Evening star., 1897-03-16
THE WHITE HOUSE
How the Message Game to Go in
Yesterday.
THE FIGHT ON COLONEL Otis
typographical Union Protests
Against His Appointment.
SOME OF TODAY'S CALLERS

The sending of the Presidents message
to Congress yesterday afternoon was en-
tirely unexpected In no quarter was it
locked for until today. The President him
self did not expect to have it ready until
this morning. His experience in the House
made him think that Congress would not
be ready to receive any messages until this
morning. When the congressional commit
tee waited upon him at 2:oO o'clock yester-
DAY afternoon he was just finishing some
corrections in the message. He was sur
prised, but Immediately got the message
in shape and hurriedly dispatched it to the
Capitol. Throughout yesterday the Presi-
dent was at work on changes in the mes
sage. AS late as l o'clock he sent Mr..
Pruden to the Treasury Department to Sc
cure some of the figures which he used in
the message. He was also engaged in ver-
flying other figures which he used.
1t was probably not necessary for the
President to have sent the message imme-
diately, but he felt it his duty 10 do so.
Hereafter, Secretary Porter, VINO is a
newspaper man, will have copies of such
documents ready for the press. The extra
Star yesterday, containing the message,
Was out before it was known to New York
papers that the document had been sent to
Congress.
Power of Modern Journalism.
The power of modern journalism to adapt
itself to unexpected circumstances and to
virtually annihiate such obstacles time
in order to serve the public the latest in
telligence of event within the shortest
possible period after 1t occurs was eXem-
pified in a most striking manner yester-
day by the manner in which The Evening
Star made known President Mckinley's
important message to Congress. Owing to
TIE impression prevailing at the White
House, as stated above, that the House of
Representatives would not be organized
yesterday in time to listen to the message,
the information was given out to the press
associations that the document would not
be sent to Congress until today and there
fore the copies usually distributed for the
use of the press were withheld. The House,
he Wever, organized in very short order,
ard when this became known at the White
House. President Mckinley decided to send
his message to the Capitol
The message announced in the Sem
ate dt $40 o'clock pm. Ten seconds later
the telegraph notified The Star editorial
rooms of the fact, and in another five
onds the composing room was in readiness
to meet the unexpected demand upon il
AT 3:2J o'clock The Evening Star published
a postscript containing an intelligent
densation of the message. and a few min
utes later an extra was issued contain
ing the message in full. The extra follow
ed so closely upon The Stars regular edi-
tion that it was served to over one-haf OF
The Stars thousands of regular subscribe
ers. The perfection of the modern news
paper and the ease and ability with which
its remarkable equipment allows it to meet
extraordinary demands We're never better
Illustrated than in the manner in which
The Evening Star handled President Nc
kinleys message yesterday evening.
Cabinet Day and Callers.
Owing to this being cabinet day, the
lively few. A number Of members and ex-
members of Congress presented themselves
before the hour fer the cabinet meeting
Some of them were accompanied by friends
The congressional callers We're admitted
Tor short conferences. but all of them had
departed by the time the cabinet members
arrived.
Fight ON Col. Otis.
A formal fight against the appointment
OF Col. Harrison Gray Otis Of California as
assistant secretary of war was begun to-
day, and will, 1t is said, be waged unre-
lentingly. Col. Otis has been regarded as
almost certainty for this position. In ad-
dition to being a man of prominence in
his state he has been known an original
Mckinley man and en- close terms with the
President and other men of prominence in
the administration. This morning Repre-
sentative Jesse Overstreet called on Pres-
dent Mckinley and entered a formal pro-
test against the appointment of Col Otis.
This protest was on behalf of the Inter
rational Typographical Union, which has
its headquarters at Indianapolis, the dis
trict represented by Mr.. Overstreet. Mr.
Overstreet did not present any papers, but
Will do 50 later. President Prescott of the
union is at the head of the fight. His OPP
position is on the ground that Col. Otis
Is an enemy of organized labor. He charges
that Col. Otis Is now employing non-union
printers on his paper. the Los Angeles
Times. Mr.. Overstreet spoke plainly to
the President on the subject saying he did
not think so powerful an organization
the printers could be antagonized. OF
course there is no idea how the fight will
end, but it is thought that it will delay
the Appointment for SOME time. Nothing
will be done until there is a hearing of the
matter.
Pennsylvania Delegation.
Senator Penrose of Pennsylvania was
again a caller today. He was accompanied
by the following members Of the house
from mis- state: Messrs. Arnold, Connell
Culp Robbins Olmstead Bran, Hicks and
Butler. Several Of these were introduced to
the President for the first time. Repre-
sentative Arnold asked the President 10
appoint w. Irvine Shaw of ClearfielI Pa,
consul to Bordeaux, France. Senator
Penrose also asked for the appointment
The Pennsylvania men had minor matters
of their own to talk with the President
about.
Pickler to BE Provided For.
Senator Kyle of South Dakota, accompa-
MED by ex-Representative Picker, had q
talk with the chief executive. They stated
that they had seen the President In refer
ence to the appointment of Judge John A.
Drake of Syracuse, n. Y, TO a consulsl.ip
in Germ ny. Judge Drake formerly lived in
South Dakota. He is being urged for ap-
pcintment by Representative Belden of
the same matter. Mr. Pickler said nothing
to the President about his own aspirations,
but was again assured that he would he
properly cared for Mr. Pickler will not
press his case. but will leave himself in
the hands of the President.
w. S. Glass of South Dakota is b,;np
Urged by Senator Kyle for q consulsh;D in
Scotland or Australia. He will get some
thing. it is said.
Representative j. V. Croft of Illinois re-
quested the President to appoint J. III.
Franklin of Toluca, Ill.,, as auditor of the
treasury for the War Department Mr..
Franklin was formerly a deputy auditor
in the Treasury Department.
Representative Prince of Illinois also cali
ed in behalf of a constituent.