The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1905-12-14

tary Taft asked for &16.000,00O. but was
thankful to get the smaller sum, hop
ing to get more after q while. He's
got to have 1t, IL the Panama establish
ment Is kept up. and that Is all there
is to it. Congress is rather belligerent.
and even the Republicans are not stand
ing by the President as 1t was expected
they would. Here is what one Repub-
lican, prominent and influential. says:
Here comes the President with an
admonition to Congress to be frugal and
economical. to scan expenditures. and
on the heels of this warning there Is
precipftated upon Congress evidence
that the Administration has been deal
irg out salaries with a lavish hand to
it's particular friends. Take that salary
Of $4,000 to the Press Agent of the
Commission. and compare it with the
salary Of $4,000 which the Secretary Of
War, who is at the head of the whole
canal project. is paid. There is Gen.
eral Auditor, who draws $4,000. and
after he has audited the accounts they
have to go to the regular Auditor of
the War Department, who gets only
$4,000.
"There is Purchasing Agent at $10.-
900. probably three times the amount
paid to men in the Army and Navy who
purchase as many supplies as he will
be called upon to buy. There is the
case of the Paymaster who went out in
November. an officer in the Navy. His
salary in the Navy was $4,000. but the
Canal Commission pays him $4,000. His
successor has been jumped to $4,000.
There Is the Chief Sanitary Officer,
an officer in the Army, where he gets
$4.950 as q Surgeon. but his services to
600. The Chief Quarantine Officer is a
Surgeon in the Marine Hospital Service
at $3.50, but his worth to the Com
mission is supposed to be $1,000. or
course, they do not get that compensa-
ton in addition to their service pay.
These are few of the cases among
the many instances Of high-priced men
employed by the Commission.
THE Republicans intend to stand by
the Commission, but we cannot be
blamed for feeling angry that the Ad-
ministration has given opportunity for
criticism"
Senator Mitchell, of Oregon, is dead,
and for once 1t may be called merciful
Intervention of Providence. All pro-
ceedings against him are now quashed,
and he stands as though never convict
ed, as he had not entered upon expiat-
ing the penalty. He began life wrong,
and he ended it under a cloud, though
it is truthfully said of him that his mid
die life was free from blemish, and that
as far as he could he righted the indis-
cretions of his early manhood. He mar
ried, when young, a woman in Penn
sylvania, his native State, and ran away
Nipple to Mitchell. He went into the
boundless West, a pioneer. and there
lived perfectly straight life up to the
time that he connected himself with
the land frauds of which he was
charged and convicted. He married
again, and then made proper settle
rnent for the wrong he had done the
first wife. He had four daughters and
two sons. One daughter is the Duchess
Rochefocauld, and lives in Paris. Her
mother, who has been virtually sep
arated from Senator Mitchell for years,
lives with this daughter, who as Matte
Mitchell was belle here in the late
Senator Mitchell died from loss OF
blood. after having had four teeth ex-
tracted. but he was In a low nervous
condition, anyhow. A peculiar condf-
ton exists in both House and Senate
concerning his death. In the House
there is no representative from Oregon
qualified to sit, both members, William
son and Hermann, being under indict-
ment for land frauds. SO that there is
no one from Oregon to announce the
death of Senator Mitchell, and move to
adjourn as tribute to his memory, IL
indeed such a motion may be properly
made.
The quandary in the Senate is pitia-
ble Senator Mitchell, who had hosts
Of friends in that body, was charged
with a penftentiary crime and had been
sentenced to serve his term of six
months, but commitment was withheld
for appeal to the United States Supreme
Court. He stood practically debarred
ho "a
under the United States Statutes, and
yet went to his death before sentence
could be executed. The United States
Senate has always been a conservative
body, extremely slow to take violent
action, and had not even asked Senator
OF which he was a member. but the
Senator. realizing the position his col
leagues were in, sent in hts resignation,
and asked to be left of of all commit
tees. Oregon has one interrupted men,
Der in Congress, Senator Fulton, and
he will. on Monday. Dec. II. announce
the death Of Senator Mitchell; but will
he proceed to the further announcement
or request that 1.-The Senate do now adj
journ as a mark Of respect to the late
Senator from Oregon" That is the
correct motion, but can the United
States Senate ignore the conviction and
sentence to the penitentiary Of men,
that about SO Of them are asking each
other. It is usual to appoint a number
OF members of the House and Of the
Senate as an escort for the body Of
dead member. Will the two Houses Of
Congress do this? It is thought prob
able that this matter will not be touched
upon, as 1t would be impossible to reach
Portland in time for the funeral under
any conditions.
Among the Pennsylvania veterans
who visited Washington on their way to
the ceremonies at Andersonville were
Comrade r. F. Whitmoyer, 106th Pa.
Millville, Pa; Herman Miller, 148th
Pa, Bellefonte, and John McKelvey,
4th Pa. Cav, Center County. Comrades
Whitmoyer and McKelvey are farmers
and Comrade Miller is a carpenter.
Also, Alfred Gracey, 10Th Pa, Everett,
Pa, who was captured the first day at
Gettysburg, and was a prisoner 20
months.
Noting the rapid change in motive