Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1910-01-21

lance MT. 1lucuOl Will NC liz iSSS Poe
ent in national affairs than he was
when public officer. 1t is even pos
sible that his detachment from office
has marked him as the most eminent
advocate of national conservation and
made him more effective for this cause
than he was before. The question is up
to Congress, and the people of the coun-
try will watch with interest, not I'M
mingled with anxiety, the action OF
the national legislature on the great
question for which Clifford Pinchot
stood and stands.
In time of war promotion is rapid.
Lieutenants and privates, who went
into the civil war and were fortunate
enough to live through it, came out IN
many cases as Generals and Colonies.
The army and navy is always ready to
fight, realizing, if not expressing, the
feeling that promotion is certain
through the death of superior officer;
but in peace,all this is changed. West
Point and the naval academy turn out
lieutenants in great numbers while col
onels, commodores, admirals and gen
erals live on with provoking persist
ence, keeping the youth waiting too
long for stars and bars and the emolu-
ments of higher office. The country
Also it is suspected, suffers from this
persistence in longlivity, for the history
of wars, as well as of prize fights, show
that the aged man is seldom successful
except in planning. Success h ali
physical undertakings depends more on
celebrity aid endurance than ION any
thing else. There is plan before
Congress for eliminating the older Of
ficers from the service SO that in case
of war the corps of commanders, both on
land and at sea, may be available Of a
Younger age and more vigorous physi-
que than were those who went to bat
tie in the early days of the civil and
spanish wars.
There has been considerable excite
ment and discussion in political circles
during the week. The attitude OF the
insurgents and regulars has been dis
cussed and at one time there seemed to
be an inevitable fight to finish. Now
an armistice appears to have been
patched up and it is said that the Presl-
dent is the mediator between the Can
nonites on one side and the insurgents
on the other Mr.. Taft, IN his efforts
to harmonic, is not very successful and
Is losing in popularity with both wings
of his party. Information comes from
all parts of the country that many Re
publicans are anything but pleased
with the administration.
There are indications that sooner or
later Congress will take up the subject
of the Parcels Post. Representative
Murdoch is seeking data relative to the
package mail business and wants tc
know why the Postoffice Department
: does not maintain it's right to carry
this class of matter. He calls atten
ton to the Postmaster Generals report
showing deficit of seventeen millions
of dollars last year, while the Wells
Fargo Express Company declared di
vidends amounting to twenty-five mil
lions of dollars on capitalization o
eight millions The Murdoch resolu
ton calls attention to the fact that the
e department has for many years sur
; rendered its right to transport tn
7 packet mail matter and emphasizes tn
e point that this lack of thrift i'll tn
4 Postoffice Department is enrichlng tn
express companies.
d 1t has been the hope of thousands
n people in and out of Washington tina
;, Congress will change the inauguration
u date from the proverbially blizzard
e fourth of March to the more genial las
s Thursday in April, the day on whic
8. the first president of the United State
n was inaugurated. Representativ
Henry, of Connecticut, has introduce
such bill in the House and it was al
parently sailing smoothly toward er
lg actment. But as is usual in such a
II unwieldy, heterogeneous assembly
a the Congress of the United States, SON
ct petty objector has interfered and tt
to bill will probably be beaten, notwitl
I'd standing the fact that thirty-one go
ID ernors of states have expressed the
e. approval of the measure, it being ne
Id essary for two-thirds of the states
It's approve before 1t can become law eve
W after it has passed the Congress of tt
We United States Mr.. Perkins, of Ne
re York, asserted that the agitation +
st the change of date for the inauguratit
d, had come from the city OF Washingtt
~ and added that he would be just
We willing to amend the Constitution
be provide pleasant weather for thr
.e. ring circus as to amead it to assure
er sunshiny day for the inauguration Gel
mony.