Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-25
At THE WHITE HOUSE
President Went to Executive
Offices About Noon.
LOOKED OVER HIS MAIL
LUNCHEON AT THE HOME OF
CAPTAIN CoWLEs.
Dinner for Twenty-Five Guests This
Evening-Conference With Mr..
Wadsworth.

President Roosevelt deferred his usual
Christmas morning ride in the country un-
IL tbs afternoon. He spent the early
morning hours with his family which. like
every other in the land, was astir early.
The exchange OF Christmas presents the
v,st OF Santa Claus to the youngest. the
pleasantries OF the occasion, all served to
make Joyous the home OF the President
From Miss Alice Roosevelt down to Quen-
tin. the seven-year-old baby" The chill
dren were at home. The Presidents third
son. Archie, as usual. had Christmas tree
in his own room and from that he dis
tributed his gifts to the family and the
household people.
Along toward 10 o'clock I'm the morning
close friends Of the Roosevelt family be-
gan to call to exchange greetings and to
leave tokens of the day. Express wagons
hurried up and deposited packages for vari-
Gus persons and there was nothing left 10
complete the happiness of all.
The President went to his offices for an
hour along toward noon and glanced over
the more important mail, comforting with
Secretary Loeb, who. with Assistant Secre-
tary Barnes was at the executive Offices
about the usual hour. disposing of the cor
respondence The President did not remain
in his office more than an hour. when he
joined his family for call al the home Of
luncheon was partaken of. and where the
juveniles Of the family found Christmas
tree.
The event at the White House will be the
family dinner at $50 tonight. 1t will really
be more than a family dinner as a number
Of intimate friends will be present IucIud-
ing the eight members of the family there
will be about twenty-five persons at the
table. Among these, it is stated will be
Representative Longworth. who is to marry
Miss Alice Roosevelt, Capt. and Mrs.
CoWles and several young men who are
guests of Theodore Roosevelt jr. during
the Christmas season.
The President has notified the members Of
his cabinet that during the present week
there VIII be no regular meeting of the cab
met. He will take up during the week only
matters of the most urgent importance and
Will receive no callers or visitors unless
their business is imperative. 1t is his pur-
pose to make this truly holiday week and
he will spend little time as possible in
the transaction of routine business.
District Attorney Baxter Removed
Information from Nebraska is that the
President has summarily removed from
office Irving Baxter United States attorney
OF Nebraska, whose repeated trausgres-
sionS have been recorded in The Star. Mr..
BaNter's resignation was requested about
a week ago, Attorney General Moody bas-
ing the request upon the alleged failure Of
the governments legal representative to
cases OF Bartlett Richards and w. e. Com
stock, two of the wealthiest cattlemen in
Nebraska, indicted for unlawfully inclos-
ing 2203a acres of government land and
using 1t for grazing. They pleaded guilty
and were fined by Judge Munger S2GO each
and sentenced to six hours in the custody
of the United States marshal, w II.
Mathews. The latter authorized the attor-
ney of the prisoners to hold them IN Gus
tody for the time mentioned, thinking that
sufficient. He was sharply reminded by
Attorney General Moody that this was not
the proper way of enforcing the law and
was removed from Office.
In defense of himself Baxter has written
the Attorney General the following letter:
Having faithfully and honestly performed
the duties of the office to which. ] was ap-
pointed in April. 1904, for a four-year term,
and being in no way responsible for the
sentences imposed in the Richards and
Comstock cases out of which the request
for my resignation has come, / decline to
resign. While l am mindful of the Presi-
dents power to summary remove me l
cannot under the circumstance recognize
the justice OF such an act by rendering my
resignation.
Conference With MI. Wadsworth.
President Roosevelt talked for hour
last night with James w. Wadsworth, jr.,
whose probable election as Speaker of the
New York assembly is agitating political
circles in that state. Mr. Wadsworth told
the President of all the inside developments
to date and said that his election appeared
to be certain. ~ am confident of the out
come of the fight" stated Mr.. Wadsworth
on departing and again today. Much has
taken place in the week since took lunch
con pith the President. We did not then
discuss my candidacy for the speakership,
and the President was as much surprised
as any one else when my friends brought
nv name forward. i do not think there
will be as much opposition as is talked OK
pledged to Assemblyman Merritt have writ
ten to me pledging me their support NO,
will not give the names of THESE people out
that they will stand by me is certain
Mr. Waesworth married the daughter or
the late Secretary Hay of the State De-
partment He will spend few more days
here with his family. Mr.. Wadsworth is
twenty-eight years old, and will be the
Youngest speaker the New York assembly
ever had He has been a member of the
assembly just a year, but in that time has
come to be well known and popular. He Ia
the son of Representative James Wads-
of New York.