Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-12
TO AMEND SUNDRY CIVIL BILL
Allison Offers a. Provision TO Erect
Onice Building for Prcsi-
dent.

WASHINGTON, May II. Especially
Senator Allen has offered an amendment
to the sundry civil bill appropriating $780,,
600 for general improvements at the White
hCuse, Including the construction of II
temporary office for the president on the
White House grounds just west of the ex
ecutive mansion to cost not more than
$50 600.
The temporary building is designed to be
used as the presidents Office and to pro-
vide cabinet rooms and quarters for the
clerical force, so that the rooms now used
for those purposes may be converted into
private apartments for the family of the
president. 1t is to be of brick, painted
white and one story high, and will be fur
nished at a cost of $4,000.
The interior Of the White House under
the present plan is to be strengthened
and the entire second floor converted into
private apartments. An elevator is also
TO be furnished. The office building. it Is
said, can be constructed within three
months The alterations and improve
ments in the interior of the White House
will be completed before fall.
The debate on the Philippine bill degen-
Grated during the early days of the week
into an old-fashioned bloody-shirt contro-
versy, in which the civil war was fought
over again and during which Senator Till
man made another of his remarkable
speeches. II seems TO be impossible to
discuss any measure of general interest to
the country without stirring up strife and
reopening the wounds which were supposed
to have been healed.
InvestiVes Confined to Chambers.
/ To listen to the senators as they throw
| nvectives across the aisle at each other an
l obsaryer would i'm zine that tho most bittar
| personal animosity exists between the two
! divisions of the upper house of congress.
! And yet ten minutes after the hottest kind
of a debate senators who were throwing
! billngsgate at each other are frequently
found in the restaurant dining together
with apparently no recollection of what
| was just said on the floor
| All the bitterness OF the last few weeks
has no meaning other than the desire OF
/ each side to make political capital for the
! coming campaign. While newspaper columns
are filled with reports OF debates which
/ might lead one to think that personal
encounters are imminent no one who fol-
! lows these debates ever expects anything
! to come Of them.
The selection of General Bragg of Wis
| consin to be consul general at Havana,
| Cuba, by President Roosevelt caused no
| surprise among the Wisconsin men who
! knew of the estimation in which the sturdy
old warrior was held. II was the intention
| of President Mckinley, during his life, to
! do something for General Bragg. In
! fact, President Mckinley twice rendered
him positions which he was compelled to
| decline on account of i'll health
The other consular positions in Cuba will
be filled at once. It will be unnecessary
to say that there are plenty Of applicants
I for them.
The appointment as consul general at
Havana would also have been declined a
few years ago. but owing to the cleaning
up Of the city under American regime il
is no longer the unhealthy pest-hoe that
It used TO be considered and General
! BraFgs Wisconsin friends think that he
| will accept the place for which he is
recognized as eminenuy well qualified.