The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-12-15
Washington Letter.
From our regular Correspondent !

Washington ID. c., Dec. 10 1899.
Speaker Henderson will probably
never enjoy prouder moment then
when he was escorted to the Speakers
chair, having been elected to the high
est political honor thata foreign born
American can attain, by the unani-
nous vote of his republican colleagues
OF the House, amid the applause of
members andkof the crowded galleries
the American who would not be proud
OF such an honor doesn't live. The
other eflieers of the House elected
were Alexander Mcdowell, of Penn,
Clerk; Henry Cassion, OF Wis, Ser
geant-at-Arms; w. j. Glenn, of New
York, Door keeper; Joseph @. McElroy
4oi Ohio, Postmaster, and Rev. Henry
NJ. Couden, OF Mich, Chaplain. With
the exception of Mr.. Cassions, who
succeeded b. F. Russell, OF Mo-, these
are the officers Of the House. Immed-
lately after the swearing in Of the
members, near the close OF which, the
democrats created little furry by op-
posing the carrying out of. the republi-
can plan for dealing with the Roberts
case, the death Of the Vice President
Hobar: Was announced, and the House
adjourned, it having been previously
understood that the President would
withhold his annual message until
Tuesday.
The first session OF the Senate of the
Fifty-Sixth Congress was much briefer
than that of the House, and from a
spectators point of view, much less
interesting. Senator Frye, President
protempore, called the Senate to order,
and alter prayer by the Chaplain, and
the swearing in of new. Senators, the
death of the late Vice President was
announced, and motion to adjourn
was adopted. But if the opening day
OF Congress was comparatively tame,
there are plenty of indications that
lively days in both House and Senate
will be numerous during the session.
From the minute that a conference
of republican members of the the
House decided that Mr. Bringham HI.
Roberts was ineligible to membership
in that body, his fate was settled. It
is not party question, but with the
certainty that the solid republican
vote would be cast in support of the
report of the special committee which
Speaker Henderson has appointed to
consider the case, it became immater-
ial what the minority would do. AS
matter of fact, two-thirds of the
democrats-possibly more-are likely
to vote with the republicans, against
Roberts, when the test comes-they
are afraid to do anything else. It was
the women of the country who brought
about this result. 1t did not require
any arguments on the part os4 the
prominent lawyers sent to Washing
ton, by the Social Service League, to
convince the Representatives; they
had been convinced at home before
they came to Washington, that to al
low Roberts TO sit in the House, would
be an insult to American womanhood.
Secretary Hitchcock, Assistant Sec
retary Davis, Pension Commissioners
Evans, and Assistant Commissioners
Davenport, all of whom are specially
qualified by their official duties to
speak authoritatively on the subject,
testified before Senators Galllnger and
Hansbrough, sitting as a sub-ccmmit-
lee OF the Senate Committee on Pen
sions, to the necessity of revision of
the U. S. Pension laws, and in favor of
having the revision made by non-
commission. The Command
er in Chief OF the G. A. r. has been in
vited to submit his views in writing.
The investigation is being made under
the authority Of a resolution offered
by Senator Hansbrough and adopted
by the Senate, at the last session.
Secretary Hitchcock's annual report,
also strongly recommends revision
and codifeation OF the pension laws.
In making a public denial of the
revived story of an alliance between
this government and England and
Germany, or both, Secretary Hay took
occasion to express gratifcation-a
qualification that ought to be shared
by every patriotic American, over the
fact Of our relations being more friend
ly than at any time in our history
with all the nations Of the world, and
to ask pertinently, "And why should
it not be SO? Everyone likes to be on
good terms with the peaceabse and
prosperous, especially IT their prosper
ity is Of that nature that other people
profit by il, and this is precisely our