The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1912-03-08

Louis the other night he declared
that the Republican party was in bad
way, which did not escape the atten-
ton of the wise acres about the cap
itol, who are watching all the signs
which indicate the direction Of polit-
ical zephyrs that whisk about, chang
ing the pointer of the political COM
pass very frequently.
| The special committee of the
House, which has been investigating
1.-THE sugar trust, has finally made it's
report disclosing the startling" in
formation that trust really exists.
And that's about all there is to the
report. The balance of the Demo-
cratic investigations of the steel and
other trusts are likely to prove quite
as fruitless as the sugar fiasco, which
has just terminated. The trouble
with these Investigations are that
they are about year behind the de-
partment Of justice and far less eff
fective, for the attorney general has
actually taken steps to obtain rem
edy from the courts in all these cas-
es. The investigation simply dupli-
Gates the work of the department of
justice and the public has been pa
tiently footing the bill, without any
return whatever.
The Taft headquarters in Washing
ton has become one of the busy in
situations Of the capital, and Direc-
tor VIM. B. Mckinley, who is in
charge, has political wires running
from all portions of every state in
the union direct to his headquarters;
and he confidently gives it out that
President Taft will have walkaway
at the Chicago convention. The La
Toilette movement has not recovered
from the stunning blows of the last
fortnight. The Roosevelt people have
established elaborate headquarters at
the capital and are putting up big
fight, and constitute the real opposi-
ton to the administration.
Once again a movement is under
way in Congress to transfer the title
and custody of Mount Vernon to the
United States government. 1t has
been suggested that there should be
an investigation of the present sys-
tenn of maintaining the mansion and
grounds, but representations of this
kind have been made before, and
Congress after a casual survey of the
situation has invariably refused to
proceed. The principal objection to
the way things are done at Mount
Vernon is owing to the charging of
fees for admission to the grounds.
While all these criticisms may have
some merit, yet it is fact that the
home of the first president has been
kept in splendid condition through
the patriotic work of an organization
of women who voluntarily look after
the welfare of the establishment.
Government regulation might not, af-
ter all, improve conditions.
The question of economy and eff
ficiency in government which has
been worked out to a large degree in
a thoroughly practical manner by
President Taft's commission, headed
by Chairman F. A. Cleveland, has OBJ
tanned results by which they will
doubtless cut off many millions of
dollars of useless extra1 agance in the
public business. There is in this the
same basis for doing things in SEN
sible manner, as is furnished in tar
if legislation through the work of
the tariff board, and on the other
hand, disposition prevails among
the Democratic majority to legislate
in haphazzard manner, stirring up
Investigations and the like with a
view toward making some sort of a
record of economy in the House of
Representatives. Economy was the |
watchword the day Speaker Clark |
took office, but even the boosted |
economy. in the management of af-
fairs of the House has not been car
ried out. If the commissions rec
concentrations are followed it will be |
possible to gradually conduct some
of the affairs of the government on
business basis, instead of submit