The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1906-05-25

public attention. Senator Bailey
took exception to two stories that
were printed about him to the effect
that he was the real stumbling
block in the way of effective, rate
legislation, and that while he could
not come out Openly and fight the
measure, he had introduced an
amendment that was destined to
split the Democratic votes and thus
weaken the whole structure of the
bill. This story was printed stimuli
Ftaneously in New York and Chicago
and Senator Bailey declared that it
was directly inspired from the White
House. He said that the man who
inspired it and the correspondents
who wrote it were all unqualified
liars" It is not often that a
Senator takes advantage of Sena-
torial privilege to make statements
Of this sort about correspondents
and if it we're thought that the men
of the Press Gallery who are charged
with fairly reporting the proceed
ings OF Congress had been subsi-
died to give an unfair bias to their
reports, it would be serious thing.
For the country relies on the news
papers as does no other to get fair
idea of what is going on in public
life. It may be said that both Of
the correspondents alluded to are
on terms of intimacy with the very
Senators and other public men who
might be expected to furnish in
formation to the disadvantage of
Senator Bailey, but at the same
time the correspondents occupy as
good position socially or any other
way as any of the members of Con-
gress. It is not likely that they will
accept the imputation that they are
unqualified liars" without making
it a personal issue with the Senator
who has made the assertion.
The prospect is that the Panama
Canal Bill will reach the floor of the
Senate this week. There is little
question either that the report of
the committee will be in favor Of a
Sea Level Canal. This may compli-
cate matters somewhat as such
canal IS in direct contradiction of
the Presidents accommodations for
Lock Canal. But the Committee
has examined lot of witnesses and
the majority report that is to be
made will represent the best decision
that laymen were able to arrive at
on a question where the best
engineers of the world were not able
to agree. Whatever the result the
settling Of the question as to the
type Of canal will result in work
being pushed, and that ia the main
thing. Whether the canal will be
built at sea level or be Of the lock
type is matter of comparatively
small Importance. The main ques-
ton is aleady settled and. that is
that the canal is to be built The
type will be matter of three or.
four years difference in time which
will not count for much twenty-five
years hence. 4
: It was thought that the meeting
of the Smithsonian Regents held
this. week would settle on sue
oessor tc the late Secretary Langley,
Of flying machine fame. The de-
|cision was not made but was put of
Tor six months longer. Meanwhile
the Smithsonian will run under the
direc ton of the Assistant Secretary
who is designed by law to act in thes
death or absence of his chief. This
matter is of more than common:
The work Of the
Institution is shaped
by the Secretary and the personality
Of the Secretary gives the direction
to the work. It is of immense.
benefit to the people at large though
they may not Always follow the
lines, by which it is worked QUIT
OF course Secretary Langley was
M st popularity known by his flying
machine work. But his other con-
tribution '6t science, the investiga.
ton Of the invisible spectrum, was;
less; we'll known but Of even higher
importance. His bolometer, an
electric thermometer which will