Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-08
BITS OF WASHINGTON LIFE.

BITS OF WASHINGTON LIFE.
Minor scenes and sketched
ON the spot.
II present plans OF the congressional
committees Of the republican and demo-
cratic parties are carried out congress
sional speeches will be spread over the
country next fall as thick as leaves In the
famed forest Of Villambrosa. Nearly
every member Of congress-" reports the
Washington Star. has one or more
speeches delivered by him in the house and
senate, which he desires to distribute
among his constituents. They may be re-
marks upon the great questions Of the day
or merely a spread upon some local sub
ject, but the congressman does not think
he has done his duty unless he ~plasters
his district or state with speeches. II
he did not his constituents probably would
ask him upon his return what he had been
doing down in Washington.
80 in every committee room at the capi-
toll the clerks are busy inolosing and mail
ing the speeches Of congressman. Every
senator and representative keeps a list Of
the people Of his constituency whom he de-
sires to reach and the envelopes are ad-
dressed from these lists. The speeches go
through the mails, free. Of course, but II
is quite a task TO get them ready for ship
ment. They are taken from the capitol by
wagonloads at a time and for the next
two weeks the mail trains leaving Wash
ington will carry extra cars to
date the increased trafic.
"In addition to the large volume OF politi-
cal literature sent out by individual sena-
tors and representatives, the two campaign
committees will distribute this year mill
lions OF documents. In the presidential
campaign OF 1896 the republican committee
sent out 22,oO 0 900 documents. No such
number will be distributed this year, but
the total will probably reach several mil
lions and the democrats will do as we'll"
A long chapter Of wrathful differences be-
tween United States senators since last
January had its ending in the row between
Bailey and Beveridge. In the month named
Senators Lodge. Tillman and Spooner met
In animated debate, during which Senator
Tillman gave way to some characteristic
explosives. A month later Senators Till
man and McLaurln had a personal encoun-
ter in the senate. Early in May there was
a sensational moment when Senators Dolli-
yer and Carmack exchanged angry wotds
~ NNS hAAAPRAhO noA Ch "d 81 III
tors Patterson and Dietrich exchanged
warm words during a session Of the Phil
ippine investigation committee and a week
later 1t looked for a moment as II Senators
Rawlins and Dietrich would come TO blows
In the same committee. Senator Moneys
experience with a street car conductor oc-
CURED on April "a.
To set at rest many inquiries, the Wash
ington correspondent of the New York Ev-
ening Post says that the plans for the
changes In the exterior appearance of the
White House are noteworthy, but in no.
wise radical. The conservatories and
greenhouses, which now stretch out from
the side of the main building to the west
but constitute no part Of II, will give way
to a marble terrace leading to the of1ce
building at the further end. This will
be a restoration, to all intents, of some
thing OF which rudimentary relics and
traces are found in the stratum Of an
earlier presidential era-the office building
Itself for instance. being as nearly as pos
sible where Jefferson had his. The terrace,
which will probably be decorated with
palms and towering plants, and to that
extent continue the idea OF a conservatory,
will be upheld by pillars on the lower
N@NN ANAAo - "oJ ASA SoNhAb6
the basement of the office building from
the basement of the White House. From
the east side, to symmetrize this struc-
ture, will run another marble terrace lead
ing to a porteoochere, where guests may
alight from their carriages and proceed to
the assembly rooms on social occasions.
A considerable sum included in the gen.
eral appropriation for. the White House
was added for the two terraces, which
were, strictly speaking, an afterthought.
Many a citizen from the interior has
fallen a victim to the indigestible soft
shelled crab on going to live in Washing
ton. Pension Commissioner Ware early
contracted the soft-shelled crab habit and
INDUCED his appetite for the dainty until
a physician ordered him to desist. A
friend in Kansas heard that the commits
sioner was worn out by close attention
to his duties and wrote him a solicitous
letter. He received the following reply
by wire: TITS not work that's breaking
down my constitution-it's soft-shelled
crabs"
The Mccall bill, which was used as a
means OF getting through the amendment
remitting the stock taxes, provides for the
refunding Of more than $500, 900 that have
been collected on legacies and requests
to various charitable institutions. When
the tax on such requests was originally
drafted congress had no idea that its en-
forcement would take so much money from
religious, literary, charitable and educa-
tional societies and associations. The
taxes, however. were lowed according to
the highest rate imposed under the law,
and in some instances 1t was as high as
Is per cent Of the entire legacy. The total
amount collected under the act was s643,
1879, and it is now proposed to refund the
entire sum.
One OF the finest buildings that have ever
graced Washington, aside from the govern
ment structures, will be the new apart
ment house about to be erected by Secre-
tary OF State John Hay. A row Of very
good houses belonging to Mr.. Hay on fash
ionable Connecticut avenue are being tori
down to make room for It, and a much
used alley In the square will be closed, az
he is the owner OF all the abutting prop
erty. Each suite OF rooms in such a swell
apartment house rents for more per annun
than the full amount Of the average mans
salary. 1t does not require the brain o.
a mathematician to guess at Mr.. Hay
S,k,.o tpcanoa Fropn thIa hufIdiuO alona