The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1915-01-01
At NATIONAL CAPITAL
Paragraphs on Important Gov
ernment Affairs.
ALL PARTIES HOPEFUL
Postofice Surplus -California's
Expositions.
The Tribune Bureau.
BY j. e. JONES

u hs oOA'~~S
Washington, D. C.-The Issue OF
l9l6.-The Democrats claim that
they have walk-away in 1915.
The republicans assert that the
country is already tired of the dem
ocratic administration, and they
charge that the low tariff has been
producing hard times. Their theory
ia that they will have walk away in
1915.
Progressives confidently assert that
the only strength In either one of the
old parties remains Ia the pledges to
the people that they will carry out
progressive principles in the future.
They assert that Notwithstanding
the fact that they slumped nearly
three fourths of their strength in the
recent election, that the reason all
laid Ia the fact that the progressives
joined with the republicans simply to
HEX the democrats. These progress
slves insist that In a national election
where president is to be voted for
that the most progressive members of
both the old parties will stand to-
gether for real progressivlsm
under the progressive party banner in
1915.
The prohibition party is "perking
up," and Its members assert that the
country is coming around to their
idea by leaps and bounds. Their joy
knows no bounds since they attained
a majority 10 the house of representa-
tives on the question OF constitu-
tlonal amendment providing for
national prohibition.
The Post Office Surplus, Former
Postmaster General Hitchcock
claimed to have achieved a surplus in
the post office department, but no
sooner did he lose himself in the
mining regions of Arizona than his
successor, General Burleson, chal-
Hanged the statement, and claimed
that there had been deficit of nearly
a million dollars. Now the post
master general asserts that he has a
rtal surplus of receipts of $4,000, 900
or more, over operating expenses.
The critics refuse to admit his claim.
They declare that II all the general
expenses were paid from postal re-
ceipts, and not from the treasury
direct, the surplus would vanish into
thin air.
National Preparedness The evil
dence is strong that the people who
would dig into conditions surround
Ing the lack of national preparedness
are losing ground. President Wilson
and the "war ministers" Of the
cabinet promptly discouraged con-
gressessional investigation. and
former President Taft came TO the
support of the administration 10 say
ing that such Investigations are
useless. The result Of the agitation
indicates that the numerous investi-
cations which have heretofore been
had along these lines produced more
information than the country is
willing or able to use.
The California Expositions. 1t
has been announced that the opening
0f the San Diego exposition has been
postponed for several weeks. The
San Francisco exposition apparently
has become sort of side issue for the
San Diego affair, If one is to judge
conditions by the representation
given to the two shows in the public
print. Both expositlons claim, a.
the reason for their existence, thai
they are commemorating the CON-
pletion OF the Panama canal, ant
while 10 these troublesome war times
the Panama canal is remaining
neutral, yet there appears to be littl,
neutrality among the competing
expositions California is defyinI
the fates and is attempting to pull of
double header. or course 1t i
unfortunate for the promoters of tn