The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1898-01-29
WASHINGTON LETTER.
LEGISLATORS Who Revise Their Speeches
John Allen an Exception Tho
Claim Of O Union Spy.
Especial Correspondence.l

1.-The great and good friend' of e.
Republicans of the house, who will b.
instantly recognized as Private Johr
Allen of Mississippi. is not one of the
members who revise their speeches with
great care. His efforts appear in The
Congressional Record in all their spon.
taneity, the original wit and humor be.
ing just the same for the reader in black
and white as they were for the specta.
tors III the galleries and the statesmen
at their desks. So when Mr.. Allen
speaks IN his humorous way one is not
disappointed to find in The Record next
morning: "Mr. Allen of Mississippi adj.
dressed the committee His remarks
will appear hereafter. -
Men Who Change Their Remarks.
In this respect Mr.. Allen is unique
among tho offhand speakers of the
house. Many who indulge themselves
at the expense of the other political
party prefer to edit out any statements
that might provoke unfavorable crit.
clsm or prove an undesirable record
Even Jerry Simpson, who sails in and
slashes right and left among the enc.
mics of Populism, restraints himself by
reserving his speeches until he can sleer
over them and conclude what might
look we'll in print. So ''the Tall Pine"
as Representative Cy Sulloway of New
hampshire is known, reserved his pom
derous but caustic remarks about civil
service, which were kind of dime mu-
scum attraction for his hearers at the
time, and when they appear in The
Congressional Record they will he trim
med down to somewhat choicer Yankee
language.
Only the Foreigners In Favor.
The decision of social leader in
Washington, whose rugged English has
caused as much amusement in Chicago
as 1T has i'll New York, to mark sharply
the limits of her set will be of interest.
Washington society has como to mean,
SO far as New Workers are concerned,
merely the diplomatic circle. Outside
or that there is nothing which is recog.
nized as constituting social set OF the
first order. Visiting New Workers. have
never concerned themselves with any of
the local or American features Of Wash
ington society.
1t has become true" said social
Leader, that the only society in Wash
lhSton Which attracts persons wealthy
enough to move i'll it is tho diplomatic
set, meaning, of course, tho foreign di-
plomatists who are stationed there Local
society is very much pleased to receive
the national officials and be received by
them; but, no matter how elevated they
be, there is not the slightest interest
felt i'll them by wealthy outsiders who
move to Washington. They want only
the foreigners and will bavo no others.
That is also the New York point of
view, and there was formerly one social
organization in New York which illus
trated the fact very strikingly. 1t made
habit of entertaining men in public
life frCs..i time to time. Diplomatists
wero nearly always invited over to at
tend its balls, but don believe that
onco i'll its history an iuyitation was
ever sent to any of the government or
cabinet officers ut Washington from the
south or west or to members of their
families. Only the foreigners were
looked upon as worthy of the honor.
The woman who has just organized Il
series of dances in Washington and left
out everybody but the New Workers and
the foreigners is the first to announce
that few If any natives need apply
The Claim of a Spy.
a report of the house committee Oh
war claims revives ali interesting story.
Pardon Worsley WAS employed by Gen
eral Augur Ill 1868 as spy in Virginia
HIS duties were to procure information
OF the movements Of Colonel Mosbv. He
usually entered tho Confederate lines
with q horse and wagon, passing him
self off rs IL peddler He was thus ell
ablcd to obtain valuable information
which he conveyed TO General Auyur
On ono occasion he discovered n colnbi
nation OF people i'll Washington and
Baltimore engaged i'll supplying the en-
envy and carrying on an extensive con-
traband trade.
On Worslcy'S information these ueO-
plo wero brought to trial. One of the
accused men was Moses Weisenfcldt
and before his trial his friends offered
Worsley ST. 500 to swear falsely or to
leave tho country On consultation with
General Augur, General Gaines and
Colonel Foster Worslcy accepted the
bribe and produced it at the trial as adj
ditional evidence of criminality Tho
money was attached to the record, for
warded to tho war office i'll Worslcy's
absence, and finally deposited in the
treasury. Mr.. Worsley believes he is
entitled to compensation for the services
he rendered and has asked congress TO
nav him Tbp npp,n,ittco ~, x,.., 49,.