The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-12-17
OUR NATIONAL LEGISLATORS.

OUR NATIONAL LEGISLATORS.
Senator Willard is straight Republican
but he does not permit partisanship to
| spoil a good story. Il very we'll remem-
Der the first time ever met Mr.. Bryan, .
said the Senator the other day It was
in the Congressional campaign of 1890. a
friend of mine, Cornell, was running on
| the Republican ticket in the Lincoln dis
STict and had arranged for series of
| joint debates with his Democratic op-
ponent. He came over and asked me to
sit on the platform at the opening meet
ing TO add dignity to our side He said a
| young fellow named Bryan was the rival
| candidate.
= went over to the meeting which was
held in an opera house with some S,00e
| people present. It was the campaign when
they were talking a great deal about the
tariff on ten-penny nails. barbed wire,
wool, and the like. Conneu led on, and
made what I thought was a bang up
/ speech. It met my views; I thought it
was ali right and unanswerable. Then it
| was Bryan's turn.
I can see now Just how he looked. His
| trousers seemed too small for him and
when he arose they didn't fall down to
the tops of his shoes. He had on long
Prince Albert. a broad expanse of white
shirt and black string tie. I thought he
would be tiresome and wanted to go home.
In about three minutes he warmed up,
however, and he had not proceeded far be
fore he had the whole crowd with him,
shouting, cheering, and appiauding. He
fayed my friend Cornell right and left,
wound up his argument and pitched it out
CT the window while the mob went wild.
Cornell seemed sick When Bryan got
through with him. COnneII looked like a
hye-cent cake Of ice that had been left
all the afternoon in an August sun. L
was the first and the last OF the Joint de-
bates. and I was not IN the least sur
prlsed when I woke up the morning after
election and learned that the young fell
low named Bryan had been elected TO
Congress
Senator Clapp, the tall statesman from
Minnesota, who was elected to succeed
Senator Davis has opinions OF his own.
He believes that the So called secret ses-
sions Of the upper body of Congress are
mere farces and should be abolished. and
he has introduced a resolution to that
effect.
These executive sessions are such
laughabIe affairs that the American peo-
PIE ought to be permitted to enjoy them"
said the Senator yesterday The older
members OF this body treat the sessions
seriously AID this makes them all the
more amusing The doors are locked Ths
galleries are cleared. Not a soul is per-
mitted 10 pass aICng the corridors outside.
The trusted employees of the Senate are ex-
cIuded from the chamber, and next morn
ing you see a detailed report of the pro-
ceedings IN the newspsp ers.
I believe with Senator Mason that the
executive session is all rubbish, and that
they are ancient bGruaCleS-' The sooner
we wake I'd and act sensible the sooner
the action will be appreciated by fun
loving people
Senator'S Hanna, Beveridge and McL.au-
rim yesterday received and accepted in
vitauons to attend the annual dinner OF
the 1Iiddlesex Club, in Boston on Deem
her IS They have heard vague stories
about Middlesex Club dinners and have
began training so as TO get into condition
FOR the e-ent- Senator McLaurin has been
reading up on MiddIesex Club dinners and
has discovered that q guest must be wary
as ma gnUms are as gilIs and canvas backs
as common chickens. Following his &C
ceDtanCe he was somewhat startled to re-
ceive q letter III his mail yesterday after
noon containing a circular from which
stared forth in large type the following:
DO you eat2''
IN y-oTr f7rF1
One thing IS certain Pain Killer kills
pain"
The letter carriers Of the country never
lose an opportunity to speak a good word
for Representative William Alden Smith
Of Michigan For the past six years he
has made an earnest and persistent fight
to have the pay OF the letter carriers in
creased. and he viii renew the fight dur
ing this Congress- Mr.. Smith says the
letter carrier is the poorest paid OF all
of Uncle Sans employees, and that while
Congress has from time to time granted
increased compensation 20 large bodies OF
workmen like the printers, bookbinders,
Dressmen. etc. the man who delivers your
mail IN all kinds Of weather has been
overlooked and sadly neglected
Mr.. Smith hss Just introduced a bill
which is endorsed by the National As
sociaJiOG OF Latter Carriers, providing
for gradual increase in the salary OF
the letter carrier Under the Smith bill
a carrier starts in at compensation OF
$500 per annum which is increased until
after having served four years he gets
81 200. Under existing law the highest
salary paid a letter carrier is only 81 GOO
per annum. There is a pronounced seutj-
ment N the House in favor of the meas
Ure-
For the past three or four days Repre-
sentative Bell has been before the Indus
trial Commission trying to convince the
Agricultural Committee that making rev
homes on the arid domain by Government
aid would not be an injurious competi-
ton to the home owners of the Middle
West In the opinion of Judge Bell there
cant be too many homes in this country.
He is heartily in favor of the reclamation
of the arid lands in the West He is
working hard 20 secure an appropriation
10 begin this important improvement
The LOckiaw Enquiry.
philadelphia North Amcricaa)
If the testimony elected by the Iockjaw