Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-03
DEMAND FOR ECONOMY
Appropriations Ought to Be
Kept Within Revenues.
OLD SALTS IN THE SENATE
Senators Mallory and Perkins Elk
change Pleasantries.
GAY TIMES IN WASHINGTON
When the Staff Correspondent Comes
to the Capitol to "Do"
Situation.
OLD SALTS IN THE SENATE


during the entire Congress, and the men
who are watching the treasury are as vigf-
liant as they have set out to be during the
first part of this Congress, the appropria-
lions ought to be kept within the revenues
There is a natural disposition to be liberal
with public money among those who have
lived on the public money. Take all our
army and navy officers and most of the
government employees who have drawn their
sustenance from the government, they are
all liberal spenders of government funds
There is a demand for more officers In the
army and for very great increase in the
number of artillery soldiers. Plans for more
extensive fortifications are made and with
Al increase of troops their would be more
barracks and quarters needed. Our army
friends would add additional forty MIL
lion dollars to the army appropriation Dill.
Our navy officers are equally liberal anu
would be glad to see three battleships pro
vided each year and officers and sailors
provided to man them. In the civil service
there is a constant demand for promotlon'
for more clerks, more messengers, for aooi,
tioral bureaus and new equipment, as wen
as new departments. with all the expensive
machinery they entail. Our civil ofncers are
asking for more money for all kinos oi
service and for Investigations, scientinc ana
otherwise. There is demand for enlarged
postal facilities and the pressure for In
creased rural free delivery service Is IRE
sistibe The men who are drawing gov
ernment pay seem to think the goloen
stream is ineXhaustible. But the congress
sional economists are going to try TO reaily
save the government money, ana IL tIey
keep up the work as they nave commence e,Ho','
1t may be possible to make a gooi SHOW
ing Meanwhile those who want river anu
harbor appropriations have received ohly
cold encouragement and the men WEo mus
have public buildings are in a cave Oh
gloom 1t will be interesting to note
whether or not the economic wave will
wear itself out before the end of the ses-
sion.
Cav Times in Washington.
There are gay times in Washington when
the staff correspondent comes down on the
Capitol to do" a situation. The regular
correspondent legs around, gets all the
facts, and the stair man writes the story.
Then the regular man goes over 1t. cuts
out the most glaring and stupid blunders
and 1t is put on the wire. But when the
trained magazine expert arrives there IS
still more doing. Just now 1t is understood
that several men who have been most sue
cessful in unearthing corruption have
fitted into the National Capitol and pro-
pose to write the actual facts as they
exist, without fear or favor"
There have been no less than four In TO
see me-" remarked correspondent who
writes for one of the most critical dailies
in the United States. land they all went at
me about the same way.
Come, old man, now tell me all about
it. What is going on?
"'What do you want to know, and what
do you want 1t for? I asked.
"'Why, / am doing a series of magazine
articles on the situation In Washington he
replied, the relation of the President to
Congress, and all that sort of thing, you
know, so came to you, as you must know
all about these things
"Give me $50 for each article l said,
and you can have the credit, and I'll give
you all the facts you want. That is the
way I am doing things now.
Well said another correspondent, they
will go to some other newspaper man who
is easier and get their stories"
Yes remarked a third, land they will
be filled up with josh. and that is all they
will GET
They will get from some of the news
paper men," said another man in the group,
those stories which the men may believe
are true, but for which they have not suf-
icient backing to print themselves"
OF course, it takes some time to get on
a footing in Washington which will enable
a man to publish all the facts. 1t is rather
hard to definitely locate conSpiracieS against
the President. but easy to describe them.
1t is hard to substantiate charges about
corruption, but no trouble to assert that
1t stalks shamelessly through the CORR
doris of the Capitol and haunts the COM
mittee rooms" 1t is not difficult to write
an allegation against the Senate collective
ly. though 1t would be hard to prove in
dividual dishonesty against many senators.
Old Salts in the Senate.
The "old salts had their innings one day
when Senator Mallory of Florida was dis
cussing the ship subsidy bill. Mallory was
talking about seamen and what constituted
able seamen.
II should like to ask my friend from
Florida" said Perkins eff he does not
taink that provision is an Improvement uron
the present law? Any who has had
two years experience as a seaman at sea
has learned to hand reef and steer, to splice
rope, to handle cables, and all that pertains
TO ship and the rigging of vessel. Any
one can ship landsman. The senator
himself is something of sailor, and l in
MY earlier days had some experience
have been shipmate with men who, though
able seamen, could neither hand reef nor
steer. who did not know the foremost from
the mizzenmast. or the topgallant yard from
the spanker.'
And they were generally made to regret
that they did not before they got through
with the voyage" replied Mallory. THE
point l make is that we already know what
an able seaman is. AS the senator has said
he is a man who can hand reef and splice
That Is the general definition of him"
Hand reef and steer" corrected Perkins
who Is an absolute authority on all things
nautical.
Mark Smiths Story.
On the eve of the statehood contest In +be