The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1897-07-21
WASHINGTON NEWS.

tlmately control the country, sad a
recently elected member of Congress
the other day, but the newspapers.
Look at the present House. There are
Dingley, Boutelle, Cummings, Quigg,
Barrett, Mccormick, Hart and dozen
or two other newspaper men, all of
whom owe their election to the fact
that they are newspaper men. You
hear a 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
in everyday walks of life see and APP
preciate their needs and impress them
with their sympathy and interest. The
people are naturally glad to 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 a proph-
ecy, but it is certain that great num-
Der 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
and was ut one time editor of The
Hartford Courants; Senator Hans
brough owned and managed paper
in San Jose, Cal, and in his young and
callow days was on the staff 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
mits in his biography, published in
THE Congressional Directory" that he
established and conducted two news
papers.
In the lower house Mr. Cummings
and Mr.. Quigg 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 f. Lemon few days
ago added to the usual formal state
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 represented
there by other members of their firms,
and much business is transacted In
their names.
But here was ease where man
held seat that cost him ut least $50,
600 simply for the personal satisfac-
ton it gave him, or perhaps thinking
that he might use 1t some day. 1t was
so unusual that brokers commented
upon it and asked each other who Mr.
Lemon was.
1t came out that he was once on the
floor, but his appearance was so mod
est and quiet that if an old member
had not raked his memory the an
nouncement of the Chairman would
have gone into Exchange archives as
true
Mr. Lemon bought his seat in 1855.
A few days later he entered the Office
member of the Exchange.
Il have been in the gallery of the
Stock Exchange with the rest of the
unlnitiated public" he said. "and
would like for once to see how things
look from the floor | bought seat
the other day"
SO the two men went over to the Ex-
change and Mr. Lemon passed the
LOUDLY guarded gates and stood on the
floor where millions of dollars some
times change hands in single day
lie walked around to the different trad
ing posts, watched the transaction of
business for a while and had the mys-
teries OF stock buying and selling ex-
planned to him. Then he looked up in
the gallery where he had once stood
when he did not have $25, 200 or a seat
After that, Mr.. Lemon did not visit
tht dSdil Ills anu HIS
business We're in Washington ana he
had plenty of affairs to keep him busy
without coming over to New York to
deal in stocks.
In Washington he was known as
Captain Lemon, who made large
fortune in the pension business, for he
was one of the first to establish an
agency after the close of the war. He
owned the National Tribune, that at
one time had large circulation. He
was a bachelor and left more than n
million dollars to be divided among
relatives and friends. His " ordered
all his property sold and n iirge por-
ton Of the proceeds will be given In
$4,000 and $4,000 sums 10 ;he people
whom he liked
Millions for Pensions
One of the most striking facts in the
report Of the Interior Department is
that during the last thirty-one years, or
since the close of the civil war in 1860.
the Government has paid out for pen
sions, including the cost of distributing
them, the enormous sum of 81 .034. S11.,
1863
The amount paid last year, $13S, 214,.
1914, was nearly 100000 less than
that of the previous year. and for be
low that of 1898 Still, once more the
prodlgious annual sum of $4,000, 900.
which is more than double the average
of the thIrty-one years. is required, that
being the estimate for the twelve
months beginning July l, 1897. 1t is
therefore absolutely certain that the
aggregate pension outlay since the war
will, within three or four years, have
exceeded the amount of the whole in
terest-bearing public debt, when at its
climax. In fact. two and a half years
more at the present rate of appropria,
tions will put the pension expendi-
t,,r