The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1898-03-25
NAYIONAL CAPITAL
An Interesting Letter From Our Regu-
lar Correspondent
PENS ENTERTAINMENT
Tells What Is Going On in the Way of
Local Gossip - What Montana's
Representatives Are Doing.

washington, l.. ". MaTCn 10. -I)lS-
cussion of the house last week. which
passed without dissenting vote, Joe
CAnron's bill approprating $50, 900, 900
for the national defense. previously
reported unanimously by the commit
tee, stands unprecedented in the annals
Of the nation. A like event has never
before happened at any period Of our
history. as. upon all previous occa-
sions when war has threatened us.
opposition, sometimes determinedly
organized, has been offered to all meas
ures looking to preparation for war or
for ftly meeting the challegne to com
bat extended to us by offend ng ma
tions The scene in the lower branch
of congress on that day Was one that
will be remem bered for centuries and
indeed, as long as the republic lives
it was not alone unmatched in the
chronicles Of governments but it en-
phasizeed i'll a marvellous way the
grandeur, the wisdom and the stabil-
ity of system whose foundation rests
upon self rule among people great
enough to comprehend and enjoy it's
benefits. To the pessimist. who has
insisted that we are divided people,
SO torn and rent by sectional jealousies
and SO poisoned by corrupting politics
that we have become fatally weakened
by such influences and that the spirit
of patriotism no longer survives among
us, this wonderful unity of action
taken in the midst of the most un-
bounded enthusiasm. must carry a
healthful lesson; it should clear his
brain of it's dark clouds of suspicion
and doubt and open the closed cham
bers of his socl the sunlight of faith
and ho1e e. Surely no country on earth
could present such noble and inspir-
ing spectacle under like circum-
stances and if war shall follow, brief
as l believe it will be, the occasion
which has thus brought us together, a
united loving and hopeful people, is to
be welcomed, in that it has shown the
world how deep and abiding is the
spirit of our national unity; how firm
our purpose to sustain the country S
honor and thus how invincible in such
times becomes government "of the
people, by the people, and for the peo-
pie.
So rapidly was history recorded on
that memorable Tuesday in the popular
branch OF congress that it was like
following the varying scenes of some
thrilling dramatic spectacle and sc
wrought up did one become under the
flame of patriotism that swept over
that floor for four full hours almost
unchecked that the desire to emit a
good old fashioned Fourth of July veil
was only suppressed by glance every
now and then at the immobile face
of Tom Reed, who, like some satur.
nine old master of the ancient feasts,
sat, stern visaged and silent, with
gavel in hand. ready to call down the
first break.
SO brief was the time allotted to the
4 speakers. only one minute in most
cases. that the talks were like the rapid
fire of musketry in hot engagement.
Only the day before the sirocco-like
breath of factionalism swept like a
gale through the cham Der the whole
afternoon, but here were the men who
then invoked every parliamentary de.
/ vice known to tactics to arrest the
progress OF business aDd to secure
party advantage, like brothers. stand
| ~
tion of the nations honor
l.. G. Phelps and wife of Great Falls
are in Washington. They will be here
a week or more. Aaron Hershfield of
Helena and E. d. Mats of Anaconda
are also here. David G.. Brown and
wife will return to Montana this week,
Senator Garter presented the following
MOntanians to the president this week :
Misses, Murphy, daughters of L. r.
Murphy of Helena, Mr.. and Mrs. NJ.
f. Downs of New York, formerly of
Helena, and Mr.. and Mrs. Weyhert Of
Fergus county.
| Senator Mantle presented to the sen.
ate this week petitions from the Order
OF Railway Conductors of Glendive
asking for the passage of the anti
scalping bill and from the W. @. T. U.
] and the Salvation Army of f.Livingston
| in favor of the anti-cigarette laws.
The bill reported by Carter providing
for the opening of the Fort Shaw Mill
tary reservation passed the senate on
Monday. r..
A bill providing for the relief of
John Phillips, who saved the lives of
a part of the garrison of Fort Phil
Kearney after the massacre by carrying
dispatches was also passed on the
same day.
A bill providing for the enlargement
of the boundaries of the National
Park has been introduced by Senator
Hansborough.
n. 81. Houghton has been recon.
mended as postmaster at Whitehall
and Michael McCleve at Ubet.
The census bill will be dropped in
its present form by the committee and
brought in in simple provision de-
claring that census be taken just
what would have been done had the
provisional bureau been established
give it without special authority,
but as bit of Washington gossip,
that John @. English of Anaconda
will succeed to the assistant attorney
generalship. -Hersey.