Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-10-30
WASHINGTON LETTER.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS. !


ment this week of II consul to Rheims
France, recalls the struggle made by 1
woman for the appointment of her hus
band tn that place. During the excit
ing days of the presidential election Il
young actor named Edward Vroom Of
fered his services to the Republican
National committee and made nun.
ber of speeches for sound money in
New York and other eastern states.
After the battle had been fought and
the victory won, some one suggested
to the actors wife that it would be Il
good thing for him tn apply for IL con,
sulate and spend year abroad study
ing the continental theatres and
schools of acting. The suggestion
pleased Mrs. Vroom, and she selected
Rheims as her choice of consulates.
because it was near Paris, and would
allow her husband every opportunity
Tor study or the drama. 4 few ,lnys
after the inauguration Mrs. Vroom
came to Washington fortified with let
ters of introduction from prominent
men and began her campaign. She
first enlisted the sympathies of the
newspaper men in her behalf, and then
spent days in getting the endorse
ments of senators and members of
Congress. She became acquainted
with the officials at the state depart
ment, and everything seemed favor
able for the success. of her mission.
She became frequent visitor to the
White House, as well as the Capitol,
and before the adjournment of Con
gress she had made her cause 50 we'll
known and pressed har claim so en-
Enthusiastically and earnestly that every
one felt certain that her husband
would secure the appointment if only
as o reward for his wife's persistence
and devotion. But days passed into
weeks, and weeks into months, and
still the nomination was not made.
Finally, Congress adjourned, and the
president announced that no more
consular appointments would be made
until the fall. But even this did not
dampen the ardor of the little woman,
who remained in Washington for some
time after Congress left. When final
ly the president departed for his sum-
mer rest, Mrs. Vroom, after her months
of campaigning, went home satisfied
that when the president returned the
would be made. The an
nouncement this week, however, ends
the fight, and another case is added to
the already long list of disappointed
office-seekers.
The REFUSAL Is FINAL Great
Britain's refusal to participate in the
seal conference here, because of the pre-
sence of Russian and japanese delegates
is now absolute and final, owing, as is
frankly admitted in London, to Cana
da's protest. The hope is extended
that the British government may con-
sent to a conference solely between
British, Canadian and American repre-
sentatives, and to that extent Mr.. Fos-
ter's widely heralded diplomatic tri-
umph may yet be signal and complete.
But at present the seal business is as
tangled as ever. Thanks
to the shutting of the marquis OF Sails
bury it has almost touch of the ridi-
culous. What rational objection there
could be to participating in conven-
tion of professors in marine zoology in
a joint search for facts regarding seal
life is not clear, for the conclusions OF
the learned men would not be binding
and they could only have moral ef-
feet upon public opinion. Does Cana
IL t1,a Eno1 ln%o
of the facts?
The PRESIDENTS PoRrRA1r--The
presence of large, blue satin-covered
chair on dais in the northern end of
the east room of the White House has
caused O great deal of comment. and
no end of questioning by the hundreds
of visitors to the executive mansion
recently. Many have desired to know
if this chair, on it's raised platform,
was throne on which the president
was seated when he held his tri-weekly
receptions, but they were all told that
it was simply seat which the presi
dent used when sitting for the artist
who is painting his portrait. The chair
and the dais have stood in the same
place for many days, having been
placed in that position by the artist,
who wanted to secure the best light
possible. The portrait of the presi-
dent, which is being painted for the
vice president, is almost life-size, and
it is not finished, both the
subject and the artist are much pleased
with it.
WILL Go OVER TO JANUARY-As the
retirement of Justice Field will leave
the supreme court short of full bench
for the time being, the Joint traffic as
sociation case will 60 over until Janu-
ary, when it is expected that the va
cancy will be filed. This case involves
questions supposed to have been de-
finitely decided in the trans Missouri
decision, but it seems not. 1t is al
most certain, by the way, that Attor-
McKenna will be named
to succeed Justice Field ON the su-
preme court bench. 1t was with this
in view that the Califor-
nian came to Washington, and the
pIoiuOuIOh Wouil HdNc Dccu Hlutc
sooner, but Justice Field desired to
break the record for length of service
OH the bench. 1t can also be stated
that it is the present intention of the
president to appoint some one outside
the Cabinet to succeed Judge McKen-
na as encouragement.
A RIGHT TO Be INDIGNANT -Secre.
tary Sherman has right to be indig-
nant at the gossips. who seize rumor
md magnify it into report that he is
about to retire from the Cabinet.
These mischievous conjectures cannot
all to be annoying to the secretary of
state, who is overseeing the delicate
md important conduct of his depart
nent with the entire confidence of
President Mckinley, and whose chief
lieutenant, Judge Day, brings to his
i'd the most effective assistance.
Cultivation implies something to cul-
ivate. We plant the seed in favor