Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-04-01

ed the mesa of prosperity. All the
! clouds had disappeared, and the sun
was at last shining on the pathway of
/ his life. Then a man dincd with the
| President. and a veto message was sent
| TO the Capitol. 1t was near the close
| of the short session. The bill was dead.
| Poor McGarrahan fell from the loftiest
! pinnacle of hope to the lowest chasm
| of despair. 1t was fatal. He went to
| Providence Hospital, and died within
Il fortnight.
War claims and pension bills are fire.
quently in antagonism. In the Fifty
| first Congress an omnibus bill was re-
pcrted from the Committee on War
Claims, providing for the payment of
certain yadjudicated claims under the
| Bowman act. 1t involved n great eX-
| penditurc, and finally got before the
House. ~ bitter opposition to its con-
| tinued consideration arose. Privileged
| business was thrown in It's way on pri
vate bill day. All other bills on the
private calendar were damned by 1t.
| Most OF the claims were what are
known as Southern war claims. In
vain did that picturesque character
from the mountains of East Tennessee.
| LeoEidas c. Houk, appeal in quaint elo-
qucnce to his party associates on be-
half of the Tennessee ioyalsts. They
maintained n perfect deadlock. Final
| ly Benjamin Augustine Enloc Houk' s
colleague, tried TO bring the majority
to terms by stopping all pension legis-
lation. AS Prof. Talbert has since done
he demanded n quorum on pension
nights. All pension legislation was thus
held at bay for nearly five months.
| Enloe remained deaf to all the appeals
of his party associates. and absolutely
| impcrvouS to all entrcaties from his
| friends. The majority failed to cir
cumvent him as Prof Talbert has been
crcumvented. The old regime lacked
| the skill and facility of the new one.
The acrid feeling caused by Enloe's ac-
| ton continued to the end of the ses-
sion. Enloe. however. was one night
unavoidably absent. and moro than n
| hundred pension bills were passed in
two hours and thirty minutes.
Tantalus, however, is still seated at
the table ready to partalle but not all
| lowed to do so by the Olympian gods
of the Fifty-sixth Congress. He will
probably remain here until the sympa-
thy of the House is aroused. when he
may be allowed to bolt a grape or two
and possibly masticatc n porter house
steak.
But this is not the only Tantalus in
the Capitol. There is another in the
north wing. That august body, the
United States Senate. has spread a
table for Senator Penrose. They pre-
| vent his partaking of the viands, not
by any rule, but by Senatorial courtesy,
even more eXacting than rules. 1t in
wolves The right of n Senator to a seat.
a. question admittedly of the highest
privilege, yet these grave doctrinaires
| in craftsmanship. who feed upon the
majesty Of their own presence. keep
their Tantalus in the same position as
the one in the House. Pcnrosc how
ever has the pluck and the grit OF
| Thaddeus Mahon, and is not fettered
by the Reed rules. The high court of
courtesy is all well enough in its way,
but the Tantalus OF the Senate is after
| his terrapin and canvas-back, and If
he does not get them within reason
able time he may upset the table.
AMOS J. CUMMINGS.