The National tribune., 1906-04-19


other day, and 1t was with difficulty
that Senator McLaurin, of MisSis ippi--
the same Senator. who had knock
down and drag-out fight with Senator
Tillman one day-could go on with his
defense of Mr.. Baiiey's attitude on the
Railroad-rate bill. Somebody +irualed
a page, and one of the smallest of the
youngsters who trot on errands 20 c
United States Senate ran swiftly down
the aisle toward the Senator who want
ed him. A Waste-paper basket stood in
his way. and the kid gave q run and a
jump-and landed spang in t. basket
instead of clean over it. That is, one
foot scooted in and the basket out. Sc
that his foot went on through. and he
landed Sprawling on the floor. He
licked and wriggled for full three min
ties prone on the floor before he cOul
get upon his feet. Meantime Senator
McLaurin kept on talking. but onl.
the stenograrher knew what he was
saying. and the people in the galleries
simply howled with giee.
Here is what Secretary of Agricul-
ture Wilson has to say about seeds and
things:
with regard to securing and distrib-
uting miscellaneous garden and flower
seeds. the fact remains that this work
does not accomplish the ends for which
the law was originally framed. There
are collected, put up and distributed
now, on Congressional orders. nearly
4O,0O0,000 packets of such seeds each
year. These seeds are the best that
can be obtained in the market, but
from the fact that large numbers of
packets are wanted, the seed obtained
can be of standard sorts only, such as
are to be found everywhere for sale in
the open market. AS there IS no prac-
teal object to be gained in distributing
this kind of seed, it seems desirable
that some change be made. To this
end it would seem Wise to limit our
work entirely to securing and distrib-
uting seeds. plants, etc, of new AM
rare sorts. This is line of
work that would result in much more
value to individual districts throughout
the country than the distribution of a
large quantity of common varieties of
garden seed, which have no particular
merits. so far as newness or promise
are concerned"
Mrs. Pattie Miller Stocking died at
her home in Washington last week
Mrs. Stocking was the daughter of the
late Justice Miller, of the Supreme
Court of the United States, and was a
bright brainy woman. Having no
children of her own. she had whole
herd of adopted" children, young men
and women whom she was interested
In and tried to help. She made very
little stir with her charities. but they
were large, very large, for a woman of
her means. Mrs Stocking was a writer
of ability and quite a club woman.
Gov. Winthrop, of Porto Rico, has
been before the House Committee on
Insular Affairs testifying as TO the ad-
ministration of affairs in his tight little
island. Among other things he de-
clared that the 'laZy-bug" disease is
rapidly disappearing. This disease comes
In the shape of a parasite which at
taches itself to the soles of the feet and
works its way up into the intestines
The person who acquires these bugs"
gets lazy, sleepy. indisposed to move
about, grows thin eats little and finally
dies. l. seems that the remedy against
the oa~esits. which is infinitesimal, is to
we"r shoes, SD that as civilization adj
vanoes the lazy bug. thanks be, retires
B.ig.-Gen. James A. Buchanan. now
In command of the Department Of Wis
ayas in the Philippines, has applied for
retirement, and his request has been
granted, to take effect May 81 next
Gen. Buchanan a native Of Maryland
was appointed from that State in 1867,
being given a commission as Second
Lieutenant in the 14th Inf. Gen. Ruch-
anan is SO years of age. In 1900 he
was commissioned Lieutenant-C Colonel
OF the Porto Rican Regiment of In
fantry, and in 1902 was commissioned
Colonel of that regiment. and in 1903
he reached the grade of Colonel i'm the
regular line of the Army. He was pro-
NOTED to the grade of Brigadier- len
eral in 1905.
And 1t is after this fashion that mil
lions of the Governments money is ex-
pended. Indeed, there Is not much
doubt that fully $4,000. 900. exactly
what Is asked for public buildings in
the bill before the House Just now. have
in Tlrin v,r,l,
ments in the last so years that were
not wanted, were absolutely of no use
TO anybody, and not even valuable for
statistical information, because incor-
rect, and must now be given away.
Surely there ought to be stop put to
to this sort of useless and super ex-
travagant expenditure of the peoples
money. Here Is the statement from the
Treasury Department only. and there
are eight other Departments that are
printing tons Of useless stuff:
about 200 tons of useless and obso-
lete documents of the Treasury Depart
ment are soon to be destroyed at the
request or Secretary Shaw. Under the
law these documents cannot be done
away with until the select committee
OF Congress on useless documents pa sses
upon them and arranges q resolution
or authority for their destruction This
committee. composed Of Senator Pettus
and Representative Bates. of Pennsyl-
Sailid, cUEIcTTSU WIN the treasury Of
hcials last week about the papers. and
looked over samples of those to he de-
stroyed. The room now taken up by
this large quantity of documents is bad
~ needed. 1t is stated at the Treasury.
Here's what Representative Long
worth. husband of Miss Alice Roose
welt has to say about some things. He
gave utterance to the sentiments 1T the
Hamilton Club Banquet in Chicago the
other night:
at seems TO me that the fashion of
assaiiing public men Is amounting to
almost hysteria. III the government Of
our cities. Of our States. l. shameful:
IL our Judges are corrupt: il the United
states Senators are traitors. what hope
Is there for this country? Hox is il TO
continue to grow and prosper?
Il am one of those who believe that
instead of everything getting worse
things are getting better. 1 am one of
those who believe that the standards of
our public men are getting higher in
stead of lower; that the standard Of
public morals Is becoming higher IN
stead OF lower. and that to-day the
standard OF public morals In this coun-