Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-03-19

lopeclal washington Letter.
"a F course thirty senators retire
every two years. The average
49, senatorial going and coming
don't amount to q hill of
beans, but in the general shakeup this
time there are several features of un-
usual interest.
Ihe most astounding phenomenon in
the opening scenes Of the new senate
was the tremendous ovation rendered
to Arthur Pue German of Maryland.
This statesman evidently has great
hold on the affections of the American
people. The reason is not far to seek.
When was boy back in the hill coun-
try of Kentucky, used to hear old DIR.
Carter say that he judged people by
their flesh marks. That was DIR. Car
ter's way of saying that he was phys
iognomist, and we are all consciously
or unconsciously physiognomists. Judg-
ed by this standard, Senator German
deserves to stand very high in the af-
fections of the human race He has
the ideal Greek head and face, and it
in no way detracts from him to say
that he has all the sinuosities of the
Greek mind. He is the greatest par
liamentary leader of this age A great
many people believe that he will be
the Democratic leader in the next cam
paign.
Senator Allison.
Senator William B. Allison of Iowa
is the second man who was ever elect
ed six consecutive terms to the United
States senate. The only other man
who was ever elected to this high hon
or was Senator Morrill, of Vermont.
John Sherman served more than thirty
years, but not consecutively. If Sen
ator Allison lives out his present term,
he will have the longest congressional
record, and, considering the fact that
he is Republican, he has done pretty
well. He is an affable, kindly gentle
man and discharges his duties accord
ing to his lights, which are frequently
feeble and Pickering. Physically and
mentally he is one of the best pre-
served men of his age. Living as do
AAA tdC SOuAllJ, CelA I
help taking pride in the fact that Iowa
is represented in the congress of the
United States by one of the strongest
delegations in the Union. l take spe-
cial pride in the fact that l count
among my friends the members of the
Iowa delegation in the senate and the
house. Even a Democrat can congrat-
ulate Senator Allison on his new pre-
ferment. And everybody will be glad
to see Dolliver go up. 1t is matter of
pride that the three strongest average
delegations in congress are Iowa, Mis-
souri, and Texas.
Exit Vest, Intrat Stone.
First and last Missouri has had twen-
ty-two senator's, and it may be safely
said that no state has been more ably
represented in the less numerous
branch of the national congress. Be
ginning with Barton and Benton, clear
down to Vest and Cockrell it is a re-
markable array of men that Missouri
has sent to the senate of the United
States. There are many great men
and scarcely a small one on the list
OF course Thomas Hart Benton will
forever rank as the great Missourian,
but George Graham Vest will rank as
one of the great three-Benton, Greene
and Vest. In some respects Vest is
the greatest of the three. AS an orator
he outstrips them all. The hold that
he has had on the American people is
absolutely astonishing. For eighteen
years he and John James Ingalls, of
Kansas were universally acknowledged
to be the greatest orators of the senate.
And the fact that | competed with
Governor William j. Stone for the
United States senatorship will not be
taken in derogation Of the statement
that he is mentally worthy to succeed
Vest. ! predict for Governor Stone
great career in the senate. But the
strangest tale that was ever told is the
that apotheosized John Brown of Os-
sawattomie-sent to the United States
senate a Confederate soldier. William
A. Harris. If any man had predicted
such a thing forty years ago, he would
have been placed in a straitjacket and
a padded cell. This astounding fact
demonstrates the generosity of the
American people. 1t took England
two centuries and hall to get over
her civil war. We recovered from our
greater civil war in less than half
century. fact to which | wish to call
the attention of my good friend, Major
John f. Lacey of Iowa, who has OBJ
lection to General Lees statue being
put in Statuary hall.
Engiand's Food Supply.
The Washington Post says:
A few years ago In 1897 or thereabout,
1t was deliberately stated in the house of
commons that England never had on any
given day more than three weeks supply
of food at hand. The assertion was not
denied. for denial was not possible. but
there was some rather light hearted dis
cussion over it, which. however. left ev-
erybody in a eontented frame of mind.
Sir Charles Dixie. for example. assured
the house that there was no occasion for
uneasineSS. In the event of a war with
any European power. he argued, England
would still have the markets in this coun-
try open to her. for he felt quite con-
vnced that no continental nation would
dare to incur the enmity of the United
States by interfering with our commerce,
and. oddly enough. this ingenious OPP
tiinism seemed to satisfy his audience
The question has been revived from
time to time since then. on each occasion
with increased urgency and more seri-
GUS and insistent demand for reinsurance.
On March a very large and influential
delegation waited upon Premier Balfour,
asking again for some explanation of
England's resources in the matter of food
supply should that nation become engaged
in war Mr. Balfour was If possible,
even more incoherent and unsatisfactory
than Sir Charles Dixie had been before
him. He talked huently about prices, in
surance, the possible activities of neu-
trails etc. If only the cost of foodstuffs
could be kept down and the rates of in
surance not be permitted to rise too high
and so on, why, in Mr.. Balfour's opinion,
things would not be as bad as they look
ed, and several of them would be better
than others, and all the rest Of IL. We
can imagine the mental condition in
which MIR. Balfour's visitors retired from
the presence quite as readily as we can
imagine Mr.. Baifour's while he prattled
to them
But Sir Henry seton-Karr, a member of
parliament. has contributed to the Pail
Mail Gazette an article on this subject
and from its perusal the British public
will derive a good deal more of really IL
Eliminating information than 1t has ever
acquired or ever dreamed of before. Sir
Henry shows that England gets nearly
all Of the grain she consumes from Rus
sia and the United States-most of 1t from
us. From this country alone England im-