The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-02-20
HOUSTON POST LETTER BOX

mated In 1894 by a majority or two-third
vcte--it should have been stated that he r.
cei,cd tvo-thirds vote. though nominate
undo, the majority rule. Tho answer Ms give,
two weeks ago seemed to convoy tho impress
sion that only majority OF the vote was re
ceived. whereas the Letter BOX edtor ~
ferred TO the rule then In force as TO tn,
votes required for nomination.
Will you let mo know who Is the author OF
the following little poem:
THE night has a thousand eyes.
The day but one;
But tho light OF the whole world ciea
With the setting sun.
Tho mind has a thousand eyes.
i The heart but one:
Yet the light OF whole life dies
/ When lovo Is done" J.G.K.
Tho author is F. w. Bourdili6n.
Why is virginia called tho Old Dominion,
MAN.
King Charles II was proclaimed In Virginia
before tho Invitation was extended to him 10
return from exile and mount his fathers
| throne. The title by which the colonial au-
thorities proclaimed him was King OF Eng
land. Scotland ireland and Virginia. The
| virginians were intensely royaiist during the
civil war In England. and sent special mes-
| scnger to Charles. begging him to come over
and rule In Virginia as king until he came
| to his own In England. 1t is said that he was
on the point OF sailing when Invited to Lon
don. AS q return for the loyalty Of the vir
ginans, he directed that the arms OF vir-
ginia be quartered with those OF England,
Scotland and Ireland as a separate member
OF TIE British empire. Hence tho colony was
known as the Dominion of Virginia." and
the word old was used TO distinguish the
present territory from other parts OF the
British colonial empire in America, much Of
which was originally known under the gem
eral name of Virginia.
Arc United States senator's aud representa-.
tives In congress Federal or State officers?
W.P.O.
Members OF congress are. In certain sense.
both National and State officials. The repre-
| sentatives are the servants OF the people, for
they are elected directly by the people, The
senators arc the servants OF the legislatures.
for the legislatures have the power to elect
senator's. hence 1t Is that when State leg
islature favors measure perdng before
congress Il passes resolution requesting
the representatives and 'irstructmg" the
senators to vote for II. The legislature OF n
State has no authority to direct the repre-
sentatives of the State to do anything, but
having the power to elect senators the leg
islature also possesses the power of instruct
ing them to net in certain way. A senator
who disoteys the instructions of his lesisa
turo does so at his own peril, and instances
have occIrred OF senators who were refused
a reelection because they disobeyed the In
structions of their legislatures. In very
high and important sense, however, both sem
ators and representatives are members Of the
National government. They direct the affairs
and the policy of the Federal government,
as they provide means for It's support and
continuance. and. In fact. constitute the gov
ernment, for tho powers Of the executive,
strictly speaking. are limited to tho execution
of the acts OF congress. and those OF the jul
dietary 10 the Interpretation of the laws which
congress has made
What is tho number and strength Of the
uavies Of the different nations? MOT
In the plumber of vessels of ell Kinds Great
Britain stands In the head of all nations,
with es5; France Ia next. with $40 vessels.
Ruseia third, 451 vessels; Spain and the Meth
erlands. 222 vessels each. Austria-liunghry,
$50 vessels, Denmark. 1874 vessels Portugal.
$50 vessels. and Sweden and Norway us yes
sels. To this list should be added Japan 8
?i7 war vessels. Brazil's I26, chna's li3 Ar
gentine Republics ss and Chile's &C. How
ever, this does not show the relative strength
OF the various nayies. That necessitatcs an
entirely different arrangement. According TO
II the various countries would rank as fol1
lows: l. Great Britain; 2, France; Q, Russia,
4. Italy. 8. United States; 6, Germany; Z
spain; s. Japan; 2. Austria Hungary; TO-
Netherlapdn, II. Turkey; u, Norway aud
sweden; H. Argentine Republic; II, Brazil
IL, Denmark. Is. Greece; II, Chile; IL, Port
ugal; 10, China.
swer If any timber abounds In the llondke |
gold region? II 80, how far from the mining |
district? APPS.
The Klondikc is not a timber region. About |
n quarter of the area Is within the Arctic |
Circle. The ground Is perpetualiy frozen. |
only tbawng out little on the surface In |
summer. There are parts OF Alaska which |
arc heavily wooded. such as the shores OF |
Prince William Sound, the coasts OF Cook In
let, tho Alexander archipelago. and the val
lcys OF the upper Yukon and It's tributaries.
these forests, even where ac
cessible from their nesrness to the coast, arc
OF little value. siuce they consist chiefly OF
the sitksn spruce. which has soft spongy
wood, and Is fun OF knots. II may have n
future value for wood pulp or aorne similar
use. but it has none now There Is some
yellow and red cedar, but the supply Is linn
tied.
Please inform me when the Twentleth CON
tury begins and when tho Nineteenth century
e1pires7 G,WF
The question when oEe century clids md
The other begins is one which. from time TO
time, agitatcs the minds OF persons who do
not stop to consider that numbers applied to
years IN no wise diner from numbers applied
10 dollars. The SUN OF 500 is complete when
100 coins have been counted out and the reck-
,ning Of the second 500 begins when the fret
Gin Is laid upon the counter. So with the
.entnries the Nneteentl century will be
,nded when 100 years have been numbered.
he Twentieth century win begin with the frs,
,..,r A. tba ne.t cent,try mr. Itnf