Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-01-08
WASHINGTON LETTER
From our Regular CORES ponden,L

WASHINGTON LETTER
tFrom our Regular CorrespondentJ
Washington, D. c., Jan. 4.-The
,ize of the crowd at the White House
On New Years day is not always, or
often, an indication Of the popularity
Of the President. Certain officials, in
deed all. are required to attend and
pay their respects to the executive head
of the nation. Wird and rain cannot |
keep them away. Given a fair and
springlike day, such as this New Year 3
proved to be, much to the dismay OF
the weather bureau which Numbered
as usual and predicted the night be.
fore, "rain or snow" and ali the
strangers in Washington, who have
never attended an official reception
will flock to the Executive Mansion
by the thousand. This is what actual
ly did happen, and the poor public stood
for hours waiting for chance to shake
hands. Many comments were made
about the excessive amount of money
consumed in adding two bungalow
like wings to the White House and
the poor result as seen by the casual
observer. After all, the ceremony
there on New Years is but perfume.
tory; thing to do and get over with.
But it is the only chance under the new
arrangements the common people have
of seeing the President or the inside of
his residence. Those who have the
wherewithall, and are in society in
Washington, manage to have good
time, if eating dinners, dressing to
kill. displaying uniforms, dancing, and
attending teas can be called good,
Those of the public who attended
the reception were rushed through the
rooms between file Of police, private
detectives, clerks, and other officers
who kept saying: walk faster; hurry
up; don't be SO slow there!" They
were even hustled out of the East
Room and down the stair case leading
to the hat rooms as If they could
not be trusted to remain five minutes
to look about. But in these days Of
prosperity people have no right to be
poor and belong to the rabble. even II
they are taxpayers. Mrs. Roosevelt
assisted her husband in receiving and
was very richly dressed in white satin
8 @ no longer THINKS woman in sooi
ETY. can dress on $500 year. Til,
dress she wore must have cost as much
as that.
The social season opens in Washing
ton after the President gives thu
signal, and from now on there will b.
; round of official dinners confined t.
cabinet, court, army and navy circles
These are all private affairs and d.
not interest the public. The cabine
entertains the President and he re
turns the compliment. Mr.. Root. Sec
l Rotary Of War, will give his last din
+ ner to Gov. Taft, when that gentle
: man arrives from the! Philippines t
j. assume the war portfolio. = The Sec
rotary Of State has given dinner
the Ambassadors; but as his thros
refuses to yield to treatment, he eoul
not swallow a morsel, and Mrs. Ha
presided.
But there are those, even in Vast
ington, who do not forget the demo
g cratic poor. The president of the cit
;. railway companies, at his own expens
It entertained just before New years, I
3. the Masonic Temple, a thousand lit
children, whose fathers are employe
on the railways. He delighted the
with presents of toys, fruits and Ca
dies. and gave besides program
tricks, songs aud marionettes. At Il
20 Mt. Vernon Place church the ladl
IN sent thousand invitations to the
D southern friends. and held a pure dem
C, cratic reunion of representatives OF
c. tho southern states. Booths We
10 erected and ornamented or each stat
D. and a delightful evening was pass,
as by those present.
le There will be a vigorous If not vi
le emit protest against the Panama trea
ne by the Democrats in Congress. In t
b Senate the objections which they "
IF endeavor to sustain are ~ the wre'
re ing of Panama from Colombia was
Of inexcusable outrage for which
~ President and his supporters are
,e sponsible; 10y the canal can never
10 profitably constructed along that lir
r. France having expended the enormo
y sum of $426. 0o0. 900 and the lives
o. 10, 900 men, and having then given
Id up, as a bad joe; 81 it is probable th
1t the French Canal Company will in
le few weeks increase their demand fro
Ut $40, O0O, 900 to $50, 900 900 ON the grou
,. that the former agreement was obtai
l. ed by duress; (4) when the House a
o propriated $40, 900 900 for a count
RS called Colon bia and the President 8
% bitrarily writes Panama In the pla
10 Of Colombia, 1T closely resembles Il
10 process which in commercial life
70 known as altering a check witho
ID consulting the drawer of it; (5) for +
q years the Nicaragua route has be-
8. preferred by civil engineers and pu
licists. has been repeatedly recommen
If ed by committees and the Hepburn b
ID providing for the construction Of
re canal by the Nicaragua route passe
?. the House by only two dissenting VI