he will ever submit to the
old custom expressed in the words:
IA new senator should be seen and
not heard" remains to be answered
There have been recent exceptions to
this custom. LaFollette of WiscoD.
sin was one and although he was
violently snubbed, he took the snubs
stoically and bore himself in such
way that the snubbers have been
taught to beware of him. JEFF Davis
of Arkansas has also broken the rule
as has also Senator Cummins of Iowa.
For man of Roots caliber, expert.
ence and learning to sit silent while
the pigmy bosses and big boodlers
crate and legislate will certainly be
Inconsistent and opposed to public
interest.
There has not been in the history
Of the country diplomatic career
more brilliant or more productive
than that of the retiring head of the
Roosevelt cabinet. 1wenty.four ar
bitration treaties have been accom-
! plished through his agency and the
long standing controversies with
Great Britain and Canada over fisher
les and boundaries questions have
been practically terminated. The
relations of the United States with
! Central and South American coun-
| tries have been clarified and solidfied
through the diplomacy of Mr.. Root
who has removed all suspicion on the
; part of the South American republics
i that we have any ulterior designs on
their autonomy or territory. The
tour of Mr.. Root through South
America was a pacific triumph aud
he has accomplished much in the
promotion of amicable relations be-
tween the Central American repub-
lies, where before his time there was
almost constant war.
His influence On the oriental situa.
tion has been most salutary and
pacific. With reference to the
japanese question, Mr.. Root adhered
firmly to our treaty obligations fol
the upholding of international agree
ments as the law of the land and FOL
the maintenance of national faitf
} with oriental peoples.
lie will now go to the senate wher,
his influence in public affairs will b.
great aud where his experienced ad
vice will not be wanting to al
: administration with which he /
: most friendly.
An effort is being made by the ad
ministration-and it is echoed II
congressional something must b
e done to improve the navy department
: something similar to that whic
was carried out in the war depar,
ment when Elihu Root was secretar
4. of war Those familiar with tn
i. subject are aware that the militaT
, establishment of the United State
, is on much f1rmer and cleaner basi
r than ever before in our history. The
are also aware that the naval estah
lishment is more clumsy, wastef,
and antiquated than the militar
y establishment ever was. The nav
= department has been managed and
: maintained to this day as polite;
machine. There are string of ma,
= yards stretching from Portsmouth
10 Maine, to New Orleans and one G
y :, the Pacific coast at San Francisc
- all but three of which are worse tina
- useless for the reason that they a
10 quite inadequate for heavy sh
building or heavy ship repairs, bl
are kept up at the expense OF milliol
yearly for the benefit of the states
. which they are situated, or rather +
the benefit of the senators from the