The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-03-06
Washington Whisperines.

Washington Whisperines.
WASHINGTON, March l, 1913. Not
within the recollection of the oldest con-
gressional inhabitant has regular ses-
sion of the Senate done so little execu-
tive business as the present one, since
last December. There has been lot to
do, but the near approach of the change
from one party's administration to that
of another, appears to have operated to
cause locking of party horns on eXecu-
tive session transactions in which neither
SIDE, in the Juggling, appears to have
gained an inch The tie-up is mainly be-
cause of nominations coming from the
White House which the Democrats have
taken care to assume We're inoculated
with partisan design to take advantage
some way or another of their incoming
administration. There are within very
few OF 1000 nominations now piled up
on the desks of the executive clerks in
the office of the secretary of the Senate,
awaiting action by the Senate About
three-ffths of these are postmasters,
the others being army and navy officers
There have been only seven confirma-
tons since December 9th. That was of
Carmi Thompson of Ohio, former secre-
tary TO President Taft, as Treasurer of
the United States. Five army officers
had their nominations confirmed. The
other nomination to be confirmed was
the only one of the many hundreds of
postmasters to get through-John H.
Brown, at Concord, N H., the home of
Senator Gallnger. president pro tempore
of the Senate. Six minor nominations
We're withdrawn.
The political tangle has peculiarly vic
timized one of the Democrats here and
there whose names have appeared in the
long list of nominations. 1t is the case
OF Christian S. Pearce of Tennessee,
who has been for nearly twenty years,
an efficient clerk lin. the office of the
Treasurer, and whose service and ex-
perience came to be so valued by Secre-
tary MacVeagh that he recommended
Mr.. Pearce for promotion, and accord
ingly President Taft nominated him as
early as December Bird to be Assistant
Treasurer. His nomination is held up
along with the rest, and with the in
evltabe result that he will lose his
place IN the Treasury department, as it
were, on the altar Of party expediency
His only recourse is to have his friends
persuade President elect Wilson to re-
store him to place without delay
Sentiments expressed in the Senate
debate the past week or the Connecticut
river dam bill indicated that the princi-
pal involved, that of the limitation of
federal control over the utilization of
water power in navigable streams is of
the utmost Importance to the industrial
future of the country along the line of
its largest development President Taft
has vetoed the Coosa river dam bill,
holding the power was too valuable to
grant without compensation to the gov
eminent, and the Connecticut river bill
carried provision in harmony with the
position of both the President and the
Secretary of War, as to federal con-
troll. The opposition maintained that
abe waters of all streams, navigable, or
otherwise, belonged to the States, and
the federal government could not impose
tax on what did not belong to it. The
federal tax provision in the bill was
stricken from it by non-partisan vote
of SO to 20, and the bill was shorn Of all
federal control, except in so far as con-
| formed it to the governments right over
the preservation of navigation by final
vote of "a to IL.
Fifteen years ago, before the Spanish
war, there were Is regiments of infantry
in the Army, all stationed in the United
States. Since that time 5 regiments
have been added to the Army, but with
these only l6 are available for service in
this country and around which an army
could be built in a sudden emergency.
Of the infantry regiments are station
ed in the Philippines, 6 are to be sent to
Hawaii, to Panama and will remain
in Alaska. While the 16 regiments may
be sufficient to garrison the different
posts where they are stationed, they are
not sufficient to form tactical units where
officers may gain experience and where
soldiers may be trained. The chief of
staff of the Army has recommended an
increase of regiments of infantry and
6 batteries Of field artillery in order to
bring the military strength up to the
point where it will partially meet the re-
quirements of the service.
Children Cry
FOR FlETCHER'S
cASToRlA