The Idaho scimitar. [volume], December 14, 1907, Page 8, Image 8

About The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908

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THE IDAHO SG1MITAR.
SCIMITAll MINTING AND PUBLISHING COMPANY,Ltd.
FRED T. DUBOIS
CHARLES E. ARNEY,
EDITOR
BUSINESS MANAGER
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY
At Boise, Ada Gounty, Idaho.
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE OF THE IDAHO SCIMITAR.
Including postage in the United States, Canada, and Mexico;
$~.0() a year; $1.00 for six months. Subscription to all foreign
countries, within the postal union, $3.1)0 a year.
Single copies, 5 cents.
Payments should be made by Check, Money Order or Regis
tered Letter, payable to The Idaho Scimitar.
Address all communications to The Idaho Scimitar.
Post Office Box 474.
Bell Phone, 157.
Rooms 303-305-3n7 Overland Building.
Independent Phone, 7G7.
Entered as second-class matter October 31, 1907, at the post
office at Boise, Idaho, under the Act of Congress of March 2. 1879.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1907.
A senate resolution originating with Senator Till
man asks the senate committee on finance to investi
gate the conduct of the Treasury Department in con
nection with the financial crisis and to inquire into
the legality of clearing house certificates and other
local evidences of money. Mr. Tillman, it is feared,
is trying to disturb business.
4 4 '
What was announced as the launching of the Phil
ander C. Knox presidential boom is now described as
a banquet gathering of several members of the old
disgraceful Republican machine of Pennsylvania. It
will be likely to shrivel up and blow away when
exopsed to the warm blasts of public sentiment. Mr.
Knox is not to be thought of in connection with a
Republican majority.
4 4 4
In addressing a delegation from organized labor
at Washington last week, Speaker Cannon expressed
his strong disapproval of one man dictatorship as
it was, according to Cannon, personified in President
Gompers, of the Federation of Labor. The Speaker
ought to be able to fully appreciate the danger of
such assumption of power, for it is said, with con
siderable truth, that no measure can be enacted into
law by Congress without his
i i -4
Among the thousands of bills already introduced
in Congress are two that provide for the National in
corporation of companies doing interstate business.
permission.
One, proposed by Senator McCumber of North Dakota
permits the use of such charters, but does not make
their use mandatory. The other, introduced by Sen
ator Newlands, of Nevada, provides
charters with the consent of the states in which the
corporations operate. Thus the presidential idea has
received a start.
for national
+ 4
An echo from the war between Japan and Russia
comes in the concluding stages of the court martial
of General Stoesscl, Russian commander
Arthur, who is on trial for his life, being charged,
rather ungratefully, with the unnecessary surrender
of that stronghold. Vicarious atonement for the sins
of those whose dishonesty placed 'Russia powerless
at Port
before, an active foe may be attained through the
conviction of General Stoessel, but the civilized world
will not commend the act.
The Democratic Leader.
Senator Culberson, of Texas, has been selected
by the Democrats as their leader in the Senate. A
better choice could not have been made.
Senator Culberson is not brilliant or showy. He
is the opposite, in almost every characteristic of
mind, temperament, manner and method of his col
league, Senator Bailey. Bailey is always brilliant,
and on legal, especially Constitutional, questions
profound. He has not an equal as a debater on
either side of the chamber. He has a marvelously
attractive manner, which shines out conspicuously
in debate. His personal magnetism is well-nigh ir
resistible.
He is impulsive, quick to anger, too ready in
retort when political associates differ with him.
He was made the leader of his party in the House,
and would without doubt have been made the leader
in the Senate had it not been that his character has
been blackened.
He is not fitted for leadership and his friends fully
understand that his temperament disqualifies him
for a leader. Yet so great are his abilities and so
pleasing his personality, that, he would have been
made leader in the Senate as he was in the House,
although the error would be fully understood and
acknowledged in advance.
He is not to be thought of, however, and was
not mentioned because of the suspicion which is
widespread, that as an attorney he did things which
are not compatible with the high office of United
States Senator. The fact that the charges were not
proven, and that the Legislature elected him not
withstanding the charges, does not count. He has
lost the confidence of the people. His wonderful
abilities do not avail him. He is a Senator, but any
thing and everything he does or says is taken as
the utterance of a discredited man.
The Democratic Senators turn to his colleague
and antithesis. Culberson has the respect of every
one, but gives his entire confidence to no one. He
does not seek intimacy with his colleagues or friends,
neither giving them the secrets of his heart
nor
allowing them to unbosom themselves completely to
him. He is safe and sure.
There is no danger
that he will disgrace himself or his party. His
abilities are of a high order, and his colleagues will
never hesitate to follow when he leads in debate,
matter what the subject. They will know that
he has carefully fortified himself, and even though
he may be wrong, will make a creditable showing.
There are few, very few, better lawyers, if any, in
the Senate. The Senators realize this, and Culber
son will surprise the country now that he is in the
no
limelight. The Republican leaders will be slow to
attack him.
