The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-02-27
CAPITAL CHAT.
Justice Field is Active on the
Supreme Bench.
Senator Hoar Is Polite, but Firm--Eeform
In Buying Coai-Praise For Vice Prssi-
dent stevenson--Deveiopmcn Of the Far
East-The Nicaragua Canal.

dent Development Of the Far
East-The Nicaragua Canal.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 90. Especial. T.
There is great deal of talk about supreme
court and cabinet changes these days on
account OF the Jackson vacancy on the
bench. An official of the supreme court
said today; For the last ten years. to my
knowledge, there has been talk Of the re-.
tirement OF Justice Field, yet here he Is
still, apparently the most active man on
the bench. As a matter Of fact, he does
his full share of work, notwithstanding
he is nearly 80 years old. In few days
Justice Field will celebrate the thirty-sec-
ond anniversary Of his appointment to the
bench by President Lincoln, and we con-
ldently expect him to round out at least
full third OF century. That will be
great record for man who was nearly so
years old when he became member OF
the court. In his thirty and more years OF
service Justice Field has seen a full court
come and 60. Chief. Justice Waite and
Associate Justices Strong, Bradley, Hunt,
Woods, Matthews, Blatchford, Lamar and
jackson have come to the bench and dis
appeared by death, resignation or retire
ment for age since Justice Field was ap-
pointed. That makes exactly full court
of chief justice and eight associate JUS
tices that has risen and gone during his
career upon the bench"
Senator Hoar's Fad.
Senator Roar Of Massachusetts has one
fad that is dear to his heart. He has con-
stituted himself the guardian angel Of
The Congressional Record. Whenever a
senator wishes TO have inserted in The
Record a newspaper or magazine article
90 which he may have taken fancy, or
which re-enforces his argument there are
just two ways in which he may accom-
plish his purpose. One is TO wait till Mr..
Hoar steps out of the senate chamber, and
the other is TO read the article as a part OF
his remarks. Any other procedure Mr..
Iloar instantly objects 10, and though he
offers his objection with Chesterfieldian
politeness and with expressions of his very
lgreat and deep regret that it should be
necessary for him to inconvenience In the
slightest the distinguished senator from
somewhere, for whom he entertains the
most profound respect, duty calls, and so
on. Mr. Hoar says at some time or other
In the dim past a newspaper article insert
ed in The Record by unanimous consent
was found TO contain disagreeabie per-
sonal illusions TO a senator, and that can
not be endured. The only way to prevent
IL is by refusing publication to all such
articles as have not been read by senators
as part of their speeches.
Reform In Buying Coal.
Congress has done one good thing dur
ing the session now drawing TO a close, at
least, IL has reformed the method fol-
lowed here for about 80 years In buying
coal for the government. Such queer
way of buying coal our forefathers did
employl They arranged it so that somo
clerk in the department which was buying
the fuel should personally attend to the
weighing and delivery of the loads as they
were presented and should receive com
pensation therefor at the rate Of 90 cents a
cord of wood or 90 cents ton Of coal, to
be paid by the seller. Amore vicious sys-
tenn than TO make the representative Of
the government also the employee Of the
contractor, receiving his emolument from
the latter, could not be well imagined.
Secretary Morton was the first to call at
tention TO this remarkable way OF doing
business, and since change of method
was instituted he says the department OF
agriculture burns about 80 per cent less
coal and wood than IL did before.
In these closing days Vice President
Stevenson has to work very hard. A great
many questions of order arise every day,
and 10 Is important the vice president
should be In his chair as much OF the time
as possible. It has been found In practice
that in times Of activity any effort to di-
vide the time between two presiding off,
GERS is pretty sure to result In confusion,
though 1t is easy enough to do that in ordi-
nary times. More than one day this week
the vice president has sat in the chair from
IL in tho morning till In the evening
without getting bite of lunch. Senators
on both sides of the chamber agree that
Mr.. Stevenson has made one OF the best
presiding officers the senate has ever had
His manners are perfect, his decisions
models of learning and elegance, and his
grace and oourtliness in tho chair or in
his relations To senators simply ideal. Gen
eral Stevenson is quite rs popular with
the Republicans as with the Democrats OF
the senate.
Eyes Upon China.
Senator Brice ana other public men
here who have made money in railroad