The Penn's Grove record., 1911-01-06

lHGI6, DuL GSlt HUI bSfCld al COl'S D6
sional districts in other states speak
ing against the Republican nominees.
Both men have lost the favor and the
confidence Of their party leaders.
Have they won, or eve kept, the fa-
vor OF the people? Probably nobody
since Grant in the very zenith of his
power has enjoyed such impassioned
alteration as either Roosevelt or Bry-
an. Yet the Washington sentiment Is
that the popularity and the power Of
either Is a thing of the past.
Faulty Senatorial Primary.
In referring above to a Republican
representative from California | was
reminded of the curious situation now
existing there with reference to the
election of a United States senator.
California has a direct primary sys-
tenn which IN theory enables the vot-
ers to elect their senator direct. IT
doesn't work there much better than
1t did in Illinois when "Bill' Lorimer,
who had hardly figured in the pr1ma-
ries, was made a senator. In all
fornia it operates to prevent anybody
but a rich man from becoming sem
ator. For example Senator Flint,
whose term is about to expire, and
who has been an able and conscien-
tious member of the upper house. re-
fused to. be a candidate for re-elec-
ton.
The effect Of Flint's retirement Is
the election on the face of the returns
of A. G. Spalding as United states
senator. Even the C~alifornians in the
delegation here who oppose his seat
ing admit that he can only be defeat
ed by a bubble. The direct primary law
in California was drawn in such a slog-
emily fashion that some doubt remains
as to whether the man who carried a
majority of the votes or who won q
majority of the election districts -
the one entitled to election by the
legislature. Spalding got a majority
of the votes. His opponent a major
ity Of the election districts. The In
fuences against Spalding are strong
and out of this ambiguity of the law
may come MS Q01odL.
To the cause Of good legislation It
is not probable that the outcome OF
this struggle will be Of very great I'M
portance. But / rather think that ev-
cry man under As and every present
boy who recognizes the coming OF
spring by buying a S%palding's baseball
guide will be interested in knowing
that the distinguished publisher OF
that periodical is now knocking at the
doors of the United States senate.
Waterway Plans In Peril.
It has become apparent that the
work of this short session OF
congress is going to be pushed
with great vigor in order that there
may be no possibility of an ex-
ira session. Every appropriation bill
is to be showed through without delay
under the strong hand OF Speaker
Cannon. There was never a ses ion
before at which the river and ha for
bill met with SO little antagonism as
it has this
Of course it was more or less to
the advantage of those who are press
ing the river and harbor measure that
the Deep Waterways Congress was
held here almost at the moment Wnen
the bill came into the house. The
delegates to that convention were In
the main men of high standing in
their communities and Of influence IN
certain congressional districts. Per-
haps their presence in Washington
had something to do with the rapid
progress of the river and harDor
measure through its committee.
Senator ShiveIy Talks.
Nevertheless they are liable to have
difficulty in the senate. | was talking
with Senator Shively recently, and
Shiyely's state has the Ohio river on
it's southern boundary. He personally
and individually believes in a wide
measure of development of the water
ways of the country. But as he said
today, at does seem to me that con-
gress is in grave danger of being
asked to appropriate money for all
sorts of transportation agencies. There
are people who think that the nation
should own the railroads. l emphatic
ally do not. When it comes to ivers
and harbors the situation Is different
because the nation owns both of them
already, retains control of them, in
sists on its power to say how they
shall be developed, Of how they shall
be bridged in the event that a rail-
road desires a right of way across
any one of them.
$50 far as the development Of our
waterways is concerned, it should be
the first study of the people who are
urging this to utilize such waterways
facilities as we at present possess. 1t
is one of the unfortunate things about
this agitation that on the Ohio and
the Mississippi rivers there is no yes
sci of a model newer than that OF
the days long before the civil war. /
understand that on the vastly less
navigable rivers of Europe, the Seine,
the Elbe or the Rhine, they utilize
barges drawing three or four feet OF
water and carrying four hundred to a
thousand tons of cargo.
"Why should not the people of st.
Louis who are making a tremendous
appeal for a fourteen foot waterway
to the Gulf, which in time We I'M
doubtedly will have, utilize the water
way they have at present? If there
is this demand for water t~ransporta-
ton why is there no effort to meet it
by the development Of a type Of boat
which is adaptable to present condi-
lions? A boat of light draft with very
moderate power could make the trip
from st. Louis to New Orleans heavy
laden with the aid of the current. and
return, as it probably would return,
with a very small cargo. This would
make it unnecessary to carry heavy
machinery or any great amount of
COAL"
copyright. 1910. by Joseph B. Bowles.)