The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-02-21
CAPITOL CHAT.

4
| though they have not yet completed their
| poll. both are confident that they have i
majority for their side Of the case. Butler
being against Ewart and Pritchard fer
| him. At the same time Mr. Butler is not
yet ready to give his consent TO the taking
OF vote, which indicates that he is not
yet certain OF a majority for rejection.
| He has, however, the advantage Of the
| situation in the fact that the session Is
dra awning 10 a close, and the prolonging
OF debate upon the nomination VIII make
any sort Of action impossible
| IL Is said that I'm an executive session
recently Mr.. Mason. Of Illinois, one Ct
Judge Ewarts supporters. asked Mr.
| Butler 10 name a single prominent lawyer
| in SOrth Carolina who is against Judge
Ewart, but Mr.. Butler declined TO do So
|
! Senator'S Mcmillan and Burrows will
not be able. much 10 their regret. to be
| in Detroit tomorrow night at the annual
! dinner OF the Michigan Club. the well
known Republican organization of that
State. The Congressman from the State
will also be compelled to remain here.
! Secretary Alger will preside, and will
be accompanied by Senior Quesada, the
head Of the Cuban junta here for whom
he entertains high opinion since the re-
| cent successful negotiations with Gen.
| Gomez
There being an unusually large crowd
Of visitors in the gallery yesterday, Sen
| ator Hanna made a speech. He appeared
| in the Senate chamber shortly after u
| O'Clock. attired in a neat-fitting business
/ suit and carrying a large bundle or pa
pers. CHANGING over the Senate to see
| whether there was a full attendance, and
| being satisfied with his observation, Mr.
| Hanna next attempted to catch the wee
Presidents eye. In this he was not at
| first successful. but after an embarrass-
! ing wait OF several minutes, during which
| the figure OF the Senator was quite con-
| spicuous from the galleries, the Vice
| President uttered the expected words.
THE Senator from Ohio" he said.
Mr.. Hanna squared himself on his feet.
| grasped his bundle OF papers, drew a long
| breath. and prepared to commence. His
| first word was awaited with GREATNESS
| interest.
| ~ he said.
He uttered the personal pronoun with
| a confidence that showed a long familiar
| ity with the word. There was a per-
| ceptible sensation in the gallery. Inc
| visitors evidently expected an important
| declaration of policy.
| II report several bills" continued the
| Senator.
There was a sonorous ring TO his voice
| as he proceeded with his sentence, ana
vet there was no attempt at rhetorical
flourish or oratoricaI gesture. The busl-
| ness habit of the Senator was noticeable
| in the short, sharp. decisive manner IN
| which the announcement was made. The
| interest Of the throngs in the galleries,
who knew Mr.. Hanna's importance in
national affairs, grew more intense, while
| the hands of the veteran stenographers
| began TO tremble with nervousness in the
| excitement of the moment.
| From the Committee OF Pensions"
| concluded Mr.. Hanna.
This was the peroratiOn of the speech.
| The sentence had been rounded out TO
perfect completeness and stood like
] rhythmic line from one of Millions SON.
| nets. 1t combined all the essentials OF
| pure rhetoric-a directness in statement
| Of fact, an avoidance of superfluous
words, lack of cloying adiectives. There
| was an indistinct murmur of applause in
| the galleries when the speech was ended,
and Mr.. Hanna sank back in his seat with
flush of satisfaction upon his cherubic
| face.
In the Capitol is whispering gallery
much resorted TO by the visitors to Wash
ington, and especially by the brides and
groOms, who like 10 whisper sweet moth
ings TO each other. More prosaic parties
are accompanied by a guide, who places
the visitors upon the marble slabs, and
then, stepping off to a distant stone
| bends his head toward the floor and talks
The sound waves, striking the slab, are
reflected back and around until they
| reach the listeners several feet away
Yesterday a guide was INDUCING in this
performance, when a man who had been
| observing him finally summoned a Capt.
| tOl policeman
| DO you See that man over thereT' said
the excited individual, pointing TO the
guide.
| Yes" said the officer.
| Hes craZyI I've been watching him for
| ten minutes. He's been standing over
there. muttering to himself, and the next
thing you know he will be smashing all
the statues"
| The policeman looked at the mutteriny
man, recognized a well-known guide, al
layed the feelings of the perturbed OBJ
server, and departed With broad smile
upon his face.
one of his hurried spins through the halls
| of Congress the other day, when he en-
countered Senator Frye, of Maine, who
had just. reported the river and harbor
| bill.
General, I have A compliment for
YOU" said the Senator.
"Ah, thank you" responded the modest
little hero What is il SENATOR"
| Quarter of a million for Calvert
/ Shoals. Ala, and it's personal eompli-
ment. too, from those who remember Sam
| tiago."
This was sweet music TO the Generals
ears, and a compliment of a practical
kind Calvert Shoals are In his district,
/ and when the House committee failed 10
| provide for improvements there muir
mur of discomfort arose from that partic
ular section Of the South. Gen. Wheeler
| then bombarded the Senate committee.
He wrote letters to the members indi-
vidually and saw them personally. There
was a spirited fight over the item, but
appreciation of the Generals Cuban ser
vice at last prevailed over the adverse
reports Of army engineers and Calvert
| Shoals gets $1,000.
| Representative Clayton, an affable Dem
ocrat from Alabama, made a speech yes
| terday on the peace treaty appropriation,
/ in which he coined new word The Al
ALBANIA member has an excellent pres
ence, a good voice. and. for one who has
not been frequently heard, was making
excellent Roadway. His own success
| seems TO have intoxicated him. for he
/ started in with a brilliant description OF
the rising and the setting sun.
While i am one Of those who look
somewhat 20 the past" exclaimed Repre-
| sentative Clayton with notable flourish
and emphatic eloquence, land while / ad-
mire the setting sun in its gorgeous
| splendor, look, Mr.. Speaker, more fondly
/ 10 the rising sun as 1t foods the earth
with glorious, golden, 'gorceur.
| II may be that Representative Clayton
j meant grandeur. but he didn't say So
| Speaker Reed, who usually exhibits
| sphiax-like dignity when anything funny
| happens in the proceedings. bowed his
| head low, and his slices shook with laugh
| ter.