Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1897-05-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.
NAL Hall Billy Mason In the Sem
ato--Reed the Elusive.
ESPECIAL correspondence


friendly rivalry between the several
chapters 10 determine which chapter
shall succeed in raising the most money
toward the Colonial hall which the ma
tional society is to build One chapter
has had lecture, another is to give a
dramatization of "Alice In Wonder
land" and another proposes to give a
colonial ball. The society is the largest
organization of women in the country,
| believe, and am told that its annual
income is something like $4,000 a
year. When you consider that the pro-
posal to erect hall which shall rank
with the buildings of the government
does not seem presumptuous, and even
the great scheme of the society-a Sc
cret as yet-does not seem utterly i'm
possible. Colonial hall is to be built,
congress willing, on government land,
and it is TO be so built that the entire
lower floor can be thrown into one
room, in which shall be held the inau-
gural balls.
Mason and the Senate Rules.
The attack of Senator Billy Mason
of Illinois on senate traditions and SEN
ate rules has made him a conspicuous
figure in the capital. Il was as radical
as Senator Mason when l first came to
the senate" said Senator Chiffon of
Texas recently, land thought that the
rules ought to be changed instanter.
The more one studies the matter, how
ever, the more one is convinced that
the present system is the proper one.
The trouble is that the advocates of "a
change start out with violently un-
true assumption when they say that the
minority rules the majority, and that
no votes are ever taken. The fact Is
that there never was measure that had
behind it a positive, earnest majority
that did not come TO vote. Even the
so called force bill came to vote
and was displaced, although that meas
ure is often cited as IA case where the
minority defeated legislation. Of course
Senator Mason will get good deal of
attention, and some time ago | would
have agreed with him, but l am not
ashamed TO say DOW that l have learned
wisdom, and that there are things that
need reforming a good deal more than
unlimited debate in the senate.
Speaking of Mason reminds me that
even being a senator is not by any means
all beer and skittles. Mason came to
Washington determined to answer every
letter that might be sent to him. He
has kept his resolve. He has worked IA
hours day He has kept five clerks
busy all the time, and he told me that
the answering of his letters so far has
cost him more than half his salary.
Elusive Speaker Reed.
Speaker Reed is as elusive as the
Irishman's flea.
Representative Fleming of Georgia
made an effort on the floor recently to
show that an appeal from the speakers
decision was debatable question. Mr..
Reed said that it was not.
After the adjournment Mr.. Fleming
went to the speaker with "a little red
book. 1t was entitled Reeds Parlia-
mentary Rules. In it was a paragraph
which showed that the appeal could be
debated
What do you say TO that?" asked
Mr. Fleming triumphantly.
Il see it, drawled Mr. Reed as he
cast his eye over the paragraph in his
book But, Mr. Fleming, the book is
wrong.
The secretary of certain senator
went into the stationery room of the
senate the other day to get a paper of
pins. Il wonder what in the world be-
comes Of all the pins, he remarked to
the clerk in charge of the room.
once put that question to Benz Per
ley Poore, answered the clerk, land
his reply was the only satisfactory one
l ever heard Why, said he, the pin
falls to the ground and is lost, for then
1T becomes terra pin.
John Aliens New Cane.
John Allen of Mississippi, the joker
of the house, carries a new cane. 1t is a
straight stick with a long and flexible
branch twisted around it. This stick, /"
Mr.. Allen remarked to a Washington
Post reporter, came from the grave of
George Washington and was given to
me because | embody all of his virtues
and none Of his vices. The straight part
of the stick represents me, and this
branch is the Democratic party clinging
to me
Somebody asked Mr.. Allen how he
stood on the contest over the Democrat
&c position in the house. "Oh, we'll, 4"
said he, Il haven't been registered yet,
and think l am on both sides IL re-
minds me Of man in my county who
was running for the legislature. / met
him one day and said to him, Bob,
how are you getting along with the
Prohibitionists?' All right, said he.
And how? said l. We'll, said he, L
drink with the liquor men and vote
with the Prohibitionists "
The Blind Chaplain of the Senate.
Blind though he is, there is nothing
in the way Of current events that es-
capes the chaplain Of the senate. He
knows the contents of the morning pa
per by heart when he comes to address
the throne of grace, and his morning
invocation with which the senate is
opened, always contains some reference
to the latest news, whether il be the
death of senator, or the extent of the
Hoods, or the development of war in