Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1904-11-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.
CFrom Our Regular Correspondence

Washington d. C. November II, 1904.
Government officials have pretty
generally settled down to work
again after the hurly-burly of the
campaign. The President is writ
ing his message. Or, TO state il
more accurately, he is getting his
subordinates to write it. Not since
the studious and meditative days OF
John Quincy Adams has any Presi-
dent written his annual message.
In fact our national affairs are now
so comprehensive and complicated
that no human brain could master
all the details and a statement of
them can only be approximated even
with the assistance OF all the mem
bers OF the Cabinet. The Secretary
of the Interior, for instance, has
more than two hundred bureaus, in
situations, commissions and agen-
cies to superintend, and the new
Secretary Of Commerce and Labor
is expected 10 try to cover about as
many. That part of Mr.. Roosevelt's
annual proclamation which refers to
tariffs, banks, and finances will be
contributed by Secretary Shaw
That part which refers to the Pana-
ma swipe and our foreign affairs, by
Mr.. Hay, &c, They are all now
busy debating and boiling down.
AT the Cabinet meeting yesterday
the President counted noses and
figured on how many it would be
desirable or possible to retain. Sec
rotary Taft called again in the after
noon and talked with the President
about the threatened revolt in Pana-
ma and what ought to be done about
it. Admiral Walker, Chairman of
the Canal Commission, met him at
the White House and the coincident
call is regarded as significant. Be-
ing intercepted by a newspaper
man on coming out, Secretary Taft
smiled in an amused way when { he
new revolution" was mentioned to
him and disposed Of it by saying ~
believe the standing army of Panama
consists of abous 200 men-half of
them boys. AS we have over 400
marines on the Isthmus, do not
think there is danger of serious
trouble" He left yesterday SfeE,
the Seat of War" thought -
seems to be quiet there to-day. .
-
The President, having preserved
the dignity of his Office by keeping
off the stump during the campaign,
is now ready to swing round the
circle" to a certain extent as soon as
he can get away from Washington.
This will not be till Spring, of course,
bu$ then he means to make a large
sweep including Georgia and por-
tons of the South. He thinks he
may have been misunderstood there
to some extent and Georgia news
papers seem very much in need of
conciliating and hope he will re-
tract some of the things he has said
aud not make social call on Booker
Washington.
The admission of the negro, Will
liam Pickens, to the Phi Beta Kappa
society at Yale is making some SEN
sation among the Greek letter chap
ters hereabouts, in consideration of
the fact that all members are re-
quired to meet on the same social
plane. Whether Southern fraterni-
ties will recognize Brother Pick
ems" or "cut" him and invoke a
penalty is the question which thew
are now up against
In this same line may mentioned
the two remarkable grand Concerts
given this week in our largest hall
before an audience of three or four
thousand, including members of the
Cabinet and at least a thousand OF
our prominent white citizens. The
composer of the production is a ne
gro, Samuel Coieridge-Taylor of