The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-03-22

WASHINGTON ID. c., THURSD
MY. but there wefs Hot times in the
House last Friday! sThe House had un.
der consideration asgbHl to abolish the
grade Of Lieutenant General in the
United States Army, and the bill is all
right. Mighty few mem have been born
who should possess that rank. mighty
Few and far betwsenss 4 you please.
to bestow 1t. and that sbestowal should
be for merit, as Washington got 1t, and
Grant, Sheridan, Schpfield, Sherman
and Miles. They did things. Well. no.
body in the House objects to taking
the power OF making a Lieutenant
ishing the grade entirely, in fact, except
Gen. Grosvenor and the few friends of
Gen. Henry C. Corbin.S OF Ohio. do not
want it abolished until that gentleman
OF the figure and presence has had q
brief whack at the rank, say, about so
days or something like that, and then
he can retire with the rank and pay Of
the highest grade in the United States
Army Lieut.-Gen. Henry Clay-it is
Clay, isn't it?-Corbin. Gen. Grosvenor,
whose own military record Is without
blemish, has been sponsor for Corbin.
lifting him grade after grade as fast as
he could, and now he hopes to crown
his own long service by helping his pet
to slide into the highest rank of Army
officers Congress can't see 1t that way,
for 1t knows that Corbin is not worthy
such. high honor. The House would be
perfectly willing to let Macarthur go
to the top grade If he can be disasso-
ciated from Corbin, but with Corbin-
oh, no! The House would like to graf
lily GrOsvenor, but 1t will not accept
Corbfn at Gen. GroSvenor's valuation,
any more than the Metropolitan Club
~.
to be determined to keep him out. The
whole of Friday was taken up with fill
clustering against the amendment which
Gen. GrOsvenOr presented exempting
Gems. Macarthur and Corbin from the
conditions of the bill. There were some
20 roll-calls. and Gen. Grosvenor lost
out on each. The temper of the House
is to abolish the grade at once and leave
out In the cold these two aspirants for
the high honurs.
Is problematical. The House leaders
decided last Friday at Conference"
which would have been caucus" If
1t had been big enough-well enough
attended-then the conference" could
have been at the last termed "cau-
pledge-well, at this conference" the
leaders decided that they would not
permit the House q test vote on the
Senate provision to send the thing hack
to the Territories to let the people OF
each vote separately on whether they
would trot in double harness or single
The House managers have decided to
take the bill from the Speakers desk
on Wednesday, March FL, and send it
back to conference It is said that a
count Of moses" in the House shows
majority in favor OF the Senate
amendment. The Speaker has things
fixed so as to gag the tongues Of the
House insurgents; but. just the same,
the Senate amendment must be voted
upon at some time. and the Speaker is
just now scheduled along with the
President to lose out.
Speaker Cannon who has been the
guest OF honor at many OF the Gridiron
dinners, the club of Washington Cor
respondents who report the doings of
Congress, gave a dinner Saturday even
ing at the New Wizards to the men,
bers of the Gridiron Club and the Cab
met, the President and Vice President
Of the United States being thrown In
for good measure. The banquet hall
was laid out to represent the Capitol
grounds, with palms and flowers Dor
dering the walks and driyeways, and
the Capitol at the far end of the hall.
all lighted UP as for q night session.
The effect was unique and realistic. The
tables for the ESQ guests were laid out
In the form OF g. gridiron. Fun was
the object Of the evening. and the
stories were principally "man-stories."
not for outside consumption. The Pres
ident was the principal speaker, taking
three-quarters Of an hour to expostu-
late with "retarders Of legislation" or
words to that effect. Sunday morning
got black eye before the distinguished
host, and his distinguished guests got
enough Of 1t. Oh, 1t was JOLLY crowd,
all right.
Kermit Roosevelt was confirmed I'm
large class at Groton College, Mass.
last Saturday. by Bishop William Law
renee. Mrs. Roosevelt went over to
GrotOn from New York. where she had
been attending grand opera. and at
tended the confirmation. On Sunday
Miss Ethel Roosevelt was confirmed In
a large class at Old st. Johns, here In
Washington, the Right Rev. Bishop
Satterlee officiating. Theodore, Jr., Is
the only one Of the Roosevelt children
who has followed the footsteps Of his
father In religious matters. He is a
communicate in the little Lutheran
church which the President attends.
Senator Boies Penrose. Of Pennsyl-
vania, has the Senate hip and thigh,
and that staid and reverend body Of
men-reverend Is used as Shakespeare
would use it, please-don't know
whether they are going to school or
coming home so far as Penrose's bill
Is concerned. His bill provides Tor an
investigation Of "the quantity of the
so-called hammer blow, centrifugal lift
and tangential throw of the counter
balance in locomotive driving Wheels"
Now, Penrose knows all about locomo-
tives-he was born right up there In
Pennsylvania where these big moguls
sprout and grow; but the Senate and
the House-well. they are inclined to
pass this bill on. Gen. Grosvenor is
quite sure that 1t is not hammer
blow" aimed at his dear Gen. Corbin
centrifugal lift' into q Lieutenant
Generally. Senator Beveridge, on the
other hand. isn't so sure that the "tan-
genital throw Of the counter balance"
isn't meant to sidetrack the Statehood
bill. while Senator Tillman sees in that
reference to driving wheels" q dispo-
sition to "bust" his plans on the rail-
roadrate bill. No, indeed, Mr.. Senator
Penrose, that little bill OF yours will 20
to sleep with a biff in the jaws, a ham
mer-blow In the solar plexus and a
centrifugal lift into the oblivion Of mis-
conceived bills, along with the little old