The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-03-06

knocked senseless and overpowered. On
rifiing his pockets, the robbers found only
| 10 cents.
Great heavens" said ore Of them. az be
gazed az the dime. If he had had kalf
dollar We would all have been murdered!
Chesdle. Kerr'E companion. popped Sc
reneiy to the political surface In Indiana
last fan. where he turned up as Popu-
lIst-Democratic candidate and was de-
feated.
An Orator from Delaware.
While this session has a. yet produced
| no watchdog IL has turned out sue
/ eessor 20 the renowned Levin irving
Handy. OF Delaware. Handy was peri
/ phrastic orator-One who gave pleasure TO
the House and annoyance to gentlemen IN
charge Of appropriation bills. No ora
toTical bird ever tapped his wings more
peTsistenily- The House was eternaHy
famed BY his pinions. At times be was
a. witty as Tom Hood, az sarcastic as
Roscoe Conkling, and fully as eloquent
az Thomas +. Baysrd. Handy was a
Democrat. while his oratorical successor
l. Republican Singular as It may seem.
the predecessor OF the latter never opened
his mouth while a Representative. Neat
and natty in appearance scholastic in
uiterance and graceful In gesture. the
new genius will undoubtedly administer
as much comfort 20 the House and do az
much 20 relieve the tedium OF its pro-
ceedings as did Handy himself
The men who Will probably appreciate
this the most will be those engineering TIE
appropriation bills. II Is peculiarly graft
flying 20 them at times 10 have word
hibi;i0ns and discuss subjects not ger
name TO their bills. They are usually anxi-
Gus 10 economic time in passing such
bills. Word painters. adjective distribu
tors. and other specialists. however. fire.
quen;ly thwart them. General debate in
Committee OF the Whole always precedes
the reading OF an appropriation bill At
times IL runs without limit. and again a
specified time is agreed upon. In such dis
cusslon every man who is recognized has
an opportunity 10 give a sample Of MS
eloquence by tacklirg subjects not ger
name 10 the bill. II takes a neophyte
some time TO discover this peculiarly Of
practice under the Reed
rules. A member who served one term
without realizing II is making up for lost
time in the present Congress. He has Ge- !
livered eight oratiOns upon the Philippine |
by embodying the same ideas |
differently expressed, in general debate on |
the deficiency and other appropriation |
bills. He Is still lying en- perdu. awaiting |
further opportunities. and is good for at |
least eight more speeches.
In former years the naval appropriation |
I'LL was the. favorite dumping ground for |
such material This year, however. the |
loads are being pretty evenly distributed |
All the appropriation bills seem to be |
receptacles for such refuse While there |
was little business before the House. this |
was exceptionally pleasing to the chair |
man OF the Committee on Appropriations |
II consumed time and prevented the con- |
sideration of private bills involving gov |
eminent expenditure. IT was really econ /
1my, though not, perhaps, economy par
excellence. The latter virtue has been /
shown in one of the departments since |
he opening OF Congress a mechanic was /
blown into the air by an explosion at a |
government factory at 1885 O'Clock AMI |
-aken TO the hospital. Upon his recovery
sc learned that under the ruling of the de-
his pay had ceased at 1855. His |
Journey through the air was thus taken
Al his own expense. Extraordinary as
his may seem. the fact was brought 10
light in hearing before one of the COM
nittees of the House.
1t will be well for the new members IN
Work on their surplus material in general