Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-02-05
WASHINGTON LETTER.

PRESIDENT DoLR's RECEPTION
There is great satisfaction in Wash.
ington over the fact thar the president
ma |e President Dole of the Hawaiian
! Rrpnblic the guest of the nation. The
: sending ot II special commission to
Chicago 10 escort the president of
Hawaii to Washington was especial Y
pleasing, and when the distinguished
guest arrived in this city he was ac-
corded II most hearty welcome. There
was grand military display on his
arrival, and the president of the United
States and the president OF Hawaii
exchanged call, soon after the
latter WAS located at the Airing
ton. The reception to President Dole
recalls the rather unpleasant expert
enres of tine luianta Eulalie OF Spain,
who came here a> the guest OF the ma
tion during the Worlds Fair AL
though she was especially invited and
came as President Cleveland's guest,
the latter refused to greet her when
she arrived in Washington, and for u
time it looked as if the Spanish In
fanta would have to find her way rs
hest she could from the depot to the
Arlington, where she was to stop.
After much persuasion the president
ullowel IL military escort to go to
the Pennsylvania depot, and at the
last moment he told Secretary of State
Gresham to drive down aud receive her.
| Thanks to the local spirit of Washing
! tons citizens, the reception which
occurred in the evening was brilliant
one, but poor Secretary Gresham
looked very uncomfortable rs he rode
up the avenue in the open landau with
her royal highness. The princess
waited at the Arlington for the presi.
dent to call ON her, but he did not do
SO, but 'arranged' to see her when
she called at the White House the day
after her arrival The Infanta had
rather forlorn stay "ofiicially' in Wash
ington, and was rather glad to move
on to Chicago. President Mckinley,
! however, did not treat President Dole
| in any such manner. The latter's stay
| in Washington was most enjoyable
one. He was welcomed at the White
House, and numerous entertainments
were given in his honor His pres
ence here will no doubt have good
effect upon the vote on the Hawaiian
treaty in the Senate, which vote, how
ever, seems to be still somewhat in the
distance.
"SpLENDID But NOT WAR. "-Presi.
dent McKirley's genius for harmony
is magnificent, but, to paraphrase the
old saying about war, it is not bust
ness. The situation in Rhode Island
is in point That speck on the map, i'll
the presidents opinion, was of too
little political Importance to be given
the Office of public printer, which
Editor Pease of Woonsocket sought
50 valiantly, and since his ''throw
| down" the state has been honored no
| more than to receive, after long wait
ing, two or three consulships at small
salaries. The apparent capture of the
office of internal revenue collector for
Connecticut and Rhode Island by
Senator Hawley for Thomas A. Lake
of Rockville now comes as heavy
blow, and this is too excrn ciating to he
borne The entire Rhode Island delega-
tion visited the White House, in a solid
block of four, to protest against Mr..
Lakes nomination. And this is where
the presidents genius for harmony
appeared. The Hartford Courants $
Washington correspondent says lie
was ready with the proposition that,
while Connecticut should have her
Lake made collector, new office of
chiefdeputy collector should be created
for Rhode Island, while Rhode Island
should also have little extra fat in
monopoly of the Office of national bank
examiner for the two states. The
president, in short, proposed to in
crease the number Offices by two, at
least, in order to keep the Rhode ISL
and politicians contented. This is
not IA economical way to run the
United States government, whatever
else one may say of it.
AN OLD CLAssMATE-It is not gem
orally known that the president at
one time in his life was school teach.
er. 1t is said that in all the biogra-
phies of Mr.. Mckinley this fact has
been omitted. Recently Judge J. NJ.
Brownlee of kingfsher, Oklahoma,
was in the city and spent an evening
with the president at the White House.
Judge Brownlee and President Me.
Kiney were boys together in Po-
land, Ohio, where the president
studied law after his return from
four years of soldier life. The
two were members of the same liter
ary society, and Judge Brownee said
that every Wednesday night the presi-
dent was on hand, although he rarely
participated in the debate, for he was
not then ready speaker. 1t was
when Major Mckinley was studying
law that for two winters he taught
district school in Boarlman, three
miles from Poland. The major used
to walk the distance back and forth
morning and night, and this exercise,
Judge Brownlee thought, did great
deal to make the president the strong
and sturdy man he now is.
\ WOMAN OFFICE SEEKER-The
president has had many kinds of APP
plcants for places at his disposal, but
he has just had his first experience
with Il woman who wanted All appoint
ment in the consular service. Mrs.
Cora Chaplin Weed of Muscatine,
Iowa, ii el petition at the executive
mansion, asking the president to ap-
point her consulate either in Ger
many or Switzerland. She said it did
moi. matter where, so long asitwas in one
CT these two countries. Mrs Weed is
fine linguist, and her papers were
signed by number OF prominent peo-
pie from the West. Unfortunately, the
president has very few, if any, consul
ships left in these countries. and Mrs.
Weed may have to wait until there is
a vacancy. Last summer ex-senator
Blair of New HamDshire presented a