The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1897-03-03
WASHINGTON NEWS.

tlmatelN control the country said a
recently elected member of Congress
the other day, but the newspapers.
Look ut the present House. There are
Dingley, Boutelle. Cummings. Quigg,
Barrett, Mccormick, Hart and n dozen
or two other newspaper men, all of
whom owe their election to the fact
that they ARE newspaper men. You
hear Il great deal Of talk. now and
then, about the power of the press. but
| don't believe that the power of the
press Is half appreciated. Journalists,
more than men in other professions,
get close TO the people. and from con
slant study of the conditions of affairs
i'll everyday walks of life see and ap-
preciatc their needs aud Impress them
with their sympathy and interest. The
people are naturally glad 10 have such
men represent them. One of these
days the majority OF both Houses and
Senate will be made up of newspaper
men"
This Is, perhaps too broad II proph
eey but 1t Is certain that a great num-
her of the members of the House and
some of the Senators are, directly or
indirectly, interested in journalism. In
the upper house Senator Lee Mantle Is
the owner and proprietor of THE In
ter Mountain" published In Butte.
Mont; Senator Hawley Is the owner
aud was ut one time editor of THE
Hartford Courant"; Senator Hans
brough owned and managed paper
in San lose, Cal, and in his young and
eallow days was on the stan of The
San Francisco Chronicle; Senator
Buffers paper bears the suggestive
name of THE Clinton Caucasian" and.
according to his own statement, has
probably the largest circulation and Is
one of the most influential papers in
the State" while Senator PETER adj
mits In his biography. published in
The Congressional Directory that lac
established and conducted two news
papers.
In the lower house Mr.. Cummings
aud Mr. Qugg are the best known
Journalists but no less than twenty
five of their colleagues are or have
been engaged in newspaper work.
Curious Stock Exchange Members.
The Chairman of the New York
Stock Exchange In announcing the
death Of George l., Lemon few days
ago added To the usual formal atnte-
ment that the deceased had never been
on the floor Of the Exchange or trans
acted any business there. a good
many men seldom appear on the floor
but they are generally Representa-,
there by other members of their firms
and much business is transacted II
their names.
But here was n ease where n MAJ
held n seat that cost him ut least So
900 simply for the personal satlsfn'
ton 1t gave him, or perhaps thinkin
that he might use 1t some day. II wa
SO unusual that brokers commcnto
upon II and asked each other who NJ
Lemon was.
II came out that he was once ON Il
floor, but his appearance was so mo,
est and quiet that IL an old memb,
had not Iaked his memory the al
nouncemcnt Of the Chairman woul
have gone into Exchange archives n
true.
Mr. Lemon bought his seat In 1887
a few days later he entered the 0filc,
Of friend in Wall street, who was I
member of the Exchange.
81 have been in the gallery of Ill,
Stock Exchange with The rest Of til,
uninltiatcd public" he said, land
would Ike for once TO see how things
look from the floor. I bought seal
the other day"
So the two men went over To the En-
change and Mr.. Lemon passed tho
doubly guarded gates and stood on the
floor where millions Of dollars somc
times change hands in II single day.
He walked around to the different trad
Ing posts, watched the transaction of
business for n while and had the myS
terles OF stock buying and selling OK
planned TO him. Then he looked up in
the gallery where he had once stood
when he did not have sos 900 or II seat.
After that, Mr. Lemon did not visit
the Exchange again. His home and his
business were In Washington and he
had plenty of affairs 10 keep him busy
without coming over To New York to
deal in stocks.
In Washington he was known as
Captain Lemon, who made n large
fortune In the pension business, for hc
was one Of the first TO establish an
agency nfter the close Of tho war He
owned the National Tribune that al
one time had large circulation. He
was bachelor aud left more than II
million dollars to be divided among
relatives and friends. His will ordered
all his property sold and large por
ton of the proceeds will he given In
$4,000 and SO 600 sums to the people
whom he liked
Millions for PonsIonz.
one Of the most striking facts Ia tho
report OF the Interior Department Is
that during the last thirty-onc years On
since the close Of the ciyll war In 1863
the Government has paid out for pen
siOns including the cost OF distributing
them, the enormous sum Of 81 ,03i ,S17,
100
The amount paid last year, $l3S,2l4,
7Gl, 81, was nearly 100000 less thar
that Of the previous year, and for be
low that Of 1893. Stlll, once more the
pr0dlgious annual sum Of $4,000, 900
which Is more than double the average
Of the thirty-one years, Is required, tha
being the estimate for the twelve
months beginning July !, 1897 II IL
, therefore absolutely certain that the
aggregate pension outlay since the wal
will, within three or -four years, have
exceeded the amount Of the whole in
terest- bearing public debt, when at Ms
climax In fact, two and a half years
more at the present rate Of appropria
tons will put the pension expendl.
lures at tho top. SENATOR