Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-02-05
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent,


tFrom our Regular Correspondent
Washington, D. c., Jan. S0.-Ths
Senate still founders in the quagmlre
of Panama. The last two or three days
have been spent in disputation over
Culberson's resolution asking the
President to send all letters and manu-
scripts benring upon the Panama treaty.
s Senator's Lodge. Spooner and Aldrich
commended that the resolution was dis
courteous and illegal, Senators Bacon,
German and Teller insisted that the
Senate was the judge a. to what. 1t
was proper for the Senate to have in
dealing with treaties, and they quoted
at much lengthy, in support OF that
view, Senators Edmunds, Blaine,
Evarts, ingalls,, and Others equally dis.
tinguished who maintained against the
Presidents of their time that the Sen
ate had right to demand all informa
ton concerning treaties and that the
President had not the legal right to
refuse. Senator Bacon turned the
tables completely by reading from a
speech made by Spooner when Cleveland
was President, supporting the present
Democratic contention aid exactly
contrary to the speech he had just
made on the floor. This exposure
caused great merriment in the gal
leries and derisive laughter on tho
Democratic side which Mr.. Spooner
escaped by retreating to the smoking
room The Senate finally asked the
President to send them any documents
he might choose to send.
The administration Senators have
suddenly and peremptorily Withdrawn
the amendments to the treaty which
they had adopted for the purpose of
having 1t sent back to Panama to be
acted on by legislature that can
make some pretense Of legality. The
withdra wal is said to have been at the
Presidents behest. first, to hurry up
matters in accordance with the rush
program, aud. second, to forestall
amendments which the Panamaians
themselves might desire to add, in their
own interest.
On Wednesday there was a strange
sight in Washington: squadron OF Uni
ted States cavalry glittered and cIat-
tered down the Avenue, to escort the
new Secretary Of War, Taft, from the
depot to his hotel. Has 1t come to this,
that a citizen whom called to the Cabi-
net must have a military escort ?
When did such parade ever before
take place?
The administration has distinguish
ed itself by doing another extraordi-
nary and unheard of thing: on the re
tiremeDt of Secretary Root it has pub
lished at government expense a biog-
raphy of him of a Thousand pages,
painting in pictorial detail his heroism
in directing affairs in Cuba, the Philip
pines and Panama. Are Hay, Moody,
Hitchcock, Wood, Funston, and the
rest to have thousand page (auto p
biographies at the expense of the peo-
ple9 And what is the matter with the
thrilling career of Hades- Roaring ack
Smith Are annual histories of siren
uositles to be the thing hereafter
If all the bills before Congress to
erect monuments in this city to famous
men are enacted into laws, sum ag-
gregating a million dollars will be ap-
propriated and statues will be erected
to Baron Steuben. Count Pulaski,
Frederick the Great, General Grant,
General Sheridan. General Met lellan,
General Harrison, Alexander Hamil-
ton, William Mckinley, Pierre Len
FAINT. the civil engineer who laid out
Washington, and Longfellow. It is
said they will be placed on horseback.
even the poet, because he rode Pegasus
so gracefully and we'll. Tue city will
possess twenty or thirty of these gal
Looping heroes-the largest bronze
cavalry squadron of any city In the
world. A proposition to give George
III standing room on the corner op
posite Frederick the Great is now in
order.
The talk Of the day Is the vigorous
and brilliant maiden speech Of Senator
Stone, Ex-Governor of Missouri, in
denunciation of the Presidents con-
duct concerning the Panama canal.
He said he had justified secession and
rebellion and taken active part In the
of sister republic;
and he added, II am willing to believe
It is due more to impulsiveness, and
to that volcanic, irrepressible love he
has for things eruptive, tragical, lurid,
and sensational. than to any>Other
cause. take no pride in seeing my
country strut before the world like a
wagering bully on the stage"
Chairman Hemenway, Rep, Of the
Committee has allo wed |
b145, 900 for mileage" for the present |
'ession Of Congress, although the mem
,eIs-we here in Washington when it
began This pays the representatives
'orty cents mile, although travelling
;osts not more than three cents mile,
Ind although the members had free
passes In their pockets, ard although
hey did not travel a rod Is this what
night be called Doodle Pa graft p
ake-off? What sort of public scandal
hall it be named? The report was
lot adopted, however.
In Congress: Grant memorial bridge
cross tho Potomac authorized; Several
rome statues in w ashington provided 4
or. Tnuuirv into numher Of carriaUes |