The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-05-31
Washington
Day by Day


are four questions Of very great interest
lust now in washington. The first is the
cold wave. So cool has the weather be-
come that everybody has had to put on
wraps The wind is so cool that 1t
makes one SILVER like the breezes of
November day, and it threatens to post
none the adjournment of congress indef-
intely.
IJpon this question of postponement,
by the way, there was very curious oc-
currence In the senate. Mr.. Hale ana
others on the Republican side ana MT
Bailey and others on the Democratic sioe
had reached the moment OF agreement
as to the day Of adjournment which
would have been within the next two or
three weeks. Mr.. Hale and Mr.. Bailey
and all the senators seem to have been
in an unusually amiabie mood all OF
them being willing to fix dates for voting
upon the greater questions now pending
such as reciprocity with Cuba, the
PHILIPPINES government bill and the 18TH
milan canal.
At the instant that the presiding Of
fcer was about TO declare unanimous
consent to the programme marked out,
Mr.. Clay. of Georgia, for some extra
ordinary reason, or no reason at ALL sud
denly declared that his colleague the
senator for Louisiana, might object 10
the arrangement. There was some laugh
ter at this, but more resentment. Inc
question of unanimous consent, which
was at that moment at issue, does not
concern absentees from the senate or
from the house, as to that matter. ABB
sentees are absent; they have got moth
ing to do with what is going on at the
time of their absence. Yet because Sen
ator Clay at the critical moment con-
cluded that my colleague from Louis
lana" might object or might have some
thing to say about II, therefore the SEN
ator for Georgia interposed his own OBJ
lection to the unanimous agreement, be-
cause one of the senators for Louisiana
might, IL he were present, object.
There is no way now OF telling when
the senate will agree to the conclusion OF
certain debates that would mean the adj
journment Of congress, and upon that
account there Is considerable soreness OF
feeling. Had Senator Clay suddenly de-
sired drink of water and had gone out
to secure It, all would nave been well;
but, alas, the senator was there; and,
aies, we may not know when the adj
journment OF congress will take place.
II the weather remains cool Is 1t is now,
there is no reason why congress should
not sit all summer; the only conditions
that would force an adjournment being
that the national legislators would wish
to seek a warmer climate than the cli-
mate of Washington, which during the
latter part of June and throughout July
is ordinarily the hottest and most insult
ferabie on the continent.
Another matter of momentous issue, in
sofar as concerns the House Of Represen-
tatives, is a provision In an act adopted
yesterday forbiddidng tho sale of liquor
within the precincts of the Capitol. This
is Of tremendous importance, seeing that
the House has adopted a similar pro-
vision In some bill every two years for
nearly a quarter OF century. 1t is one
Of the little ways the House of Represen-
tatives has of playing to the little crowd
In the little gallery Of temperance advo-
Gates, that Is to say, those weli-meaning
persons Of the population of the United
States who espouse the issue OF total ABB
stlnence of whisky and otner Intoxicating
drinks, and yet are themselves grossly in
temperate in common articles of food,
such as beefsteak and coffee; those who
fancy that the law of the Most High war
rants Them in being Incorporate in all
manner of food, oil manner of drink and
all manner of speech, save only indul-
Gence IN spirituous liquors and in speech
denouncing these who do indulge in such
liquors.
the House of Repre- sentatives voting to
exclude spirituous liquors from the capitol
building and at the same time disregard
ing all other forms of jntemperance is
the most comical act of legislation in
which even the House can indulge A Sc
date and worthy member may 60 into the
House cafe ard eat enough beef at one
meal to be sufficient for o laboring man
for an entire week, then go to the floor
obove, enter the hall of the House and
shrek against liquor. utterly obilvious to
the fact that the most vulgar Of all the
Incorporate nordes of man is he who eats
too much; that 1t is coarser to over-feed
than 1t Is to over-drink of intoxicating
liquors.
Another great sensation OF the moment
In Congress is now the Northumberland
fact that Senator John Lowndes McLau-
rim of South Carolina has been agreed
upon by the President and his advisers
for a seat on the Court of Claims. There
are very few of us Southerners, especial
ly. who will not say with the Jew In THE
Merchant of Venice" II am glad of If:
am glad OF it,"
Simply because Senator McI,aur,n of
South Carolina has been too manly 70
crook his knee to Ben" Tillman that
wild man of the South Carolina hills
who heaped abuse upon him. and In that
same outrageous action this same Till
man has been Joined by a multitude of
reputable Southerners, honest men who
have been willing to join in the denunc,a-
ton of Southern gentleman in the Sen.
ate because he would not be governed
oy such man as We are unaccustomed
TO call a gentleman. Senator McI.aurip
wins out; Tillman and his followers ora