The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-19
Governors Asked to Send
 Troops.
Fear of vardaman Prevented General Harries From Inviting Chief Executive to Participate in
 March Sth Festivities.
Advertiser Bureau.
 Colorado Building. yTya uL;- nA4 1y

N Advertiser Bureau. Colorado Building, Washington, Dec 1S Buster than Congress is the big com mittee of Washington military men. civil magnates and citizens preparing for the Inauguration of President Roosevelt. It is evidently the cher ished purpose of these people to make the Inauguration the greatest affair of the kind ever pulled of along the avenue and up under the shadow of the dome of the capitol.
 Everything looking to the magnify ing of the occasion had been going along smoothly until the problem of a place for the inaugural ball was en- countered. Formerly the vast ground floor space of the ugly and monstrous old red brick pension office had been used for the national Terpsichorean revelry, but so much opposition de- veloped that the managers have heen considering other places. among them the Library of Congress. Those eager to do utmost obeisance to President Roosevelt have thought 1t would be fine and graceful and fitting to dance to him in the most beautiful building in the country. and. accordingly the sub committee of the House Committee on District of Columbia was persuaded to consent to the use of the library. but 1t is extremely doubtful if that prop osition can get through It was pro- posed once before and ran against a snag in the Senate. where. 1t Is be- lieved. it will again be effectually blocked
 Invitations to Governors.
 The gossip about invitations to Gov ernors of States connecting herewith the name of Governor vardaman. of Mississippi, has been misleading. It is stated by members of the inaugural committee that no Governor of State has been invited. and thus the dread in some quarters that the Mississippi Governor will shoot a poisoned shaft and cause somebody to swell up Is happily dissipated. The text of the letter SC to the Governors Is so fram- ed that the Governors may with pro- priety reply only as to the number of troops that will attend the inaugura- ton. This Is the invitation:
 T have the honor to request such information as can be afforded relative to the possible or probable participa- ton by troops of your State in the parade which will follow the inaugura- tion of President Roosevelt March 4, 1905.
 This information is asked in order that the grand marshal and. this com- mittee may have substantial founda- tion for their working plans. The committee is especially desirous of welcoming troops from every State and territory in the Union and is ready to do anything in it's power toward secur- ing suitable quarters at minimum cost, placing its services entirely at your disposal.
 &O gest that the representation he not over large. All indications point to the coming of a great many organiza- tons; so many that in passing upon the questions of admission to the column for review the committee will undoubtedly be embarrassed if any State sends more than a brigade. This suggestion must not. and, I am sure, will not. be regarded of an arbitrary mamimum; it is offered in the general interest and is the outcome of ex perience."
 This profoundly considerate and patriotic letter is from General Harries chairman of the military branch of the inaugural committee. GeneraI harrIes indeed speaks from experience. He is the senior officer of the District militia and is we'll qualified to speak from experience in a city whose citizen-sol- diers are often called out on parade. When the cruel war with Spain was over they marched down to the sea, took a boat and went to Cuba, where they spent some months doing valiant police duty. Upon their return the entire populace turned out to do joyful homage. Caesar and his legions re- turning to Rome after beating the Gauls received no more pretentious acclaim of greeting than did General Harries ,as he rode along Pennsylvania Avenue astride a dancing charger around whose proudly arched neck hung a huge wreath of laurel General Harries knows what it Is to have the parade over-large. It might prevent the people from getting an unob- structed view of the real heroes: and barrass martial visitors by overdoing the thing with militia organizations from the backwoods.
 Reverting to the talk of Governor vardaman, which is largely of apocry- phal hotel corridor origin, it is said that the inaugural committee at first intended to invite all the Governors to be present at the inauguration, but somebody mentioned vardaman, and the committee bucked and shied violently. and then 1t was said the in- eehious Geherai harrles Who used to do newspaper work contrived a com position addressed to the governors and calling upon them ostensibIy only to indicate the number of troops they could spare for the inaugural fete and martial pageant. Now this epistle to the Governors was thought to have solved the difiicult problem of eliminate ing the terrible Vardaman, but then arises the horrid fear that 1t would have been better to have written noth- ing to the Governors. all being includ- ed. What if Governor Vardaman. as commander in chief of the Mississippi troops. should see fit to respond in terms genuinely Vardamanesque? Truly the path of the inaugural committee is not strewed with thornless flora.
 R. H. Watkins.