The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-02-26

priation of S135,OOO "to COMPENSATE the
| Old Point Comfort Improvement Company
Tor the demolition and removal Of THE
Hygela Hotel property from the Govern
ment reservation at Old Point, Va And
! thereby hangs tale of ''inf0oence," Some
80 or ~ years ago the Hygeia Hotel was
projected by some very wealthy people
members of Congress and suddenlyg got
rich people who wanted a place easy Of
| access for resort from society and Off.
clai cares. The Government Reservation
just outside of Fortress Monroe appealed
to them because it was waterbound, and
so close to the officers of the Army post
that if they tired of the resting" profess,
they could easily get all the society they
wanted among the families at the Fort.
Pressure was brought to bear on Con-
gress. not very great, however, for unlimit-
ed promises of free quarters in a delight
full hotel, had salutary effect, and the
right was finally given a hotel company
to erect hotel upon the Government
reservation. There was a prOviso, how
ever, that whenever the Government want
ed to use the Reservation, the hotel people
were to give it up at once, and the Gov
eminent was not to be mulcted for cost
of the same. These people have had this
land rent free for 40 years. Now the
Government wants to use the land, and
has ordered the fashionable hotel torn
down. Immediately the Hotel Company
comes in and wants damages for the hotel
which it knowingly erected under the ex-
pectation of having to raze it at any time,
and under the strict prOvisO that the Gov
eminent would not be responsible for its
destruction. To pass such n bill would
be straight steal of $135,0OO.
nnr;no {ba oh
some of the kid soldiers in camp at Camp
Alger made a march from that point to
Thoroughfare Gap, in Virginia. The way
those youthful recruits acted reminds the
veterans of the days from 81 to go. If
there were hen rOOsts that We're not raid
ed, it was because they were walled up
Ii melon patches escaped them, it was be-
caused the fruit was too green to eat
Mindful of the fact that war claims are
OF en- left till too late. the citizens of
Prince William and Fairfax Counties who
themselves damaged by the
passage through the Counties of these SOL
diers. have already brought in n bill of
specific injuries as to dollars and cents
The bill is not itemized as it appears in
public. The injuries run from So suffered
by Elvira G. Finn, of Fairfax County, to
1927, in which sum William II. Wrenn,
of Fairfax County, considers himself dam
ISL. -hoSl VI lHt 10 iDOuI
SID each, and there are SO in all. The bill
has passed the House.
A great many bills are being presented |
to Congress in its closing hours, for purely
political purposes and for home consump-
lion. Just now, the M. G. who has a |
Ot of fool bills on hand representing the |
views of a lot of constituents who think |
hat Congress can vote anything from a |
lencoop to home in heaven, is firing |
hem into the hopper by the CARLOAD, with |
10 earthly show of their ever being re-
ported by the committee to which they are
to say nothing of their ever being
allied up in either body for passage. The |
Willy politician will send n copy of the
ill to his constituent, which will be proof |
positive that he has tried to do his duty,
md the constituent will never know what |
mall potatoes and very few in a hill his
particular NJ. c. is.
They tell story about one member of
congress who used to flourish around in
lis home town as though he owned the
arth, and he succeeded in making a pret-
Y good-siZed Congressional District think
o nearly the same thing that he was elect
d to the House. He served one term
nd succeeded in getting his name in the
Record ON a roll-call of the
House, and on no other occasion. He had
made such gigantic boasts about how he
rould comb the opposition down, and
bout the public buildings he intended to
order Congress to make appropriation
or in his District that his apparent in
elton offended his constituents. When he
'ent back home. to ask for reelection,
hey chded him pretty emphaically for
is dizziness. So he took some of his
riendS into his confidence. ''The reason
didn't speak was that when got down
here found over $40 men who were just
s anxious to speak as was, and they
ombined against me. Now you all know
hat darned mean thing a combine is;
'e have been fighting them right along,
on know? So l had to compromise mat
.rs with them, and we just elected
peaker of the House and he is the whole
usiHess. After l had helped elect him,
e wouldn't let me get in a word edgewise.
# course, he knew l would proceed to do t
p the majority, so you can understand
ow it all happened. Now you just send
lie back, and I'll show you! / know the {
'pes now, and they can't muzzle me
yain!" II
1t is just little odd that argument of !
lis kind really has its effect. Truly we 1
D like to be fooled. This is the harvest
me of just such members of Coz gress; L
ley are now making records"
Mr.. Goldfogle On. " is the author of S
bill which will probably reach the Presi- /
mt for signature. 1t authorizes the | C
ecretary of War to furnish the Hebrew L
Mon Veteran Association with con- 4
,mned cannon and cannon balls for a t
Onument to be erected by the Hebrew v
MON Veteran Association to the memory a
soldiers and sailors who lost their lives Il
the war for the Union and in the re- 5
mt war with Spain. n
Senator Alger will try to have t
ected in Arlington Cemetery a mon Il
nent to Charles Vernon Gridley, late
lptain, United States Navy, Com b
ander of the Flagship Olympia "
the Asiatic Squadron in the battle of "
anila Bay. Capt. Gridley was the first a
Iicer of the United States Navy who lost z
S life in the line of duty during the late b
ar with Spain. He asks an appropria- f,
N of 5000 for this memorial. c.
KNOWS No DISTINCTION i