The age-herald., 1902-02-11
Washington Day By Day

Washington, February lO.-CSpeclai'l -. Inasmuch as many Alabamians continue to send letters to Washington In regaru to the proposed appropriation Tor schoois of mines and mining, it would seem ue- sirable to repeat the statement made Ill a. special dispatch to The Age-Herald .everal days ago, that so far as Alabama Is concerned the House committee on mines and mining has settled the ques- ton of the designation of the money py ag1 eeing to an amendment to the Dill ul- viding the fund equally between the State University and the Auburn College
 This action was taken upon an agree ment arrived at between Congressman Bankhead. Clayton and Richardson lh their representative capacity and pr. Eu- gene A Smith of the University ana Professor Thach of Auburn. Those Con gressmen appeared with the two educa- tors before the committee and submitted the proposition as in the nature or | friendly compromise and the committee readily adopted it as an amendment In view of the conflicting demands of the University and Auburn, each of which desired the entire annual appropriation A compromise was deemed most expedi- ent. Thus each of these institutions is to receive under the bill, if it becomes law I s5Oo0 for the first year, and an annual in crease to the extent of $500 until the sum reaches s750O.
 There Is an impression that Chairman Eddy of the House committee is not friendly to the bill, though it is not un- 6er1af will take its place on the calendar with report favoring its passage But it IS sala that Speaker Henderson is unfriendly to the measure, and if that be true and he undertakes to oppose it, there will be but little chance for it to become law
 Under MT. Henderson's method of au- tocratically ruling the House Of Repre- sentatives, any legislation opposeu pS him is practically impossible In l sense he has reduced the House to unlt' and that unit is himself. The machinery of legislation is proceeded Wlth' speeones are made, votes are taken ana recorueo' and the mill grinds on; but there IS no prist that does not bear the hehuei sun stamp of approval, impressed by hlthseii directly or with his consent. The House was never before so nearly or so cleails a one-man power; and that power IS as unvielding as the granite mountains oi MT Henderson's native Land O CaKes
 If will be by the grace of MT. Henoef- con if the mining schools bill pass the House.
 Great Scot!
 1Jendersonia-othe the House or resentatives-proved to be great at- traction to Tom hewlett Of Birmingham during his recent visit of several "eehs to the national capital. The House Ill session Is intensely interesting to ma iority of the visitors, and it IS lnteIiseiS interesting to majority of the visltors' and is intensely amusing to others Ioni t1ewlett's view was that of the minority be always sees the comical side of things and in that he was born fortunate
 While the House in session IS not nearly so amusing now as it was when one couio see three hundred and ffty7hVe or us members capping their hands with great vigor for pages while the three huhureo and fiftv-sixth member talked of nothing for the Record and his constituents members now touching buttons ana the | pages doing the rest-it still makes many laugh. This is the way it Impressed rom Hewlett. He laughed at the men who were talking for the Record; for he discovered that the men who do things in Congress are not much on talking things Tom Hewlett Is one of the most ob- | ,or,,an+ of men He was for three and twenty years employed in the United States Secret Service, and he is an oo- server from who laid the chunk Seeing seventeen members at one time shrieking to MT. Speaker" and seeing the Speaker see none of them. Tom Hew- lett resolved upon timely suggestion for the House and for the Wizard of Mento Park. In substance it was this:
 Build a big brass board behind the Sneakers chair, and have the board electrically connected with numerous but tons on the Speakers chair. Have each l hutton to represent an illuminated legend l on the board, excepting one particular button the pressing of which would pro- l duce a resonant and prolonged hiss l shee-e-e-e-eeh. or something to that effect. There should be @ button for each State in the union and one for each mem Der from each State, the name of the 1 State and the member being brilliantly displayed on the board for the informa- ton of the whole board.
 By way of example, assume that the Speaker had recognized Hon. Oscar Un- l derwood of Alabama as having the floor, to use a parliamentary phrase, and sev- l enteen or a hundred other members were clamoring to deprive the distinguished gentleman from Alabama of his right to 1 speak-that Is, wishing themselves to ad- l dress the House-the Speaker would press a button and instantly there would blaze on the board,
 1 Alabama"
 Pressing another button instantly, there would appear under Alabama"
 MT. Underwood
 A third button pressed would produce in MT. Underwood's behalf the hissing mo- tice to all the clamorous ones who would deprive him of his right to the floor.
 Shut upi"
 The principal would be applied to others of the few whom the Speaker might from time to time recognize; and similarly there could be flashed on the board such announcements to the always-noisy and undignifed House as