Iditarod pioneer. (Iditarod, Alaska) 1910-19??, 1912-04-13
POLITICAL TALK
OF WASHINGTON
press COrrespondencel

Washington, March 10. - With a
strong probability of the present ses-
| sion of congress being continued to
about the middle of August, all of the
solons assembled here are playing poll
tics for all the game is worth. Many
Of them have engaged extra clerks and
| the mails are congested with copies of
| the Congressional Record, resolutions.
committee debates and other govern
ment documents, which are being
mailed under the ranking privilege to
their multitudinous constituents Both
the Democrats and Republicans have a
plethora of candidates for President
! The streets and hotel Hobbies are
crowded with dark horses, but both
parties are wofully lacking in a white
hope. Headquarters have been estah-
lished here for Roosevelt, Taft, LaFol-
lette, Woodrow Wilson, Champ Clark
and any number Of candidates.
Clifford Pinchot looks very much wor-
ried and appears to have aged ten
| years in the last few months. 1t is
| thought that he sees himself riding to
a certain fall. The former chief for
ester is sitting on the horns of di-
lemma. For some time he was mos
ardent advocate of LaFOllette Then
the Big Voice ana inventor Of the Short
aud ugly word appeared in the ot1ing
and Pinch0t went back to his first love.
When campaigning for LaFolette,
Pinchot did not know that Roosevelt
was probable candidate, and now
since he has deserted LaFOllette the
latter's supporters are bitterly &C.
nouncing the disciple Of rerorestalion
and he bachelor father of our chill
dlen's children for having used their
principal as come on in conf
dence game.
There d es no appear 70 be auy very
great rush frr h" job Of Vlc--Pr.
dem. a few of the Sou hrrn Dan
Gratis have S.ar, ed an embryo campo "a
Tor General Sherwood, he ia: her .
the Old soldiers pension bill. the
South is going pay pretty strong
parl in the mex. Democratic couveu-
non. Oscar Underwood and cham ,
LARK are both MAXIM a strong i4h
for the nomination. CIarG's defta 1T
Senate Cores forces la ONIthomt eu-
9ineercd by Congressman Scott Ferris,
which resulted in Clark capturing
most Of the delegates, somewna
startled he other candidates. Ferr.-
: Il much stronger man than was
generally supposed and it is nol i'm
probable that he viii succeed Gore in
the Senate.
Congressman Flood. chairman Of the
committee on territories, has presented
Il bill which offers IA solution of the
somewhat complicated situation per
tanning to Alaska railroads. The BIZ
provides for the appointment Of com
mission Of three. TO be composed o.
one officer of the engineer corps of the
Unite ed States army, one competeu'
railroad construction engineer and one
competent coal mine operator, all OF
we'll known ability, to be appointed
Immediately upon the passage of the
bill. The commission is authorized 10
call for assistance from every depart
meut of the administration, and to 20
to Alaska and collect all maps and get
all possible information pertaining to
railroad routes to The collieldS and tbs
Interior, and TO make recommends
Jion 10 congress by December | mex
This will eliminate the pickering and
quarrelng that has been carried on
before The committee in regard to the
various proposed routes. The bill will
be reported out of the committee at
The next meeting and placed on he
calendar for passage. 1t probably will
head off all other proposed RAILROAD
legislation.
Mr.. Flood takes the position that il
would be foolish in the extreme for
the government to appropriate a large
sum of money to build railroad il
Alaska without definite and accurate
information as TO where the railroad
would start and where it would end.
He thinks the selection of proper
route is most vital to the successful
development of the coal fields and he
bases The argument on the fact that
cut most important figure in the
ability Of the operators to market the
fuel. J. J. UNDERWOOD.