The Idaho scimitar. [volume], January 11, 1908, Page 7, Image 7

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

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The Height of a Boom.
Since the return of Mr. Taft from his swing
around the mundane sphere his Presidential boom
has been given all the stimulation that political or
ganization could inject into a situation. Mr. Roose
velt has expressed confidence in the success of his
Presidential selection in the National convention on
about the second ballot.
State and county committees qf the party are re
solving, under the magnetic inspiration of their chief,
that Taft is the coming man. The Southern States,
ever waiting by the roadside for the band wagon
with its cargo of Federal offices, are affected by
these demonstrations in behalf of Marse Taft and
are likely to stampede for a place in the line-up.
Beyond these demonstrations, all of a surface char
acter, it cannot be said that the mass of the Repub
lican party has any defined intention to place the
Secretary of War in the running. His boom is thus
far the artificial product of an administration ma
chine that is necessarily powerful along its organized
lines.
In the States of the Middle West it is advanced
by the anti-Roosevelt element, with the advocates
of the policies of the administration standing by in
sullen silence, wondering why they have been pushed
aside and the work of nominating Taft given over
to the enemies of the administration—the devotees
of the old Hanna machine.
There is nothing at all healthful in the inflated
boom of the Presidential favorite, just now at the
zenith of its notoriety, and after it has had its brief
day, collapse is likely to destroy its symmetrical pro
portions.
Mr. Roosevelt places in his list of "certain for
Taft" the States of Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma,
North Dakota and South Dakota—prairie States all
of them, insistent on immediate tariff revision with
several highly protected commodities on the free list,
while Mr. Taft is conspicuously on a stand-pat plat
form.
Conclusions that are reached through the medium
of party committees of counties and of States are
deceptive, for few voters will follow the lead of
committee in these times, unless they choose to go
that way. The spirit of independence that actuates
the custodian of the ballot is strongly defined and
when the shouters open the Presidential year with
the announcement that Mr. Taft is already as good
as nominated they have not a very clear conception
of what the sixth month of the year has in store for
them and their favorite.
Naval War At Home.
No sooner had the great fighting fleet under com
mand of Admiral Evans cleared for its far away
Pacific destination than there arose a conflict within
the naval establishment at Washington that prom
ises to last through the Congressional session and
perhaps longer. The question, can a doctor com
mand a ship of the navy arose, and the President,
with Rooseveltian promptitude, decided that he could
and he proceeded to give practical effect to his judg
ment.
In compliance with the recommendation of Sur
geon General Rixey, that officer was directed to place
a naval surgeon in command of the hospital ship
Relief, whereupon Admiral Brownson, chief of the
bureau of navigation, tendered his resignation and
it was accepted by the President. This opened a
controversy between naval officers of the line and
naval officers of the staff and their respective parti
the surgeon placed in command of the Relief
sans.
being of the staff and Admiral Brownson of the line.
The latter, finding himself overshadowed by the
surgeon general, who is of the staff, concluded that
his dignity was assailed, «. surrendered the position
that he believes entitled him to more authority than
that reposed in a mere doctor.
Senator Hale, of Maine, chairman of the Senate
committee on naval affairs, takes the side of Ad
miral Brownson, holding that "it would be subver
sive of order and discipline for a surgeon to be in
command of a naval vessel, manned by a crew of
naval seamen. 1
introduction in Congress through which he proposes
to prevent by legislation any future transactions of
the character that caused Admiral Brownson to re
tire from his position.
He will undertake to deprive the Navy Department
of authority to advance staff officers to the command
of ships. The staff officers are surgeons, paymasters,
chaplains and engineers, none of whom are trained
to fight ships or to command officers of the line.
Surgeon General Rixey, whose recommendation
was approved by the President, is the White House
physician, occupying about the same position that
enabled Dr. Wood, now Major General Wood, to
jump from a low civilian position into a high mili
tary position over the heads of veterans of long
service, educated to military duties.
Senator Hale is one of the managers of the Sen
ate and if he pushes his proposed bill, the naval
controversy will have an airing in the Senate dur
ing the winter.
Mr. Hale has prepared a bill for
A Union Legislature.
In calling the Legislature of Nevada together,
Governor Sparks states that he will inform that
body when organized, of the purpose for which it
was convened. Through some process, not outlined,
the Legislature will be asked "to adjust by legisla
tion, if possible, the controversy existing between the
miners and the mine owners."
If, among other things, the Governor asks the
Legislature to call upon the National authorities for
the presence of troops at Goldfield, it is anticipated
that his request will not be complied with. The
Carson City Appeal, commenting on the situation,
says that in the Legislature "one of the most bitter
fights in the history of the State will be fought" be
tween the friends of the mine owners and the friends
of the mine workers.
"Many, a great many, of the members of the Leg
islature," says The Appeal, "are sympathizers and
active members of the Western Federation, and it
is claimed that some of them carry I. W. W. cards.
For this reason it is clearly seen that the weight
of power seems to be in the union members and
the session will probably result in a failure to ask
for the Federal troops." Such is the opinion of a
newspaper at the capital of the State.
The Governor consented to call the session only
after great pressure had been brought to bear by
citizens of the State. He does not believe that the
session will result in a call for troops, and that is
undoubtedly the reason why he made the appeal him
self, in the first instance, when the Federal Consti
tution required him to send in the call to the Na
tional authorities through the Legislature.
The people of Nevada are disposed to resent the
lecture delivered to the Governor of the State by
the President of the United States when he found
that he had ordered troops to Goldfield contrary to
the provisions of the Constitution. They feel that
the National executive should not visit the verbal
consequences of his own blunder upon the repre
sentative of a turbulent commonwealth who was not
the judge of the constitutionality of his act.
The Carson City paper says further :
In the calling of the session the Governor has
taken the weight of the present controversy off his
own shoulders and -the people of the State must ac
knowledge that he has done the best thing possible
considering all things equally.
The action of the Legislature is necessary if the
troops are to remain within the State, and the cry
on all sides has been that they remain. It is now
up to the Legislature whether the will of the people
will be their decision or whether the lives and prop
erty in the camp of Goldfield must be protected by
a small force of deputies.
Federal troops are to remain at Goldfield until the
legislative experiment is made, the President seem
ing to assume that he has done his duty to the Con
stitution in Scolding the Governor.
ACHIEVEMENT
VS.
UNCERTAINTY
The Difference Between the
Irrigation Project at
MOUNTAIN
HOME
And a good many other Projects that
you read about is this:
We Now Have Water
—FOR—
25,000 Acres of Land
The cream of the Snake River Valley
The system cost $750,000.00.
It is entirely paid for.
Not a bond has ever been issued.
THE RESERVOIRS )
THE CANALS . .
THE WATERS. . )
ARE HERE
The capacity of this system will
be increased to 75,000 acres within
two years.
This is the largest storage reservoir
project in the State of Idaho.
Perpetual Water Rights
$30.00 per Acre.
Mountain Home now has 2000 people.
4000 IN ONE YEAR
WATCH US
For Complete Information Address
J. -3. SIFFERT, Secretary,
Mountain Home Commercial Club,
MOUNTAIN HOME, IDAHO.