Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-01-08
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
Events of Interest from the
Seat of Governments,
BY j. +. JONES,
The Issue of 1916.

nave a walk-away in 1916.
The Republicans assert that tbe
country is already tired of the Dem
ocratc administration, and the,
charge that the low tariff has beer
producing hard times" Thei,
theory is that they will have a walk
away in 1916.
Progressives confidently assert that
the only strength in either one of the
old parties remains in the pledges to
the people that they will carry ou
progressive principles in the future
lhey assert that Notwithstanding the
fact that they slumped nearly three
fourths of their strength in the recen,
election, the reason all laid in the
fact that the Progressives joinet
with the Republicans simply to licl
the Democrats. These Progressives
insist that in a national election
where a president is to be voted for
the most progressive members O,
both the old parties will stand to
gether for real progressive progress
ivism under the Progressive party
banner in 1916.
The Prohibition party is perkins
up and it's members assert that the
country is coming around to thei
idea by leaps and bounds. Their JOY
knows no bounds since they attained
a majority in the house of represent
atives on the question of a constitu
tional amendment providing for ma
tional prohibition.
Who Will deny that America is mex
door to political utopia, since nearl,
every one interested in politics cal
inquire out their coming victories?
The r'OsfOffice Surplus.
Former Postmaster General Hitch
cock claimed to have achieved a sur
plus in the postoffice department, blu,
no sooner did he lose himself in the
mining regions of Arizona than his
successor, Gen. Burleson, CHALLENGED
the statement and claimed that there
had been a deficit of nearly million
dollars. Now the postmaster genera,
asserts that he has a real surplus OF
receipts of $3,5O0,OOO or more over
operating expenses. Perhaps it serves
Mr.. Burleson right to have the critics
refuse to admit his claim. They de.
clare that if all the general expenses
were paid from postal receipts and
not from the treasury direct the sur
plus would vanish into thin air
Postmaster generals have been jug
Cling with the puzzles of surplus and
deficits for years, principally because
there has never been an intelligent
accounting in the postoffice depart
ment. They do not know, and neither
does anyone else know, the true state
of postoffice finances. Millions OF
dollars worth of public property anG
buildings owned and occupied by the
government appear to obscure the
power of the department to arrive a.
a true balance.
National Preparedness.
The evidence is strong that the
people who would dig into conditions
the lack of national pre-
paredness are losing ground. Presi
dent Wilson and the "war ministers
of the cabinet promptly discouraged
a congressional investigation and for
mer President Taft came to the sup
port of the administration in saying
that such investigations are useless
The result of the agitation indicates
that the numerous Investigations
which have heretofore been hat
along these lines produced more in
formation than the country is willing
or able to use. Uncle Sam apparently
has lot of cards up his sleeve which
he could use in the war game if L
really became necessary.
Fifty Years at the White House.
Colonel William II. Crook is chief
officer at the White F. use.
and on January s he completed so
years of service as White House
Colonel Crook was the
of President Lincoln and
he has known the family life and
habits of every occupant of the exec
utive mansion for half century. At
one time he wrote his "reminiscences
and they were published in the Sat-
lrday Evening Post. Through chiv- |
airy he made it appear that all our
presidents were fine men. Colonel |
Crook was the bodyguard of Presi-
lent Lincoln and was constantly with |,
1im in the Civil War, but was Of |
duty the night Lincoln was assassi-
,ated. He is the grand old man at |
he White House lot.
nd h n