Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-12-13
NEW SECRETARIES.
Senate Confirms Moody, Bona parte, Metcalf and Straus.
RAYSER'S ATTACK ON PRESIDENT.
Congress te Spell According to stand- ard Dictienaries-Taft Reports on Death of Ten Manila Ccnvicts
 by Poisonous Germs.

by Poisonous Germs.
 WASHINGTON, Dec 1s.-The sen ate confirmed the nominations of Will liam H. Moody of Massachusetts to be an associate justice of the supreme court of the United States, Charles J. Bonaparte of Maryland to be attorney general. Victor H. Metcalf of Califor- mia to be secretary of the navy and Oscar s. Straus of New York to be sec retary of commerce and labor.
 The opposition to Messrs. Moody and Bonaparte, which had been raised in the senate by number of Democratic senators, was not strongly pressed at the session, and no roll call was asked for. On the vive yoce vote for MT. Bo- naparte, however, there were a num- Der of negative votes on the minority side estimated at about fifteen.
 There was no opposition to either MT. Metcalf or Mir. Straus.
 Secretary Taft made report on the death of ten convicts at Manila, in mates of Bilibid prison, who during experiments, without resistance on their part, were given bottle of bu- bonic plague serum, which was prob ably substituted for bottle of cholera serum. with the result that the native prisoners, to whom 1t was administer ed, died.
 Governor Smith in his cabled report says the plague culture became mixed with anticholera serum through the displacement of oneSof the bottles by visitor.
 The evidence submitted at the White House by Gilchrist Stewart of the Constitutional league in behalf of the discharged soldiers of the Twenty-f1fth infantry has been turned over to Sec retary Taft.
 The presidents answer to the senate resolution calling for information re garding the discharged soldiers it is ex- pected will be sent to that body shortly.
 Several hours in the house were con- sumed in debating an amendment re- ferring to simplifled spelling, with the result that the original provision on that subject was eliminated and an- other amendment adopted. The new provision instructs the public printer to use the orthography generally recog- nized by the standard dictionaries.
 During the discussion Mir. Sullivan (NIass.) remarked that if the president by imperial ukase" could change the spelling of 300 words of the English language he would have the authority to change 30,OO0 words or every word in our language. If this could be done he thought new court language might be established by executive de cree for the new American empire.
 I've got along very well with the English language until the reign of the present president of the United States. said MT. Sullivan.
 While MT. Grosyenor was discussing the amendment Mir. Towne (N. Y.) asked him whether the item referred to was not ''on page B, beginning with line 2S?" l. "Yes, I believe so." replied Mir. Gros- venor. ......
 .'Then is not that a double skiddoo, and if so does it not of necessity go outT'
 "Oh. that's an old story" replied Mir. Grosvenor amid laughter.
 Caustic criticism of President Roose. velt's position on the Japanese ques' ton prefnced Senator Rayner's dis cussion in the senate of the constitu tional questions involved.
 If the military and civil forces of the federal government were to be used by the president. Mir. Rayner said. it be came very important to know his exact power in the matter.
 Because" he said, "it is quite SC rious matter, fin view of the great ca lamity that has lately befallen the city of San Francisco. for the president to contemplate the bombarding of the city at this time and to declare wal against the boards of county schoo trustees of California if there is nc Justification or pretext upon whicf such ferocious proceedings can be un dertaken."