The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-22

Washington, June 21.-(Special.)-How spiritually unprofltable Is the glory or the world and how swiftly 1t passes how small and empty of comfort 1t all of 1t is-how toilsome, exacting and un- satisfying-may he most deplorably un- derstood here where a great people has set up a government of Its own that Is no more its own to control than Is the wind that swells the flag on the Capitol
 Restless upon a hard board seat amongst a horde of minimizing ones in the gallery of the Senate, hemmed in, hot stifing in that nosome atmosphere that Is made poisonous by human beings alone, and in riotous rebellion of the heart against what was being done be- fore my eyes and in the hearing of my ears, I grew sick as I witnessed the making of history for the people but not by the people.
 Weary of all that make-believe, that cheap play at patriotism, that mockery of supreme duty, that gold-plated char lantry against which the pleadings for the people hurtless broke, the figures that passed across that memorable
 
 ago and a pinchbeck yesterday to lead the way to a sordd and black tomorrow.
 Sick unto faintness, I sat through the long and steamy and wretched hours whilst fools about me asked the mean ing of the thing transpiring, as if they had stumbled into pigstye and asked to know the name of the fattest pig, If name he bore at all, and falling that, to know his weight, age and length of ears.
 By the Lord the scene that shifted was lost in the grime of political glory as fixed by the masters of money, and there was a change in balances in the banks. In one way or another money had purchased what 1t willed, and the Senate blundered on In its insane gib- perish of the roll-call, as if money cared what manner of manhood was thereby brought from the chamber of the law makers, money having bought what it needed, or felt 1t needed, which is the same in the marts of legislation, as well 1 as elsewhere.
 On his feet, on the floor. speaking | smelling gallery of the Senate was an old man personally known to many of you-Senator Morgan of Alabama. With a mass of papers on his desk before him. he was making his last plea for an en- | terprise demanded by all the American peope-the Nicaragua canal Possibly a | third of the Senators were in their | places and but five or six were listen ing to him. the only man living who Is thoroughly familiar with the issue at that moment before the Senate. The other Senators did not care Eith- CT they had arrived at their own con clusions or had been brought to the con clusions or views of the money power. Most of those who didn't care to hear Senator Morgan had been induced. most probably. to accept the views of men who are not in the Senate except by proxy
 No intelligent person there or else where believes that the Senatorial allies | of the Panama canal swindlers were sin 1 cere In effect these allies concede that they prefer to stand by the money pow CT and prevent the building of any canal. They had no heart In their work; they had something that hardens every heart that it touches.
 Let the old man plead on until 9 | o'clock" they said. He can do no harm; we have got the votes. How we got them Is no matter; it is enough that we have them.'
 And thus the illustrious old Alabamian pleaded on to the end He might as well have been pleading to Mount Pelee to bech forth no more death; he might have been trying to call back his boy hood that passed three-score years ago. For as powerful and relentless as na- ture Is the money power confronting men sometimes.
 "I would honor a brave fool more than I would the smartest rascal who ever | lived" Senator Morgan said, turning to Senator Spooner and denouncing the | knaves who had been conspicuous in the 1 Panama plumber.
 ! "The great honor of the canal, whether built at Panama or Nicaragua, or else where. will belong forever to you" the famous Alabamian was repeatedly as- sured by those who opposed the Nicar- agua route; and that Is true enough. for the money power cannot forever stand