The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-12-27
HEARD AT HOTELS.

/ One Of the leading lawyers OF Virginia.
/ Mr. A. c. Braxton. Of Richmond Is AT
/ the New Willard. As Mr. Braxton was
a member OF the convention which fash
/ Toned the new constitution Of the Old Do
m:nion. Herald reporter asked his opln-
/ ION as 10 the workings Of that instru-
ment. the making Of which took such a
great length OF time. and about the mer-
+ its Of which there was a tremendous d.
versity Of opinion.
1T can be truthfully stated said Mr.
/ Braxton. that our new constitution has
/ proved a success and a blessing 70 the
/ Whole people. II has been in operation
about five years now and its results are
even better than its trainers hoped to
accomplish in that short period. One
OF its chief benefits has been 10 take the
negro question out Of politics. This was
I through the insertion Of a property and
educational qualification clause which
/ operates 70 exclude the ignorant voters
from the ballot. Our suffrage system is
about the best that has ever been devised.
! Old soldiers, who fought either on the
Union or the Confederate side, are ex-
empt from the conditions that apply TO
! all others. Except these veterans. a
man must, in order to register as a voter.
be able 20 read or must pay taxes on a
small amount Of property. In addition
he must have paid his poll tax for three
years, and the payment must be made
six months prior to an election.
Now, the effect Of this suffrage law
/ has been 10 make the blacks lose all in
#H.H IN F.NH
any longer about voting. I DO not hesi-
tate TO say that they are better Of and
\ happier now than they were when they
used the ballot No longer having the
/ dread Of an ignorant domination over
/ them our white citizens feel free TO divide
/ on political issues, and We shall see a
! greater Independence among them, as
/ well as Il higher order Of politics Best
/ Of all, We now feel a sense Of security
and stability In place Of the uncertainty
/ and dread that Virginians were never ex-
actiy free from in former days. This
F settled condition IN our politics Is re-
/ iected IN the wonderful material improve
ment that has been going on within the
/ borders OF the old State for the past five
/ years. Virginia never was as prosper
Gus as II IS to-day; every single interest
is fiourishing; there is more work than
there are men 70 perform it."
Write any sort Of euiogy about the
President, then make II ten times
stronger. and charge it all to me-" said
Hon. Henry d. Mcdonald. a leading at
torney and former State senator. Of Paris.
Tex, at the New Willard Mr.. Mcdonald
Is Democrat Of the oId-fashioned sort.
and never expects to be anything else. but
ne mas for the present occupant Of the
White House the strongest personal re-
gard, and IS not backward in avowing II.
I The President will go down in history
he continued, ''as one Of the greatest and
best OF statesmen. Even though he may
make an occasional mistake the people
forgive him Instantly, because they know
what his intentions are and what ire
mendous service he has rendered them. A
slip now and then is the only cause OF
our estimating him Alright. the only thing
that keeps him from being regarded AZ
superhumaH- II be were 10 run again for
the Presidency, he would be overwhelm-
ingly elected. and so remarkable is his DO
sition IN the nation that such a result
would hardly be considered a partisan
triumph"
! clean-shaven, Observation-Disclosures
elderly gentleman who stood in the
Raleigh lobby last evening was asked by
President Harrison 10 take the Office of
! Secretary Of the Navy. but the offer
was politely declined. The man who re-
fused TO 90 into Harrison's Cabinet was
Judge John r. Thomas, who for ten
years represented an Illinois district in
/ Congress, but for number Of years has
been living in the Indian Territory, most
Of the time as judge OF the Federal Cir
cult Court
We viii have" said Judge Thomas
"a big State and a great State when the
final act allowing Oklahoma admission to
the Union is Consummated. Its area OF
5000 square miles makes it one OF the
great States physically It's resources
have often been told. but the East scarce
iy yet knows OF its immense undeveIoped
/ wealth. There is coal enough in its
borders 20 furnish the United States for
centuries. It's oil wells are now leading
every other field. and the natural gas
supply is apparently inexhaustible Iron.
coal. copper, lead, marble. and timber OF
the best sort are in abundance. and a
climate that is absolutely delightful Po-
hticaliy, the new State is Democratic and
viii be for some time, but eventually it
/ VIII be classed in the doubtful list"
"AIl my life" said Mr.. ". 0. Miller. OF
Philadelphia. at the Arlington. Il have
suffered by being mistaken for some one
else. Often the mistake has been Of q
comical nature, but on numerous occa-
sions it has put me 20 all sorts of trouble
have been arrested as a bank robber,
| embezzler, defaulter and all other kinds
of villain. and put 10 the annoyance OF
having to show that I was an honest
citizen Of good standing in the COM
munity, who had led a pretty decent ex-
istence.
once when I went with my wife to a
! mountain resort in Pennsylvania I no
ItiCed an old maidish parsonage glaring
/ at me so constantly that ! told my wife
she was going to make some sort Of break
/ involving me- She did. Before the end
Of twenty-four hours she sent a telegram
/ to a woman in Philadelphia telling her
! TO come on quick; that her husband was
there with another woman, whom he was
palming of as his wife The woman got
I the dispatch and IL made her crazy, as
her husband happened to be away al the
time OF course, when she saw me I
I was let out. but somehow she had gone
| almost daft about the matter and still
/ imagined her husbanN was running about
the country in an unlawful way. She fol-
lowed him clear up TO Canada before she
found out that her suspicious were base
/ less