The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1910-04-01
Members o, congress have como to

any Otner profession. so IL IS tnat
they are trying now to devise some
means OF keeping the ranks full at
West Point so that the army can be
officered at all times by trained SOL
diers and 80 that the necessity Of Civ
ing up four or Ave years time to the
training of civilians appointed as sec
ond lieutenants may be done away
with.
The object of the senate bill is to
increase the number Of cadets by a
slight modification in tho method OF
making appointments. The military
committee in its report on the sub
ject says:
Changes Proposed.
ut Is proposed that the members
of congress and the president, who rec.
commend and make appointments.
shall have the right to second APP
pointment as soon as their appointee
shall become a member of the gradu.
ating class after three years service
at the academy. In other words, those
recommending or making cadet ap.
pointments viii each have one cadet
at the academy during three years
and two cadets during every fourth
year"
If this bill shall become law the
cadet corps will be given the strength
in numbers which it Is the intention OF
the present law that ii shall have. The
difficulty is that the present law does
nnt take ipto ..opc III arutjop tha fact
that many boys who receive appoint
ments do not for some reason or other
show up at the academy. and that
some of the members of congress
neglect their duty in the matter of
| appointing cadets. 1t is known that
In some congressional districts hun
dreds of boys want to go to the mill
tary academy, while in some others no
candidate appears, and as result the
congressman not having any applica-
lions filed, forgets all about the matter
and his district goes without repre-.
sentation.
Speaker Cannon May Retire.
While no word has come from
Speaker Cannon to clinch the matter,
the men who are closest to him per-
sonally and politically seem to feel
that before very long now the speak
er will say that he does not intend
to lie candidate again for re-
election as presiding officer Of the
house. Even II the speaker does is
sue statement to the effect that
he will give over anX further ambition
to succeed himself, it is certain that
he will be good deal Of factor IN
the matter Of choosing his successor,
Some time ago it was the feeling
in Washington, and it was touched on
in the dispatches from the capital
that IL the Republicans should carry
the next house they must of necessity
choose speaker from the middle
west. This was the feeling for some
time and 1t was founded on knowledge
of conditions as they existed at thai
time. Now it seems that there has
been some change of heart on the par,
of good many of the organization
Republicans.
Eastern Man May Be Speaker.
There seems to have been stealing
over the so-called regulars of the
house the thought that an eastern
man now has good chance to b.
chosen speaker If the Republicans
succeed in carrying the house, ant
that in choosing an easterner his sup
porters will have the votes and thu
moral support of good many Of thu
members who are called Insurgents
Present Speakers Position.
II Mr.. Cannon shall declare that III
Is not to be candidate to succees
himself in case Of Republican success
at the polls next fall, he can be. a
has been said, good deal Of fac
tor in the matter of choosing his sue
cessor. 1t is only human nature tina
| the speaker should prefer to be sue
ceeded by a man who will do as h
| has done, man who believe in tn
rules of the house as they exist an
who is not given to what the speake
calls radicalism. There are some me-
in the east. in the middle west and
! few In the far west who probably vii
| stand by the speaker, and it may b
| that they can decide in caucus tn
, question of the successorship, but
. they are not numerous enough to d
this they can by throwing their vote
, one way or the other control til
/ choice as between two men.
: The supposedly wise ones anon
Republicans say that II the next hous
} shows a party majority the man VIII
, will succeed the speaker will be
, moderate" and that probably tn
rules will be amended to some d,
gree, but not nearly enough to SUI
} the insurgents and yet enough pc
, haps to displease some OF the regular
: who think that the rules are jus
what they should be.
OF course all this speculation abor
3 the speakership In the next house an
3 all the plans that the Republicans ar
g making and all the schemes that II
t surgents and regulars are enterin
s into, depend upon their party's SUI
D cess next November. The Democrat
/. say that all the preliminary work tht
: the Republicans are doing will b
r wasted effort.
GEORGE CLINTON.