Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-07-31
WASHINGTON LETTER.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE !

Illinois brings to mind man who
made considerable of figure in Con
gress in his day. Gen. Farnswortl
had been an officer in the war, and
came into the halls of legislation later
as an active Republican. He met Gen
Butler Of Massachusetts there, and al
antipathy arose between the two men.
Gen. Farnsworth was hardly as strong,
Intellectually speaking, as Gen. But
Ter, but he was q dashing fighter on
the floor of the House, and, unlike
most of the men Butler met in the en-
counter of debate, Farnsworth was not
bit afraid of him. He took delight
in annoying Butler and challenging
him to verbal encounter, and when
the two men were engaged in it Farms
worth would say the sharpest and the
most aggravating things he could lay
his tongue to. He fairly kept Gen.
Butler on tho defensive, and spal |
no opportunity to irrtate him there.
Gen. Butler was 80 unused to this
form of attack that his readiness of re-
tort seemed much to fail him in his
encounters with Farnsworth, and he
was less aggressive than was his wont.
He was said to have found an oppor-
tunity to get even with the Illinoisian
on the occasion of one of Gen. Farms
worth's visits to New England, but
the latter was still defiant, and moth
ing of moment came of the affair.
Gen. Farnsworth lived to be nearly
eighty years of age, but he had failed
to be interested in politics for con-
siderable period.
A HOUSE DIVIDED AGAINST IrsELF-
The colored Baptists here are in much
trouble over the proposed removal of
Wayland seminary from this city to
Richmond, Va. As far as the facts
can be disentangled from the report
of the recent meeting of their associ-
alton, representatives thereof signed
an agreement for its removal which
the association now repudiates. The
report of the special committee, which
was accepted, protests against the ac-
tion of the managers of the home mis-
sion board at New York city, and
deeply regrets the deceptive method
by which such removal was brought
about, to the most serious injury of
colored Baptists Of this district"
The committee further state that 8" the
meeting at which the reported approx
al was made was called for entirely
another purpose, namely, to discuss
the advisability of raising the curricu-
lum to a college status, while it was
ill-advised into another development
of well-laid scheme of long standing
to deprive us of almost our racial
birthright." But from this We do not
learn whether the removal is to take
place or not.
A SMOOTH PoL1r1c1AN-It was Sena-
tor Ingalls, who said once that Senator
Allison was so velvet-footed that he
could dance across the Senate cham
ber on eggs and never break shell.
Another senator has described him as
SO smooth that you never know
whether he is coming toward you or
going away from you, while Senator
Burrows says that the Iowa senator
could walk from Washington to San
Francisco on the keys of piano and
never strike note. And now comes
Senator Pettus of Alabama aud says
Allison never makes a statement that
you can get hook into. And all
these tributes are substantially true.
MORE PLEASANTLY IN THE SENATE
"If the senator will he good enough, in
his great zeal, to wait, will thank
him." Senator Hoar remarked, with
suave severity, when Senator Allen
had interrupted him. "de is very
able man, but he is not so distin-
guished rs prophet as he is in other
branches of science" 81 will admit
that the senator from Massachusetts
is not only distinguished prophet"
Senator Allen interjected, "but in all
my life have never seen man who
knew so much" 81 did not hear
what the senator said," was Senator
Hoar's comment, "and 1 am glad 1
did not" (Laughter.)
CANT RESIST THE PREssURE-Presi-
dent Mckinley has decided to restore
the consular fees cut off by Mr.. Olney's
order during the last administration,
and thus offers further proof of his
to resist the pressure of the
spoilsmen. The report was chronicled
at the time the presidents cousin Os-
borne was appointed consul-general at
London, that the latter was hanging
around here trying to persuade the
president to rescind the Olney order,
which had greatly reduced the emolu-
ments of the post at London and this
has proven true.
CAN Now JUDGE HIS MoTIvE-Mr.
Powderly finally gets the immigration
commissionership, Notwithstanding the
protests of about every body of organ
lied labor in the country. How far
his labors on the Republican stump
last fall were disinterested can now he
Judged. But he earned this or some
hing equally as good. He made no
votes for the Republicans, but he had
to face hostile mob wherever he
spoke, and this was no light task.
SPEAKER REED THE HERo-The hero
Of the hour seems to he Speaker Reed,
is now wearing the scalps of the
sugar senators at his belt. He is the
only power found able to break into
hat nest of trust conspirators and
scatter them since the trust took pos
session Of the upper branch of Con-
yress. And he undoubtedly relishes
he performance. He has no love for
he Senate.
ONLY Four YEARs-The Post here,
which is not Democratic paper, re-
marks that just four short years ago
were engaged in Grip
,ing wicked Josiah Quincy up the
'ack' for making appointments of the
ame sort that are going on at Wash
ngtOn at present.
Luckily for the people who are sup
,osc1 IN reside unon tho Mai nef Mars