The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1905-03-22
WEEKLY LETTER FROM The
SEAT OF GOVERNMENT
Senator Bates Death Due to Exposure
President to Visit Phil
ippines.

Washington, d. G., March l6.--(Spe-
cial Correspondence. There is no
doubt that a San DOMINICAN treaty will
be confirmed by the senate but it will
be so little like the original treaty 'ir't
submitted as to he unacceptable by
its authors. The history of this treat,
is somewhat curious. The secretary of
state, who has during his eight years
management of the department. achieved
such big reputation as a diplomatist,
was i'll and away from the department
during the San DOMINICAN negotiations.
| An assistant secretary. or shall we say
journeyman in diplomacy. bungled the
job. The president, who thinks more of
results than of verbiage and whose time
was much occupied with other matters.
permitted the paper TO 90 to the senate
as presented and it is probable that he
is as grateful as he should be for the
careful scrutiny and amendment that ii
has received from that body of lawyers
and strict construct ionists.
The death after three days illness of
the venerable Senator Bate of TenneS
see is so far the most conspicuous ia
tally of Inauguration day exposure.
There are many other less notable vie
tins. 1t is impossible under usual
fourth of March weather conditions that
I.l H.
grippe, pneumonia and other diseases
from exposure. When one remembers
that simple vote of congress might
change the day of Inauguration from
chilly and boi-terous March the fourth
to sunny April the thrtieth. the day
on which the first president was sworn
in. il j. impossible to regard congress a.
other than guilty of manslaughtcr
through lachcs On every fourth of
March at the Inauguration ceremonies
hundreds of thousands of people unac-
cu,tomcd To exposure are in the wealth
or from five to ten hours. often without
food and il cannot be otherwise than
that many OF them must succumb.
There j. much interest in Washington
and there will he more or less interest
in the country in the enterprise of build
ing n great convention hall in the ma
tional capital. There i, no city in The
country more eligible or desirable for
great conventions than Washington. The
capitol. the national library, the ma
tional museum, the great department
buildings. the White House, Mount Yer
non, Arlington. the Washington monu-
ment. are only some of the attractions
of interest to patriotic Americans but
there is no great meeting house. Con-
gress at the session which has Just
closed voted to present to the city of
Washington the United States exhibit
building which now stands in the st.
Louis Fair grounds. The frame work
is of iron and it is calculated that it
can be transported to Washington at
an expense of not more than 100000.
and completely rebuilt at an estimated
expense of less than half a million dol
lars. II will make an admirable place
for inaugural balls and for other great
assemblies.
1t is expected that Washington will
at no distant day have another art gal
lcry, the gift of Mr. Freer. a multi
millionaire and an art connoisseur like
Mr.. w. w. Corcoran to whose benefi-
cencc in art and charity the national
capital is so much indebted. If. as it is
said that the financial center of the
world is shifting from London to New
York why may We not expect in time
that the art center will shift from Par