The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-10-02
WASHINGTON LETTER.

The President has returned to the
White House, cabinet officials are coming
back from their country homes and men,
bers of Congress are once more seen on
the streets of Washington, which have
resumed their customary lively appear
ance, after the quiet of the summer
months. Both the President and Mrs.
Roosevelt are looking we'll. That cannot
be denied, although more must not be
said as it seriously annoys Mr.. Roosevelt
to be told that he is stout. He indignant
ly denies the charge that he is growing
stouter. cit is perfectly preposterous to
say that I weigh 22o pounds" he said
recently, to friend at Oyster Bay. 81
weigh nothing of the kind. l never
weighed over 2oS in my life and weigh
only 1876 today"
~
Representative Cannon, the prospective
Speaker of the House, has been in Wash
ngton for some days house hunting and
has finally rented handsome residence
on Vermont Avenue, which was until
recently occupied by the Assistant Secre-
tary of War and Mrs. Sanger. For many
years Mr. Cannon has lived, during the
sessions of Congress, at modest hosiery
where entertaining was impossible, but
from the fact that he has taken house
it is believed that he expects to entertain
hereafter as becomes the Speaker of the
House. Other members of Congress are
here making arrangements for their stay
in Washington, while still others have
telegraphed for accommodations at the
various hotels or have engaged houses and
apartments by correspondence.
~
One of the busiest men in the national
capital these days in Elliot Woods, super
intendent of the capitol Mr.. Woods has
received instructions to have the capitol
i'll readiness for the special session on
November 9. Workmen are busily ell
gagged in both Senate and House, polish
ing the handsome mahogany desks, re-
touching the woodwork and walls and
holystoning and oiling the floors, prepar-
atory to laying the handsome velvet car
pets with which both chambers are fur
nished. Rocherman, an understudy OF
the late Brumidi, the artist whose work
adorns the rotunda of the CAPITOL has
spent the greater part of the summer in
frescoing the Speakers lobby, which is
now more ornate than ever. Mr. Woods,
in order to accommodate the new Con-
gress, has placed 400 desks in the cham
Der, the actual number needed being but
385, the extra IS being added to preserve
the symmetry of the arrangement. The
proprietor of the Senate and House res
taurants is i'll soue doubt as to his profits
this year. They have been unusually
handsome in the past but goodly share
of them has accrued from the sale of
liquor. By provision in the Immigra-
ton bill passed at the last session no more
liquor can be sold in the capitol and this
source of revenue will be cut off.
| -
The most important event of the week
which ended Saturday was the expiration
of the time limit on the Panama canal
treaty, which ended at midnight Sept. %.
At that moment the Hay Herran treaty
passed into history as a convention ratified
by the Senate of the United States and
repudiated by the Colombian Congress.
At this time and distance, it is difficult to
| form an accurate estimate of the causes
which lead to Colombia's action, but the
latest information received from Bogota,
the Colombian capital, is brought by two
Colombian politicians who allege that
purely local causes led to the defeat of
the treaty. They say that a presidential
election is to occur in December and that
the re. election of Marroquin will be bit
terly contested by number of candidates.
It was the firm belief of all of the candi-
dates that the payment into the Colon
bian treasury of the $40, 900, 900 purchase
price during the Marroquin admiuistra-
ton would mean Marroquin's reelection,
and for that reason all worked for the
defeat of the treaty.
MAR RIED.