Catoctin clarion., 1899-12-14
WASHINGTON LETETR.

Schley to the position, and thus end
the long controversy.
During the first week Of Congress-
more than $500 bills and resolutions
were introduced in the House alone.
Nine-t -tenths of these were introduced III
the last Congress and never acted upon,
and the same fate is likely to meet an
equal percentage of them again. The
number of bills introduced in the Sen
ate is much smaller, not only because
of smaller membership, but because Sen
ators, do not as rule introduce so many
bills in which they feel no personal in
terest, just TO please scme constituent.
That Speaker Henderson knows how
t, drop hint was shown when he said:
VI never had anything to say to any
Speaker, regarding my personal wishes,
o. desires. I do not remember ever en-.
tering Carlsle's room when he was
Speaker, and l only called once upon
Crisp, and that was with my delegation.
I never went to call upon Reed-save
to pay my respects-unless he sent for
me. knew they had too much to do
to be bothering with me"
The House committee that is investi
eating Roberts, is holding daily sessions
and hopes to get its report ready in
few days. 1t requires no gift Of pro-
phecy to say that the report will be ad'
verse to Roberts, but the attempts to
say Just what shape it will take. which
are being made, are simply guesses.
The committee will conclude the inves-
tgation before deciding the scope of its
report. Mr.. Roberts shows very plainly
by his talks before the committee, that
he doesn't expect to get the seat, or
rather keep it, if allowed to be sworn
in; also that he is pretty shrewd Law
yer, and we'll posted in parliamentary
practice.
The resolution offered by Senator
Lodge, and adopted by the Senate, re-
questing the Department of State to in.
vestigate the report that Great Britain
was negotiating with Ecuador, for the
purchase OF the Galapagos Islands, has
been referred to the United States Min.
ister at Quito, for an investigation and
rerort. 1t is known, however, that
there has been no negotiations by Great
Britain, and thought that the sole OBJ
lect of the resolution is to open the way
to the purchase Of the islands by this
government, to be used as a Naval sta
ton, their location making them especi
ally desirable for that purpose, after
the Isthmian Canal has been con :
atructed. The Navy Department has
already had the islands examined by an
officer, and ascertained that only one Of
them is now inhabited, and that only
by one man, a naturalized American.
Senator Mason will lose confidence in
his ability as "a sensation maker, If he
makes few more attempts in that line
that fall as fat as his resolution of sym
pathy for the Beers and his speech
thereon. If he really thinks, as he says
he does, that the case is similar to the
case of the Cubans when they were in
revolt against Spain, he thinks practi-
cally alone. The war in Cuba was
right at our doors and affecting the in
terests of thousand of Americans, while
the war in South Africa is thousands of
miles away and effect the interest of
about as few Americans as any foreign
war could. OF course, every American
would like to see peace over there, but
as the belligerents have not asked for
our good offices. fact noted by the
President in his message it would be a
sort Of international impertinence for
us to interfere in any way, and the adop
tion by either branch Of Congress, of a
resolution OF sympathy for either side
would certainly and rightly be regarded
as interference. This government is
neutral, and because of that neutrality,
the President referred petition from
the Hollsnders Of Michigan, asking him
to use his good Offices to bring about
peace, to the Department of State with
out action.
Senators are much interested in the
cases of Senator Scott, of West Virginia,
who is charged with not having been
legally elected, because the vote cast
for him was not majority of the entire
membership of the legislature; of Sena-
cor Clark, of Mont, who is charged vita
having obtained his election by bribery,
and of Mr.. Quay, who claims seat, on
the appointment of the Governor of Pa,
and who is opposed by the claim that
the Governor had no constitutional
right to make the appointment, all Of