The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-05-10
HAS AN HISTORIC PEN
Relic Which William Alden Smith
Prizes Highly.
IT SIGNED DECLARATION OF WAR.

roe Pen May Ultimately Find It's Way
into the Archives of the Historical So
cioty Of Michigan and He Great Relic
In Years to Come-How the Congressman
Conceived and Carried Dat the Idea Of
Obtaining the Historic Pen.
Washington. May 10.-"The story of
the pen which aligned the declaration Of
war is very simple story" says Con-
gresham William Alden Smith.
Long before came to congress I
read In the newspapers about the pens
used to sign important public acts. and
occasionally wished that might have
one Of thors pens. After coming to
congress and getting closer to public
facts / looked upon the retention Of an
insensate pen as of no consequence
whatever.
when the president recommended a
declaration of war with Spain. how
ever, II occurred to me that the pen
q valuable relic for all times, because
q declaration of war is something
which seldom occurs in modern times.
because the tendency Of the times Is
toward peace rather than towards war.
IT therefore went downstairs 10 the
stationery room, selected a gold pen
with an ordinary ebony and ash han
die, and carried it with me in my pock-
| ct to the door Of the house OF represent
atives. Just before the passage Of the
bill declaring war. I walked up to the
| speaker quietly and told him that had
pen with which would like to have
him sign that bill declaring war, and
he smiled good naturally, replying that
he would use my pen with pleasure.
speaker Used the Pen.
| 'As soon as the gavel fell and the
| speaker announced that the bill had
passed, walked up to his chair, hand
ed him the gold pen and returned to
my seat. AS soon as the bill was en-
rolled and returned to the speaker he
used my gold pen and signed his name
| to the important deed
IT then followed the measure and
| crossed the entire length of the Capitol
building and walked upon the floor OF
| the senate just as the measure was
| about to be called up.
| TT was moved that the senate &C
into executive session; that is, a secret
| session, where senator's only are per-
| mitted to be present. / hastily In
formed the vice president of my desire
and he took the pen, assuring me that
he would use it when the time came Il
| sign the bill The senate remained In
executive session a long while consider
ing the bill, but finally the doors were
| opened and the bill was passed. l wa:
there looking out for 1t, and when the
I measure, Just adopted by the senate
was laid before the vice president, HI
used my pen and signed his name i'm
mediately beneath that of Speake
Reed.
lrrr- +, Made the, Pen Historic.
"It was then late In the afternoon
but / knew that President McKinle!
would sign the declaration as soon a.
it was laid before him; so l went to tn
White House and awaited the arriva
of the chairman of the committee OIL
enrolled bills. 1t was a quarter after
in the evening when he reached thu
White House and / went in with him
told the president that / had the pei
which had been used by Speaker Rec
ed that he would also use that pen. H
took the pen, read the bill carefully
then indorsed it with my pen: 'Ap
proved, William Mckinley {.
II shall have this pen and holder pu
in a substantial case so il will last no
only during my lifetime, but durin;
the lifetimes of generations to come.
will probably ultimately find its wa!
into the archives of the Historical so
ciety of Michigan, and will be REGARDED
as a great relic in the years to come.
Not an Easy Task.
Secretary Alger has found the or
ganization of volunteer army not 81
easy a task as he had originally antici
pated that it might be. He permitted
the West Point graduates, who a.
bureau officers of the war department
to supervise the preparation of the bill
providing for a volunteer army, AM
consequently they made that bill
martinez measure which was one will
West Point militarism rather than witt
pure patriotism.
Instead of re-enacting the measure
adopted in 1851 for a volunteer army
the congress accepted the war depart
ment bill which primarily ignores all o
the state organizations known as ma
tional guards and seeks the individual
consent of each soldier as well as o
his local company and regiment II
which he has thrived, subordinatinI
all to the control Of the war depart
ment.
This bill should have been entities
"A measure to discourage enlistments.
Secretary of War Alger, having been
volunteer soldier himself during tn
. civil war, ought to have paid enough
attention to the matter to have pre-
vented the passage of such bill. How
ever. Spain is such a little bit or
mouthful for Uncle Sam to swallow
that we can get along with this diff
Guilty anyway.
shafter a Michigan Man.
General Shafter, who was selected b,
the president to lead the army of inva
sion in Cuba, is a Michigan man, VIII
has long, been in the regular army
When Senator Burrows was a schoo
teacher before the war at Richland
General Shafter was one of his pupils
Senator Burrows has taken warm in
terest in Shafter during his entire life
time. General Shafter Is superio
, military man, and is spoken of YER
, highly by General Miles.
Henry M Duffield of Detroit has bee