The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1901-12-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.

eno capital VI the greatest nation.
even in summer, when Congress
Is absent, is the center of interest
to intelligent people everywhere.
How could it be otherwiseg It is
the seat Of government of more
than S5,oOO,OOO of people: the
home Of the President; the cabinet
is always here, either in person;
or by assistant secretaries: the
Government bureaux having SUI
pervision of education, of agricul-
ture, OF the mails, and of the mul-
tltuduious affairs Of great nation
are here, as one may say, in con-
tlnuous session But when Con
gress convenes, there is vastly
added interest, and the Congress
which is now in session Is doubt.
less the most important that has
convened for many years. The
applicants for office are making
the hinges Of the White House
doors hot while lobbyists in I'M
wonted numbers are working at
the capitol. The present Con
gresS will have to deal with many
new and important questions.
With the close of the Spanish
War, the country entered on
new historical era, and the legis-
lative body of the United States
has been forced to meet many new
and perplexing questions Con
gress must legislate for the Philip
pines. 1t will take up the ques-
ton of the purchase of the Danish
West Indies. It must consider
the project Of constructing cable
from our western coast to the
other shore of the Pacific, aud it
must provide for digging a canal
across the lsthmus. A ship sub.
sidy bill for the encouragement or
American ship building must be
either approved or voted down,
and the River and Harbor Appro
priation Bill will this session be
| further complicated by having at
tached to it a measure for the irri
Igation of the arid lands of the
west. The question OF excluding
the "yellow terror from oul
shores has again come up. Three
territories, Oklahoma, Arizona
and New Mexico will be found
knocking at the doors of Congress
for admission into the sisterhoo6
IOf states.
| The citizens of Washington
. take Congress very much as /;
matter Of course. With the ole
habitues, Congress is no great at
traction. Distinguished public
men create no sensation. Their
are too many of them. But never
in the memory of anyone living
has there been such an interesting
parsonage in the White House al
President Theodore Roosevelt
and more is hoped from him b.
optimists who believe in popula
government than from any pre-
vious president. There are thou
sands who would be willing t
give him autocratic power, and
the country backs~him to the en-
las popular sentiment is backln
him now, he will have the equivs
llent of autocratic power and b
able to test those reforms in tn
civil, naval and military establish
: ments for which his name is a syI
onym. Distinguishes as q public
list, as q soldier, and as Statesman
! no ia oven more distinguished as
\ terror to political corruptionis'
and that horde Of consclenceles
politicians who have SO long r
elgarded public Office as q priya1
perquisite. If he succeeds
J downing this horde, he will NAL
\ frmer and fairer the foundation
OF the republic, and the supe
structure for thousand yea
will bear the marks of his mast
I. hand.
Il A man who haslived for 9 qua
ter OF q century at the nation
|capitol and seen the interaction
tremendous political and NOR
forces and tendencies. who b
to heard the actors and looked up