Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-02


Written for The Evening Star.
The superstition about thirteen works
both ways in the hotel business" voiun-
teered the proprietor of one of our hotels
to a Star reporter, Though in the great
majority Of cases 1t is against any roor,
that is numbered thirteen. People who are
strong enough TO resist nearly all other
popular superstitions fail down when the
thirteen case arises for their consideration,
and especially when they are shown to a
rccm having that number. In great NUM-
her of hotels the rooms numbered thirteen
are used for storage rooms or linen c,osats
and the like, though in many of the most
modern there is no room thirteen, the jump
being from twelve to fourteen. This Is 10
doubt the best way to get out OF the troll
lie as far as guests are concerned oul
some extra sensitive persons will notice
the jump and fight shy of fourteen as WE'LL
for they can see if the numbering was
properly carried out IT would pear the
supposed fatal or unfortunate number. IN
my hotel there is a room thirteen anu
assure you it is oftener vacant than oc-
cupied Only a few weeks since one OF the
men whose name Is most prominently men-
toned in this country in connection with
politics stopped at this hotel. AS thirteen
was empty as usual the clerk sent him to
1t, thinking that he was not affected by the
superstition. He noticed the number pc
fore he got to the door and refused the
room, saying that he would not occupy 1t
under any circumS tances. He then told the
clerk that he had studied into the super
stition as far as it related to politics and
had learned that in the three last presi-
Dental conventions the men who were to
nominate the popular candidates for presi-
dent by circumstances were put into
rooms in the convention cities numbered
thirteen and that in each case their can
didateS were defeated for nomination. He
thought the thirteen did the business for
them as much as anything else, and maybe
more than all things else combined. Now
while this is true there are those who pre-
fer thirteen to any other number. and eS-
pecially these wro are members of the So
called thirteen clubs who hold their meet
ings on the thirteenth of the months, have
thirteen at each table at the dinners and
the like. If it was not for these, a room
numbered thirteen would be just so much
lost space in hotel"
THE prominence given to the court-mar-
tial case of Capt. Carter at Savannah" ex-
planned officer of the judge advocates
office of the War Department to Star re-
porter. has caused a great many questions
to be asked in connection with military
courts. The general question asked is
whether the finding OF the court-martial
Is final To the extent that there is no
appeal from such a finding, that there is
no revisionary court the action of the
court-martial Is final. The finding how
ever. has to be examined by the judge ad-
yocate general to see that the proceedings
were regular and the regulations observed
in every respect. They then pass to the
President for approval. and it is with him
to say whether they shall be carried into
execution. The action of the President is
generally only an approval of the recon-
mendation of the Secretary Of War. The
finding can be approved in whole in
part. For instance. if court-martal SEN
fences to dismissal from the army and
Imprisonment in the military penitentiary
at Fort Leavenworth the President can
reduce the sentence to dismissal alone
There is no doubt of the power of a court
martial to sentence to prison, and the best
evidence of this is the number who are
now serving sentence. There is no way by
which the proceedings can be reviewed in
the civil courts, for they are purposely
made distinct and separate. The ordinary
citizen can appeal for a jury trial. but an
officer soldier in the army cannot. He
surrenders that right the moment he ac-
cepts a commission in one case or, in the
case of the soldier enlists. From that
moment the army controls him absolutely.
1t not only says what he shall do but
peal The army regulations the only
constitutional rights he can possess, and
in this respect mis- rights are very limited.
Thus, citizens can meet together and dis
cuSS their grievances. but an officer SOL
dier has no such right. and the penalty for
so doing is very severe During the time
an army officer is on trial he, however. is
only technically under arrest. He draws
the same salary as if on duty. but can ex-
ercise no military function. Neither can
he carry his sword In the navy they go
step further and refuse officer on
trial the right to converse with other OIL
GERS. even on the most trivial matters
This personal intercourse Is not restricted
among army officers butts practically the
effect is about the same
X X x X x
1.-THE school children of the present have
many advantages their parents and grand
parents did rot have said an old resi-
dent of Georgetown to a Star reporter;
though they cannot be made to appreciate
IT. By this mean in the way of less hours
OF home study. holidays and early summer
recess. 1t is not the usual custom of many
teachers to require children to study at
Eome. though there are occasional excep-
TORS. This is as it should be. for if a
teacher is any teacher at all. he or she can
advance child more by teaching them in
school than forcing them to study unassist-
children only went to school to recall what
they had learned while at home. Now as
understand il. the theory at least is that
the child goes to school to learn what the
teacher knows. In this respect the child has
many advantages, though suffering under
disadvantage If the teacher is not actual
ly teacher, but merely listener to the
recitations of the pupil. In regard to the
summer recess. now 1t begins in public
schools as well as private from the 18th to
the 21st of June, while in my days the
schools never closed until after the Fourth
OF July School opened the first week gem
orally the first Monday, in September, a
corpie OF weeks earlier than the custom of
nowadays. This required nearly q month
more attendance than is required now. 1t
may be that the shorter time is all that is
necessary for present times, but old-fash-
toned teachers did not think so.''
X X 4
There Is a fortune in store for the man
who invents self-fastening device for
shoe laces." expdained leading shoe
manufacturer to Star reporter. There
are number OF such devices on the mar