The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1905-03-17
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

WASHINGTON, D. c.. March 18th.
Mr.. EDIToR:-Now that Congress has
adjourned the slittle deals" whereby
iunkets were arranged for in the rush in
cdent to the closing hours Of the Com
gress are coming to light. Quarter mas
ter General Humphrey has already left
for Porto Rico and other caribbean
points on the army transport, Sinner.
General Humphrey takes with him num-
Der Of members of Congress, their wives
and their sisters and their cousins and
their aunts. The men selected for this
iunket are members Of the House COM
mittee on Rivers and harbors, and of
course, the Government nays the freight.
They will visit Porto Rico, Santo Domin-
60 and Cuba and other points which may
be determined on from time to time as the
jaunt progresses.
Another junket, one of monster proper
tions, is being arranged for. 1t will be
personally conducted excursion under
the supervision of the Secretary OF war
and the Speaker of the House, and will
compass the world. About fourteen
members of the House, in addition to the
Speaker, expect to take the trip and
like number of Senators. They will sail
from San Francisco about the first OF
July on Pacific Mail steamer and will
stop at Hawaii, and Guam and finally
land at Manila There they will become
the guests of the Philippine Government
which will employ smaller transports and
conduct the party about the archipelago.
The members of Congress who are to be
of the party are insisting that the junket
be arranged to return by way of the Suez
canal and the Mediterranean, but Secre
tary Taft has thus far opposed this plan
on the ground that he would hardly have
the nerve to take so round about way
home at Government expense
1t is probable that other junkets have
been provided for, but if so the appropri-
ations for them have yet to be detected.
1t is not, perhaps, fair to call the summer
meetings of the Senate committee on In
terstate Commerce junket, although it
is announced that if the committee finds
Washington "too warm for comfort 1t
will repair to some pretty sea side resort
to finish it's work, at Government expense
of course.
The sudden death of Senator William
B. Bate of Tennessee, as the result of a
cold contracted on Inauguration day, has
afforded one more warning against hold
ing the presidential Inauguration at so
| inclement a season. Senator Bate be-
came chilled on the inaugural stand, there
| being a fierce North wind blowing across
the front of the Capitol, pneumonia fol
lowed and although he attended the SIS
sion of the Senate on Monday, en- Thurs
day he breathed his last. Democrats in
Washington were much pleased at the
courtesy shown the late Senator from
Tennessee, by the President. who, with
his cabinet, attended the funeral services
of the old Confederate General and South
statesman. The president is very busy
these days, host of callers coming to the
White House each day, but he broke all
engagements to show honor to the deceas-
ed Senator from Tennessee.
| The Senate is still debating the San
Domingo treaty, but will probably con-
clude the argument next week. In fact
it is freely predicted that it will be impos-
sible to hold quorum in Washington af-
ter March H. 1t is probable that the
protocol will be ratified after having been
very materially amended. 1t would be
impossible to ratify it with Republican
votes alone and in order to secure suf-
fcient humble Of Der ocrati c
votes it will be necessary to materially
modify the convention. The treaty has
| been reported from the committee on
Foreign Relations after being radically
revised All reference to the Monroe
Doctrine has been stricken out, more ex-
rlicit provision for the adjudication of