The National tribune., 1903-01-01

given to passing labor bills after this fash
ion, knowing that the Senate would turr
them down. Year after year the Hous,
has fixed up its labor bill and rushed il
through unanimously, only to be put t
sleep in the Senate. For some reason thu
House failed to get its bill through this
year, and the Senate stole a march OF
the popular body. Now what will the
House do with the bill il it passes the
Senate?
Senator Morgan says that there is nc
great difference between the Democratic
and Republican leaders on the question
of Trusts! Now, just focus your monocle
on that, won't your Senator Morgan is
today the most eminent Democrat living
but it must be that he sees his finish. He
can't expect TO live much longer-as q
DemOcrat-after an utterance so heretical
as that.
of the House Republicans over currency
legislation. Can it be that some Of the
would-be leaders are afraid to face the
music? 1t will be remembered that at the
last Currency caucus, several alleged lead
ers attempted to table all Banking and
Currency legislation, jocularly declaring
that no such legisltion was needed. This
walked up some of the radical sound
money" men of the caucus, and the way
they lambasted the leaders was a caution.
Judge Calderhead, of Kansas, the orig
inal' Sound Money man of that State,
who has given nearly 20 years of deep
study to the question, rose in his wrath
and read the leaders" the riot act in a
10 minute speech that woke the echoes OF
the medalioned ceiling. The Judge is a
powerful exhorter, if you just give him
time to get warmed up, and the sentiment
of the caucus was with him in about two
minutes, and the leaders, who had come
to scott, were among the first to congrat-
ulate him, and to move further considera-
ton of the bill. In the temper that the
caucus was in, the leaders recognized that
it would not do to put the matter to a
direct test.
Mrs. Roosevelt's Christmas present
from the women Of the Cabinet was a gold
fair Of pure 1S-karat gold. 1t has her
name engraved on the monogram plate
outside, and the remainder of the inscrip-
ton is on the inside 1t is beauty.
There were just go So gold pieces dis
tributed to that many firemen in Washing
ton on Christmas Day by John X. Nc
Lean. To the Assistant Chiefs Mr.. Nc,
Lean gave $50 gold pieces. 1t has been
the custom of MIR. Mclean to do this for
many years. The Fire Department was
small when he began, but the increase in
numbers does not lessen the size Of his
benefaction-it has always been a So gold
piece. 1t is pretty thing to do.
Wouldn't it be fine if everybody gave pro-
portionately of their wealth, on Christ
mas? There would be but few unremem-
bered.
1t is said that Champ Clark, of Mis-
souri,, wants the barren honor of being
nominated for Speaker by the Democrats
of the 18th Congress. Mr.. Clark is one
of the Rough Riders Of the House. He
tramples rough-shod over all the senti-
ments and traditions Of the body, and it
would take more than a breaking bit to
hold him down. One can't imagine him
as engineering anything through the
shoals Of parliamentary tangIe such as
the House often gets into, for he is as
impatient Of restraint as Texas steer,
and just about as graceful in debate as
12-year-old boy. As straight-ahead
orator he has few equals. His word pic
lures are exquisitely tinted, and his flow
of language is regular Niagara. But as
Speaker of the House of Representatives
well, that's another story.
There will be quite determined effort
this Winter to push n bill which provides
for punishment of those who would de-
grade the Flag by using it as beer sign,
hamenvelope, sofa-pillow and door-mat,
or any other way than as an emblem Of
uprightness and honor.
There certainly should be some law
against the improper use Of the Flag.
While it is true that we can never see it
too often, there are places where we do
not want to see it. 1t is out of place as
tights for a jester, or for ballet dancers
on the stage. PriZe-fghters should not
be permitted to wear it in the ring. 1t
should never be used as trademark by
any business firm or corporation. There
is no other Nation on earth which permits
its dag to be made use of after this fash
ion. And yet, no other flag in the world
of the Stripes and Stars. No other flag
is NATIONAL in the sense that ours is,
but all the others are protected.
There is now in force between "a Of the
leading countries of the world. including
the United States, an agreement mot to
make improper use of the National Flag
in time of war;" The United States is
the last one of all these Powers, however,
to protect her Flag at home.
The American mother is doubtless to
blame in very large extent for this lack
of reverence for the Flag. While the
Flag is beautiful, it was never meant to
make bed spreads of, nor to cushion
chairs. 1t certainly should not be used
for rug on the floor, nor for a door mat,
nor for mop. The child growing up in
the home where such depreciations of the
Flag as these are perpetrated cannot grow.
up with much reverence for It in his
heart. Tho Flag is meant to lift high in
the air, and we cannot speak Of its IN
sullied stripes so long as We print upon it
the last campaign cry, or the names of our
favorite candidates. Gen. Grant once
said that no name was great enough to be
placed upon the flag.
Curiously enough. If law of this kind
were to be passed, the first place to begin
to enforce it would be at the main door of
the House of Representatives. There in
the new laid floor is the shield of the
United States, red-white-and- blue. stars,
stripes and all. picked out in tiny mosaic
work, and every member Of Congress as
he enters the great legislative Chamber
reads on the Nations emblem, that which |
IS the principal adornment Of the Great |
Seal Of the United States.
Work Of the Pension once.
The report Of certificates issued for the |
-oI- Al n,.. hoo