He is cool and always calculating, and
will bait many traps with innocent looking resolu
tions of inquiry—and if his opponents are not al
ways wary will entice them into the open when
they should have remained under
cover.
Culberson will make few blunders in tactics and
will put the Republicans in many awkward predica
ments.
He lacks in aggressiveness and dash,
is over-cautious and over-calculating,
be absolutely nothing of brilliancy in his leadership.
He would be ideal as leader of a victorious and
well-entrenched majority,
able in the defensive.
He
There will
He would be invulner
He will not lead his party
They will feel safe
into any dangerous places,
He is above any kind of suspicion
to the integrity of his acts or motives,
standards are high and rigid.
and approachable and you like him, but you don't
get very close up.
John Sherman, .or Senator Edmunds,
all the time.
as
His moral
Lie is companionable
He is very much like Senator
or may be
just between the two, with as much ability as either.
He is decidedly the best selection the Democratic
Senators could have made for a leader.
The Republicans in the Senate do not have a
leader and never did. The Republicans in the Sen
ate aie always led, and always were, and probably
always will be. The Democrats always have a
leader, and they never have followed, and probably
never will. The Republicans in the Senate have
oligarchy. Oligarchy is a Greek word
an
mean
ing the government by a few—oligos, few; archo
rule.
The Republicans
never caucus, yet vote always
on important matters, oi when the "few'*
wish it ; the Democrats frequently caucus, but never
vote solidly on important questions.
There has not been a time for twenty-five years,
at any rate, when any Republican has been desig
nated or recognized as leader in the Senate. The
oligarchy is always recognized and obeyed. Instead
solidly
of trying to break down this oligarchy, which would
seem to be the American way of doing things, the
other »Senators' great ambition is to become
of it. The oligarchy at present is reduced to three
one
Aldrich, Allison and Hale. There were four in
the last Congress, but one of them—Spooner—re
signed. Aldrich is now and has long been the
head or chief oligarch. When Senator Platt of
Connecticut lived he was about equal in power with
Aldrich. Allison has long been one, and Hale for
about eight years. Spooner became one about five
years ago. Mark Hanna never became an oligarch.
He recognized their power shortly after he became
a member of the Senate, yielded gracefully to it,
and would have become a member had he lived and
served a few more terms. Lodge has possessed
his soul in patience, he is tractability personified.
He never resents the decree of the oligarchy, even
when, as in the last Congress, they would not
allow his Philippine tariff bill to come before the
Senate. The fact that President Roosevelt
was
thundering messages to the Senate, that Taft
haunting the floors of the Senate and that Lodge
was chairman of the committee, did not lead Lodge
into any complaint or criticism.
was
He knows the
power of the oligarchy and his ambition is to be
one of the oligarchs.
The prestige which his intimacy with the Presi
dent gave him may have fooled outside people into
the belief that he is one of the rulers of the Senate,
but it didn't mislead Lodge,
out, Lodge has high hopes, so has Gallinger. For
Now that Spooner is
aker would love to be taken into the fold, but that
is impossible.
Anti=*RoOSeveIt Republicans.
He never will be a leader in the
Senate. The chances are that Lodge will take the
place and Gallinger will have to wait until Aldrich
retires.
There are anti-Roosevelt Republicans in Wash
ington and over the East generally and it is said
that they are conspiring against his nomination and
against his election should he be nominated.
Governor Cummins, of Iowa, is the latest authority
for the renewed statement that Mr. Roosevelt will
not permit his name to go before the Republican
convention that has been called to meet at Chicago
on the 16th of June, and Governor Cummins i
rather violent Roosevelt
enemies of the President
necessary.
Their hostility has manfested itself in an acute
form since the issuance of the message of the 3rd
inst. and they are preparing to contest the
is a
The activity of the
man.
may, therefore, be
un
suspect
ed intention of the President to
secure a third term
and to prevent the nomination of Secretary Taft.
Counting their forces, the administration
claim that Speaker Cannon already has his
State and
enemies
own
a part of Michigan, that Fairbanks has his
State and Kentucky, that Knox has Pennsylvania
and Hughes New York, that West Virginia will
be with them and that Ohio is an uncertain quantity,
although it has a favorite
ing -
or two in the groom
son
Senator Scott, of West Virginia, is the choice of
the reactionaries for chairman of the National
mittee and his hostility to the President is out
com
spoken.
So it is possible that Mr. Roosevelt might
able to secure the nomination should he
not be
aspire to it.
Mountain Home, the prosperous center of Elmore
Sn" ty ' 111 tIllS State ' has taken a place among the
Million Club promoters of Idaho. It has organized
a local commercial club with a membership of 100,
which will be considerably increased as the work of
the organization develops. The officers of the club
President, Roscoe W. Smith;
E. C. Helfrick; secretary, J. A. Siffert. The club
occupies commodious quarters in Mountain Home
and is ready to push along the boom that has over
taken Idaho.
are :
vice president,