The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1904-02-26
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D. c., February Goth.

WASHINGTON, D. c., February Goth.
Mr.. ED1ToR-It was thought that the
absence of forty members Of the Senate
and House at the funeral Of Mr.-Hanna in
Cleveland would result in a semi paraly
sis of Con gress, or at least in combining its
discussions and business to pension bills
and other personal claims what the alb
batoir men would call the Obi products"
of legislation. But m alters are very live
" notwithstanding the important hegira.
Before the funeral train reached Ohio the
Panama canal question was up again in
Senate and Mr.. Spooner had the gratifica-
ton of hearing his own voice for three or
four more hours, and insisting, against
the declaration of the most skillful engi-
neers of the world, that the Panama route
was better than the Nicaragua Senator
Morgan dipped into his inexhaustible tank
of information and vastly puzzled and
embarrassed the Wisconsin man with
questions which be could not answer.
In the House, discussion centered on
the Notifications bill John Sharp Will
liams, Democratic leader, asked that such
a fundamental measure as the fortifcatiou
of the Philippine Island be postponed till
Republicans should decide what was to
be the future of that archipelago. The
bill passed, however. Mr.. Cochran, Dem,
Mo-, found no better way to occupy his
time than to assault Mr.. Cleveland wit b
unrestrained bitterness. He said, eff l
had to make choice between voting for
Grover Cleveland or for Booker Washing
ton for President, would vote for Wash
ington, but would 60 to Jail before vot-
ing for either Possibly might vote for
Washington rather than go to the peni-
Tertiary" This is the sort of wisdom
some Democrats show in the effolt to
"get together" and it seems to be contag-
ious. This outbreak was called forth by
Mr.. Cleveland's letter urging the aban
donment of obsolete issues.
Two special trains have me to Clevc
land at the expense of the government to
participate in Hanna's funeral. In the
first were his family aud personal friends
some thirty or forty-escorting the
body. The second carried eleven men,
bers of the Senate with their clerks per
sonal servants, and the Senate barber. and
thirty Congressman and their clerks and
messengers. All of the trains were Phil
man sleepers and they were all fitted up
-;c;n bur do Mt vy
at the expence of the government. The
cars which carried the Senators was di
vided into ten large staterooms extending
from side to side and one Senator was
assigned to each. Everything that men
desire to eat or to drink was provided
free in unlimited quantities.
The Speaker of the House selected the
funeral committee of Representatives.
Mr. Frye, of Maine. President pro TEN
pore Of the Senate, designated the Sena-
tors who were to have the pleasure of a
free trip to the Ohio metropolis He took
two Senators each from Maine, Rhode
Island and Indiana; Massachusetts was
sighted, much to the disgust of Senator
Lodge; Illinois bad no representative, and
Senator Cullom demonstrated. Several
Representatives and at least one Senator
were so anxious to go and stand by tn e
bier of Senator Hanna that they were
finally included on their personal request,
50 that the dead statesman has received
all the official tears to which he was en-
titled. These committees are made up of
generally sober men, so that no scandal is
likely to result except the scandal of pay
ing out $4,000 or $4,000 of government
money for an excursion and parade when
a committee composed of one member
from each honse would have been ample.
Is this abuse never to end?
A Washington spectacle which excites
both envy and admiration is that of a
young fellow perhaps not thirty years old,
acting at private secretary to big Secre-
tary who is member of the Cabinet.