The Washington weekly post., 1900-03-20
CAPITOL CHAT.

Senator Harris, Of Kansas. spent a
leisure hour or two last Sunday reading
the weeks issues OF the Topeka Capital
as edited by the Rev. Mr.. Sheldon.
And my Judgment is said the Senator.
yesterday. that the Capital as a news
paper was stale. fat. and Improbable
No one ever made a success" continued
the Senator, by going 20 extremes. No
doubt more care might be exercised BY
some newspapers regarding the matter
they print. but when IL comes TO leaving
out the timetables Of the railroads, be-
cause Mr.. Sheldon believed the roads
ought 10 be owned by the government. II
is going step too far. / believe in gov
ernment ownership Of the railroads, but
certainly would be looked upon as very
foolish II should propose a law TO pre-
vent railroad guides from being publish
ed- l would not regard 1t as a crime.
either, 20 publish advertisements Of
ladies' goods. Indeed, l think there was
good deal Of the sensational in Mr..
She.don's effort. and that the controver-
sizes which have been occasioned will do
the cause OF religion more harm than
good"
II used to be the glad hand for Admiral
AtNtJH .NoH ~ i the Gu40 SllbuAOtA.
II you doubt IT ask Col. Daniel G. Purse,
OF Savannah, who spent several hours at
the Capitol yesterday unsuccessfully en-
deayoring to secure some stars" for a
Dewey celebration in Savannah. A long
time ago, when Dewey was quite the
rage, Savannah invited him to be the
guest Of the city. At that time he de-
clined, but so anxious were the Southern
GEhfhff F-,. has ao-raaH 70 Va
ceive him at any date he might decide
upon In the future. Some DAYS ago he
served notice that he would be In Sa-
vannah this week. and forthwith the
leading citizens tried TO get up welcome
for him. Somehow or other the enthusi-
asm seemed TO have oOzed out. The pOpu-
lar demand for Dewey's presence had en-
urely disappeared. The Savannah people
were busy preparing for banquet which
was given last night, and as they did not
desire Dewey as guest. they asked him to
postpone his coming until after the event,
when they hoped, they said, to arrange
some demonstration for him. This he
clIned TO do and arrived in the city yes
terday. prepared to wait until Wednes-
day. when parade OF the local militia
will be ordered in his honor.
Admiral DeweyS secretary notified
Charleston. Atlanta. and one or two other
cities Of the AdmiraPs proposed Southern
tour, hut the hint was not taken. Except
Tor the Savannah parade, which will oc-
cur when ii suits the citys convenience !
ana which will be unmarked by the pres |
ence Of any distinguished guests. Admiral /.
Dewey's trip through the South will be /
devoid Of any demonstration whatever.
n document recently sent to the Senate I
from the Treasury Department contains 7
the curious statement that s21,OOO was re- /
Gently refunded as duty paid on natural /
gas. /
1t seems that Detroit is supplied with ,
this natural gas from the Canada side .
through pipes laid under the Detroit Riv- .
er. The duty collected was assessed at .
the rate Of 10 per cent. ad valorem as IAN
article" which seemed .
all right enough. The United States Su-
preme Court came along, however, and de-
cided that natural gas was either crude .
mineral or crude Ditumen. If the former,
i must come in free, and If the latter. il
could be taxed at S1.50 a ton. When II
came 20 trying TO weigh natural gas by
he ton, the Treasury officials gave up the
problem, and now the Detroit people use
Canadian gas without paying a cent of
luty.
Very faithful to the interests OF Senator
Hoar is Doherty. the messenger of the
Judiciary Committee
SO faithful, indeed. that correspondent,
writing about him the other day, called
him Hoar's Fidus Achates. and that"
'aid Senator Hoar to Doherty, "means
you are mugwump."
Doherty's face grew long and his anger
'ose. To be called mugwump was the
height OF insult. Taking the paper con-
aiming the Objectionable phrase, Doherty
vent of 10 have It out with the man who
lad called him names. A little while lat
r he returned TO Senator Hoar with a
mile upon his face.
He didn't call me a mugwump, Sem
tor" said Doherty, triumphantly.
'Indeed?' answered Mr.. Hoar. What
i'd he call you?"
mo, sir" said Doherty, "he says that
lddus atchatees is Latin, and 1t means
hat l am your man Friday"