The Savannah morning news., 1902-06-29
PRESIDENT HAS TWO DEFEATS
TWO NOTABLE SURRENDERs TO
SENATE LAST WEEK.

Forced by Beet Sugar Senators TO
Retreat on Cuban Reciprocity and
Then Forced Out of White House
by Senators Who Could Not stand
Dust and Debris Due to Repairs in
Progress There-WiI Occupy the
Old Townsend Mansion for the
Next Six Months.
Washington, June 2S.-President
Roosevelt has had to record two nota-
BILE surrenders to the Senate during the
past week In the first instance, the
beet scgar senators forced him to re-
treat on the Cuban reciprocity relief
bill Later he was obliged to evacuate
the White House, and take up temper
airy headquarters in the neighborhood,
upon the demand of those senators who
resented being compelled to wade
through debris and dust caused by the
work of renovating the Executive Man
sion.
For two or three days dignified and
influential senators rolled up to the
White House door in their private
carriages and automobiles to see the
IItSlQGuks IuGy 6IiCOunltIcQ ali oil lily
of workmen tearing the historic old
mansion to pieces SO far as the interior
is concerned. They murmured consid-
erably when they were required to
scramble over temporary board walks.
and being bumped into by colored la
borers pushing wheel-barrows of de-
bris through the front door. They en-
dured these inconvenience for several
10 Ho1 h1av
that the. President desired to occupy
the upper part of the building, with
Gen. Wood as his guest, notwithstand-
ing the noise and dirt occasioned by
the hurried improvement below. Final
ly the dust from the tearing out of the
walls became so thick that it per-
meated the entire building and visitors
left the White House looking and feel
ing as though they had been through
flour mill or a stone crushing fac
tory.
PIatt Lead the Kickers.
Senator Plat, of New York
was selected to lead the
crusade against the Presidents occu-
pancy of the White House, while the
alterations are in progress The Sc
nior senator from New York is not in
robust health, and he does not fancy
lodging falling beams and stumbling
over broken timbers and cropping his
way in and out of the White House
through a binding dust. Senators
Burrows, Foraker, Spooner, Allison,
McComas and others who are en-
thusiastic advocates of the improve
ments now in progress also instituted
kick. Now, senators, as a rule, do
not hesitate TO throw dust in the eyes
OF the dear people, when it is to their
personal or political advantage to do
hIIt
against having their own eyes and
Threats filled with White House dust
They told the President plainly that
| he was subjecting them to a great in
convenience by remaining there while
the work was going on, besides they
declared that his own health would be
impaired by working and living in
such an atmosphere. The pressure
was so strong that he finally yielded
and directed Secretary Cortelyou to
rent a temporary white House."
which happens to be red, in the imme-
date neighborhood. Thus the Senate
claims to have scored another victory
over the President
The Temporary Residence.
The temporary abiding place of the
President in Washington during the
next four months will be in what is
Familiarity known as the former resi-
dence of Mrs. Scott Townsend, the
daughter of the late Thomas Scott
president of the Pennsylvania Rail-
road. 1t is a large double house.
fronting on Lafayette Square. just
across the street from the White
House. 1t contains twenty rooms and
has one of the largest private dining
rooms of any residence in the Capital
City. The lower floor will be
used for executive offices, and
the upper part of the build
ing will be furnished as the living
apartments of the presidential family
White House furniture has been moved
over to the Townsend house, and the
latter, which has been the scene of
some of the most elaborate and bril-
liant social functions known to Wash
ington society, now becomes historic
as the temporary home of President
Roosevelt when he was driven from
the White House proper by kicking SEN
ators and cloud of dust.
Mrs. ROOseveIt's Influence.
Wives of public men exercise a po-
tent influence in national affairs. 1t
frequently occurs that a leading poll
tician will submit to the influence of
his wife in dealing with great nation
al question, in preference to accepting
the advice or suggestions of party as
SOciateS. 1t is a fact that Mrs. Roose-
welt was largely responsible for her
husbands very successful and exceed
ingly delightful visit to the Charleston
Exposition, last April. 1t will be re-
membered that after the first post
ponement of the trip, because of the
sudden illness of Theodore Roosevelt
Jr., at the Groton School, an ugly in
cident in which Senator Tillman and
his nephew, the lieutenant governor
of South Carolina cut a conspicuous
figure, many political friends of the
President in Washington and elsewhere
advised him to abandon the Charles
ton trip, fearing that some disagreeable
incident might occur growing out of
the Tillman episode. 1t was Mrs.
Roosevelt who advised her husband to
disregard that advice and urged him
to go, at the same time declaring that
she would accompany him without the
slightest apprehension or fear of I'M
pleasantness.
Wife's Letter Changed Hanna
Strong and capable as Senator Mark
Hanna is supposed to be, he is some
times influenced in public affairs by
his wife. A short time ago, Senator
Hanna was UP to his eyes in political