The National tribune., 1904-08-18

k F. r NEWC%

Henry o. johnson. formerly of Indiana
but now Of New York. has announced that
he will support Judge Parker for the
Presidency. Mr.. Johnson was a member
of the House from Indiana for several
terms, being elected as Republican, and
will stand as one of the phenomenally fast
speakers in the annals of that body. He
looked like an elongated exclamation
mark. He was certainly the thinnest as
well as one of the tallest men in the body
He had long arms. which he used as
though they were jointed 2x4s, and he
was about as graceful as giraffe; but, Ia
how he could talk. His words batted the
air like raindrops on a tin roof. Polysyl-
Liable words were his delight, and his
enunciation was perefct. He never elided
his words, and no one of them ever tripped
the other up as they do on the lips of
ever had to ask 1.-The gentleman from In
diana" what he said. When he uttered
a sentence on the floor of the House, you
heard it in the Press Galleries, and in the
cloak rooms, the barber shop, and If the
door was open you could hear it in the cor
did he yell. He just talked in plain, ev-
ery-day tones but they penetrated. His
logic was usually erudite, and would have
been convincing, perhaps, only that he
was usually at variance with his party,
and the Democrats were ever held up to
scorn by him. so that he seemed to be an
odd fit. He left the party on many ques-
tions, and then the party left him to such
an extent that he declined denomination.
and left the State of Indiana to take up
the practice of law in New York, declar-
ing he was out of politics. Democratic
authority gives grounds for the belief that
Mr.. Johnson is now going into the cam
paign for the National Democratic ticket.
Ex-Governor Lind, of Minnesota, is
sailing troubled seas just now. Gov. Lind
was born in Sweden, but educated in this
country. He grew up a Republican, and
was elected to the 5Oth, 51st and sd Con-
crosses as a Republican. Then he con-
cluded not to come to Congress again. He
served in the Spanish War as Quarter
master of the 10Th Minn.. returned, and
was elected Governor in 1893, as q Dem
ocrat, having changed his political coat.
Then he concluded to come to Congress
again and was elected by the Democratic
vote to the 5Sth Congress. He didn't like
the way his party treated him just be-
fore the st. Louis Convention, and is 80
disguised with things in general that he
Congress this year. If he does not run, it
Is conceded by all that Loren Fletcher,
the Republican nominee and former Rep
resentative, will be elected. as it is said
that Lind is the only Democrat that can
be elected In Minneapolis.
A hurry call for 100000 feet of lum-
Der, mostly cypress, has been received by
Secretary Murphy, of the Panama Canal
Commission, from the Isthmus. Besides
the lumber, 10000 pieces of piling also
were asked for, with the request that the
order for lumber for the canal. The
Purchasing Agent Of the Commission il
now i'm New Orleans, supervising the ship
ment Of 100000 feet Of yellow pine to
the Isthmus. The lumber is to be used
Sn repairing old and constructing new
buildings and the piling for canal con-
btruction.
Gen. Davis, Governor General of the
Panama Canal Strip, has advised the Pan
anna Canal Commission that he wants
1OO.OOO yards of wire gauze to prevent
says that this will be, perhaps, the largest
order for musketo netting ever given. He
recommends the use of steel wire screens
not coarser than II meshes to the square
finch, galvanized. Admiral Walker sug-
fests that copper and brass wire also might
be utilized. For the hospitals 10000 yards
will be needed. while for screening the
houses along the canal zone $4,000 yards
will be required. Two thousand yards are
TO be used to protect the De Lesseps
houses at Cristobal.
Gen. Greely, Chief Signal Officer, has
Instructed the officers of that Corps to
exercise the greatest care in the selection
Of men for foreign service. Men Of indif-
ferent character or dissipated habits -
Gen. Greely says. should be kept on duty
within the limits of the United States,
where they can be disciplined and super
F1sed; nor should men Of weak physique
be recommended for foreign service. Un-
suitable men are a source of weakness and
injury. either in Alaska or the Philippines.
where Signal Service men generally serve
on detached duty" The query comes,
Why should "men of Indifferent character
or dissipated habits" be kept in the service
ut all?
An increase Of the arid land reclama-
tion fund held by the Treasury to approx
fmately S25.OOO,O GOO is announced IN the
report of the Auditor for the Interior De
partment for the fiscal year ended June
the proceeds of public land sales in Cal
lfornia, Colorado. Idaho, South Dakota
Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Da-
kota. Kansas. Oregon, Utah, Washington,
and Wyoming. and set apart under the act
of Congress of June II, 1902 for the con-
struction and maintenance Of irriga tion
works for the reclamation of arid lands In
these States and Territories The fund
ehus accumulated and set apart for the
three fiscal years ended June 80 1903,
aggregated $lO,444, ,.)o9.
Somebody must have opened "bar'P'
down at the Democratic Congressional
headquarters. for they are sending on,
about 100000 envelopes of campaign ma.
teral day. The envelopes each contain
from two to 10 pamphlets. About 2C
young ladies are employed in the bureau
getting the mail out.
Representative Claude Swanson, OF
Virginia, played in hard lines the other
day. He was on his way to some town
In Virginia to make q speech. Now be Il
known by all men who read these lines
Mr.. Claude Swanson can make q speech
- - . speech. He is extremely person
able appearing. tall and fine looking, with
m always-smiling eye, and a CHEEKY word
Tor all. He 10 an orator. Not as erudite
- many in the House, perhaps, but he has
lpough information under that rather Ions
name Of his to keep most anybody guess
Ing, and then he speaks we'll, because be
seems to feel what he says, and that al
ways impresses an audience. 1t is very
seldom that Mr.. Swanson uses any notes
but for this particular speech in Virgins
@or maybe it was Maryland, and he want
ID to impress his next door neighbors-hs
had written that speech down He say,