The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1906-02-23
WASHINGTON
NEWS letter

Washington, D. c., Feb. II, 1905. =
This is day Of absorbing interest to
Washington, and apparently to the
entire country. Miss Alice Roosevelt
aud Nicholas Longworth are to be
maj ried at high noon, and as result
the bachelor days of fortune favored
Longworth will be over, and the pop
ular girlhood Of "Miss Alice will
merge into a wifehood. in which much
felicity is expected and hoped for by
countless admirers. The affair seems
to have assumed the Importance of
national event, and restless tongues
are spreading items of information
bearing on the presents given, the
clothes to be worn, and the guests who
are to attend the ceremony The pres
sure brought to bear on those who have
charge OF the invitations has been re-
markable, and it was thought advis-
able by the president to make pub
lie explanation for the failure to send
invitations to more people than have
been invited. The wedding promises
to be the most interesting wedding of
decade, and as the weather bureau
predicted some days in advance the
weather seems to he made to fit the
! occasion.
The rata bill is now at the mercy Of
the Senate Committee on Interstate
Commerce., and it is being dealt with
that committee without qualm or
delicacy by certain of its members.
The mem bers who have made manifest
their antagonism to the movement Of
rate legislation are making their final
stand by seeking where they can at
tach some death dealing amendment to
the Hepburn Bill. Some apparently
harmless amendment, which would
appear to be innocuous and yet which
would take from the bill its directness
and practicability, is the desideratum
in the minds of these gentlemen. 1t
is doubtful, however. that they will
succeed in mutalizing the bill in any
important features Senator Dolliver
became engaged in what might almcst
be termed an alteration with Senator
Aldrich over the question of reporting
the measure at a certain time, and
he is vigorously fighting for real and
genuing rate regulation. The impor-
tance and reaching significance of
the work of Senator Dolliver is not
fully appreciated by the people of the
United States. He is the leader in a
movement which aims directly at the
protection of the people, the determi
nation and preservation of the rights
of the common people in their relations
with common carriers of whatever
character or description. He is iden-
titled with question which is broad
as the continent, and which derives
none of its force from sectional pecu-
liarities or needs.
The whipping post bill of Mr..
Adams. of Pennsylvania, was laughed
out of the House this week. Ridicu-
lous amendments, providing for COM
pusory. marriage, and penalties of de-
capitation, the pillory, and burning at
the stake, figured prominently in the
hilarious treatment accorded by Con-
gross to this bill. There are those
who seriously feel that the bill was
possessed Of merit, and think that the
treatment which it received in Con.
gress was entirely out of harmony with
Its provisions and probable effects.
House leaderPayne was turned down
in subordinate question on Thursday
which revives the hopes of those who
have despaired of ever successfully
pressing any matter against the wish
Of the leader. Mr.. Payne sought to
secure consideration for the bill con-
solidating customs districts, thereby
setting aside bill by Adams of Wis
coLsin, providing bonus for expert
ment stations. The s'youngsters and
some others thought it time to call a
halt to such proceedings. and with
the aid of the democrats overturned
the plans Of Payne. Such a turn
occurs oily at infre4uent occasions,
and this instance is not one to exert
much influence as precedent.
| The forti6cation bill has engaged
the attention Of the House for some
time during the past week. Judge
Smith, of Iowa, has had charge of
Of it on the Hoor of the House. It
was seized as a pretex for rehearsing
the Philippine question, and the policy
OF the government with respect to the
term of it's retention to the islands.
The part played BY Mr.. Bryan in the
ratichation Of the, Paris treaty was
again described, and general rehash-
ling Of the Philippine question was
/ precipitated.