Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-01-29
WASHINGTON LETTER.
eFrom our Regular correspondent,

i
tFrom our Regular Correspondent
Washington, D.. c., Jan. %. After
months of merciless pummeling from
the Democrats, the Republican Sena-
tors have at last put forward one of
the very weakest of their number to
parry the attack-Senator Platt of
The Nutmeg State is
now almost unrepresented In Congress.
In the House its members are of little |
consequence. and scarcely known by
name outside of their own neighbour
hood; while. in the Senate, Gen. Hav.
ley is a paralytic and confined to
home and Platt is aged and feeble. st
is disgrace to the Senate,' be falter-
ed, that our President should be |
charged here with entering into con-
spiracy to incfterebellion in Panama"
Tnere was moments interruption as
Senator Teller replied, ut is disgrace
to the country that the charge is true
Mr.. Platt contradicted the assertion
and then be spent an hour to prove
what nobody has ever denied. that the
President has constitutional right
to send the navy to any part of the
world where Americans are attacked.
This he repeated. in every form be
could think Of; but he lodged the Ques-
ton which be was urged to answer:
Had the President a right, legal and
moral, to order our naval officers to
Panama to prevent the landing of Col
ombian troops within fifty miles of
the railroad, when their object was to
enforce law and maintain order in
Colombia's own territory =? Yes, we
will answer that by and by" is the
only reply this question has yet re-
ceived in the Senate.
The administration Is in heap of
trouble about terrible Panama SCAN
dial reported from Paris, and involving
Bunau Vanilla, the garrulous minister
from Panama. 1t is to the effect that
this man swindled the French Panama
canal company by means of false re
ports or excavations made by which be
received some half million dollars in
a corrupt rake off," The President
is greatly worried and the Panama
patriot has been called to hurried con-
situations.
The bill in Congress to admit New
| Mexico and Arizona as one state causes
considerable adverse comment In Con-
gress. Attention is called to the fact
that it would take q railroad train as
long to 60 through that state from
sast to west as to go from st. Louis to
Boston. There are only abouta quar-
ter as many people in Arizona as there
are in the city of Washington.
"Pious" originally meant affection
ate. Aeneas was called pious because
be buried his father, and Antigone was
called pious because she buried heI
brother. Congressman seem to have a
similar ambition. They buried one OF
their mum Der last week with the usual
extravaganza; a committee of twelve
or fifteen, a chartered Pullman to II
linois, and back, load of grief strick
en- junketers, and all they can eat and
! all they can drink at the expense Of
the government. These funerals cost
from SIS, 900 to $25, 600 each and some
times degenerate into mild form O
spree. Often, indeed, the official mourn
ers drink altogether too much ant
there have been Instances when the7
were disabled from performing theil
, duty. Both parties are equally gull!
i of this abominable offeuse and it !,
high time it was reformed in the inter
est of ordinary decencY.
Who says the President is arbitrar.
and despotic In bis methodist He SAT-
yesterday ''Senator Hanna has per
feet right to become candidate TO
President. This shows plainly tina
, he Is not an autocrat and that rim
perialism" is myth. His humility j
touching. He has not issued any de
cree that the American people shall
not take part in the elections. or tina
the nominating convention shall no
have at least some degree of freedom
in selecting candidate. Behold hov
different he is from the Sultan of Tur
} keyl
The body of James Smithson, phi
lanthropist, arrives here to day from
Genoa, Italy, where it was buried three
quarters of century ago. He was al
infidel and scientist, vice president o
the British Royal Academy, and b.
gave half million dollars to the Uni
ted States to build the Smithsonian In
stitution. He was scion of the grea'
house of Northum berland but was OF
the side of the colonies during the Rev
olution, and ridiculed his cousin, LORD
Hugh Percv, who ran away during a
battle of Bunker Hill. He was ambi.
tious to be known as a benefactor q
his kind latter the Northumberland
are forgotten" and he chose the surest
road to Immortality. He will be tenn.
porarily reburied in West Washington,
but will be transferred to the Smith
sonian grounds when his statue is
ready. Let us hope that 1t will not re.
inforce the bronze cavalry Of the city.
Pocahontas Go. wv. Val lItems.