Evening star., 1902-02-11

l., loUG-lO L A1ES.
the President delivers his inaugural. and
one-most generally woman-to the in
augural ball.
Scouts for the Occasion.
I'm addition to all this there are scouts
who go hither and thither and pick up
whatever they can in the line Of incidents
on the streets or elsewhere. This, mind
you, is all in addition to the routine fur
nished by the Associated Press and what
is styled the advance matter. which can
always be gotten up two or three days
ahead Tor extensive ceremonials. The A.
Y. routine includes the address OF the
President and Vice President. the regular
proceedings In the Senate, the organiza-
tlon and route Of the procession and vari-
Gus other details The Associated Press in
fact furnishes a complete account OF the
whole affair. and the papers can use as
much or as little OF 1t as suits them. The
washington city papers manage their re-
ports IN the same way. Thus you see how
you can read almost while 1t Is going on
vivid and elaborate accounts Of this mem
oraple ceremony, occupying not columns
but pages.
paper parlance, is done by a woman Wo-
men now in Journalism, as in every other
business occupation, are treading on the
toes OF the men. There is scarcely a news
woman on its local writing staff. 1 don't
know exactly how many Of them are in
the ranks Of the Washington correspond
ents. but it Is quite little battalion. 1
easily recall the first woman who essayed
washington correspondence, the late Miss
Austfne Snead. She and her mother be-
gan In the late COS. Would you believe
1t that at first some persons looked at her
askance? She did not mind it. She pros
pered, and for some years before her death
she enJoyed from her pen an income aver
aging $1,000 per annum. Miss Snead was
exclusively a society reporter, and most Of
the women who have followed her in
Washington confine themselves to that
branch although others have strayed into
every domain of newspaper literature.
The Impeachment Trial.
1t seems to me the most eventful and
the most interesting period of my career
as a Washington correspondent was dur
Ing the Impeachment proceedings against
President Andrew Johnson. think also it
furnished the incentive and the occasion
for the finest and most finished CORE
sPondence sp 1naen from this city 1t was an era
any which occurred even during the throes
or civil war. For then there We're often
iuiis OF longer or shorter duration. when
military movements were at standst;ll
and the country went on In everyday
Iash1on Not SO In the Impeachment epoch.
The fight between Congress and the Presi-
dent had stirred the whole north to- Its
very depths. In ali those long weeks of
uncertainty as to whether johnson was
to be expelled from the White House there
was not moment when mems passions
were not hot; not moment when rumor
and rancor were not in the air; not a mo-
ment when hearts did not tremble for the
republic.
Day by day the people hung on the news
from washington and constantly hun
gered and thirsted for more. All, those
were no easy hours for the correspondents.
They could scarcely steal the time to sleep
or eat Their nimble fingers dashing off
their dispatches kept continuous time with
the clicking Of the telegraph. Brain and
Drawn were drawn on to the limit for sub
Jects were always crowding fast and fu-
rious. Many Of the compositions which
would in their vivid and graphic portrayal
nave done no discredit to the ornate pages
Of Macaulay. Literally. President and
Congress lay on their arms, and no story
or would do was too wild to receive Gre
dence. At that time the high iron fence
still enctrcled the grounds on the western
front Of the Capitol. Guards were sta
toned at the gates and at all the en-
frances east and west OF the Capitol for
fear that some desperate sympathizer with
the President might do dire deeds.
Guards About the Capitol.
"One morning a correspondent with his
note book and writing materials, tied up
In package under his arm, was stopped
by the vigilant sentries, and was not per-
mitted to pass until he had undone his
package and convinced them that 1t did
not contain an Internal machine. 1t was
wonderful how up to the last moment the
friends of the executive and the adherents
Of Congress were both confident as to the
result Wagers figuring up an enormous
total were laid on the issue. Among those
actuated by the courage Of their convic-
tions and who plunged in recklessly was
the late w. w. Warden, a Washington
correspondent. and also one Of the secre-
taries Of the President. He staked all he
could raise, beg, borrow or anticipate
Andrew Johnson escaped by the skin of
his teeth, Mr.: Warden gathered in a sum
reaching to thousands and thousands
The late Mr. Z; II. Painter. then cor;
recklessly on the other side. Warden got
deal of his money. and he was a very
lame duck for a long time after. Mr..
Painter was exceedingly close to Senator
Senate, and it was generally understood
among the correspondents If Wade went |
into the White House Painter would be
the power behind the throne. 1t is part |
the personal feelings OF several republican
senators prevented the conviction of the
President. 1t was not they hated Andrew !
Johnson less. but they were more opposed
But through the whole period OF recon-
struction and for years subsequently, po-
litical and journalistic circles in Washing |
ton were seething with excitement. I'm |
mediately after the close of the civil war !
the Senate assumed that lead in the pol |
icy and the legislation of the nation which |
has finally grown into absolute control, |
for the House on all important questions |
does little more than follow the whim and !
humor OF the Senate. Negro suffrage was |
engrafted on the Constitution by the de- |
Of the Senate. for the House |
had never treated the proposition seriously |
until the Senate made it an ultimatum.
and 1t was carried only by bare majority |
of one in the Senate republican caucus.
''In 1874 when the democrats carried the |
election SO Unexpectedly and |
an enormous majority in the new
House of Representatives. the republican
senators got their heads together, and in
the succeeding short session of the expiring |
Congress fought the war all over again.
The debates of that winter were able and |
sensational in the extreme. For weeks to-
gether it was all politics. The democratic
minority had increased very considerably |
from the time when first knew 1t as COM
posed Of only seven men, including two not |
elected as members Of that party Reverdy |
Johnson Of Maryland and Garrett Davis Of |
On that side were speakers Of