The National tribune., 1904-01-07
(VAyIlINGTON-0
k e. - NEWCa

kL W. -
override just as many of the stilted. out-of-
date customs as possible
It is well known that the Speaker has
what is called in common parlance his
"eIbow man" The "elbow man" is always
very bright man, well up in pariiamen-
tary law, thoroughly grounded in the Kuies
of the House. aud perfectly able to keep
track of the business of the House. when
the Speaker is ''in action" that is, when
there is running fire of debate, or the
House is engaged in rushing business, the
"elbow man" stands at the right-hand cor
ner of the marble desk behind which the
Speaker sits, and watches closely all that
is going on. The Speakers attention is
often called by member speaking to him,
or while the debate is progressing he may
be attending to some matter of details with
paper and pencil, and it is the duty OF
the 'elbow man" to prompt the Speaker
when he is called back to the business OF
the House by a question of privilege, q
point of order, or anything on which ne
has to make a decision, lt IS aDsoIute's
for the Speakers eyes and ears can not
always be on the House;
The "elbow man. must also be up in
matter~of etiquet as to intercourse be-
tween the two Houses of Congress, SO as to
prompt the Speaker-who is often some
one selected from the House for the time
being and not up" on those things. The
other day. just before Congress adjourned
for the holidays, the Secretary of the Sen
ate appeared for the first time on Mr.. Can
mons horizon. Now, the Secretary of the
Senate is a very high and mighty person
age. and he is conducted part way down the
main aisle of the House by the Sergeant
alarms, who then announces MIR. Speak
er, message from the Senate" and both
make very profound bows, to which the
Speaker should respond with a bow and
say: .'The Secretary Of the Senate.
AS Mr.. Cannon didn't seem to be inn
pressed, the "elbow man" whispered: AT
this point Mr.. Speaker, it is proper for the
Speaker to bow.
sBow." said the Speaker in the same low
tone, which could be heard in the Press
Gallery, however: then he added favor
lite word of his which begins with ''h." Il
wouldn't bow to the whole blank Senate:
and l won't bow to its Secretary" And
he didn't. He just stiffened up his back
bone. and the astonished Secretary, after
waiting for the obeisance which never
came, adjusted his glasses and made his
announcement, and then fed. And Mr..
Speaker Cannon keeps it up, too, which is
the funniest part of the whole business.
Ira f. Ryder, of the 10Th Congressional
District of New York, was slated to quit
his job and go home to take a municipal
job under Mcclellan and Tammany, thus
making a way for Charles w. Towne tn
come back to Congress by way of Tam
many. But-and hereby hangs the moral,
or the tale, or perhaps both-Mr. Ryder
is perfectly satisfied with his position as
nd bo dooc not y,rOysoca f0
quit at Tammany's behest, and there You
are, or rather, Mr.. Towne is. But Mr..
Towne spouting for Tammany would be
an object lesson in turn-coats, sure enough.
The rumors about misdoing in the New
York Post Office are again revived. 1t is
said that Van Colt, the Postmaster, does
not attend to the business at all, but that
he has turned everything over to his son,
and that tribute for position is levied on
the clerks: that nepotism is rampant, with
no adequate service performed in return,
and in fact there is pretty state of affairs.
1t is even said that money is misappro-
priated.
Oddly enough. the original treaty Of
Panama with the United States, which
travelled all the way from Washington to,
a strong box in the safe of big hotel
here in Washington. The treaty bears the
signatures of all the members of the Junta
of Panama, and is the original draft. 1t
should have been retained at Panama, but
BY mistake the original and not a copy
ter from Panama to the United States, is
taking good care of the treaty, which came
back wrapped in the American and Panama
Flags, and as soon as the duplicate copy
which has been sent FROM Panama is rati-
fed by the Senate. will send the original
back.
The War Museum has been enriched by
the flag which was placed over the Marshall
House in Alexandria, Va. after the rebel
flag had been removed by Capt. Elmer
Ellsworth, and the tragedy Of his death
had taken place.
An effort is being made to have the Old
royd collection of Lincoln mementoes taken
to St Louis. Capt. Oldroyd. who lives
in the house in which Lincoln died. has
filed it with most remarkable full col
900 different pictures of Lincoln. taken
from the time he first appeared before the
public TIP to the death-bed scene He has
china vases, a fine old rosewood table, set
tee, rocking chairs, pictures, and hun
dred other things which were once the prop
in the old house among these mementoes OF
the past. Capt. Oldroyd knew Lincoln as
a young man, and admired him long before
he entered upon his great career. He be-
gan keeping Lincoln things then, and en-
riched his collection as the years came and
went until he has now the largest and most
notable collection in the country. The
Government will probably buy the collec-
ton. and ii will be a rich addition to the
other relics.
-,
What is the man from Panama to be
called? IL he to be Panaman. Pana-
manian. Panamanese, or Panamen? The
State Department has been puzzling its
alleged brain over the matter for some
time. and has finally settled in favor of
"Panaman." A rose by any name would
smell as sweet.
Prof. II. L. Stevenson. of Rutgers Col
lege. gave lecture before the National
Geographic Society of Washington a few
nights ago and exhibited the famous Wald-
seemuller map of 1907, the earliest map In
existence showing the name Of America.
This map was. recently discovered in Ger
many, and antedates by several years any
other map containing the name "America- !"
1t Is said that WaldseemniIer printed about
1000 copies Of this map in 1907, but as
1t was a wall map, every copy has persisted
except this one, and for a century or two
1t was supposed to have perished also.