Omaha daily bee., 1906-03-12

Minor scenes and Incidents sketcbed
on the snnt.


tributing a little to the gayety Of the con-
test as IL looms up IN washington.
Through the courtesy OF Senator Elkins
Of West Virginia the Congressional Rec
ord has been fattened with a bunch Of
about 400 protests against the bill. The
attractive feature Of these knocks are
their literary sameness. They were
worded exactly alike. and are as harmo-
NOUS in vocal tones as the two senators
from West Virginia All messages came
from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illi-
nois These four states have the constitu-
tional representation I'm the senate, but
the authors of the messages passed them
up and conhded their heart throbs to the
friendly bosom Of Elkins
Railway companies are entitled to right
OF appeal, same as other interests, and the
power to make rates given commission by
Hepburn bill should be revised accord
ingly," is one of the messages that was
so popular that six men in Minnesota used
that identical language.
No more may members Of congress send
grand pianos and carriage horses through
the mails on franks IL the senate and
house leave a certain provision I'm the pos
tai appropriation bill, which was agreed
upon today by the house committee. The
bill, which will be reported in about ten
days, provides that nothing shall be
franked through the mails which an ordl-
nary individual cannot mail at regular
postage rates, and prevents committees. Or
ganizations or associations OF citizens from
enjoying the ranking privilege. This
would reduce materially the weight Of
mail at weighing periods and the remuner-
alton Of the railroads.
The bill carries total OF slsl, S5s, s4s as
against 1881 ,O22,O9S for last year. 1t is es-
timated that the amount of mail increased
10 per cent each year and the appropria-
ton is believed 10 be as small as possible
A man from South Carolina, whose bust
ness in Washington takes him to the capt.
toll every day. happened to pass the north
gate OF the White House just as he-presi-
dents carriage rolled out carrying the
president to the dinner at Secretary Met
calfs house. The South Carolinlan marked
the care of the policemen az the gate as
the carriage passed out and saw the two
secret service men following on their BIZ
cycles.
What a tremendous difference there is
in importance between the president and
the vice president" he said This morn
ing l rode up to the capitol in the same
street car with the vice president On one
side Of him sat a negro woman and on
the other side an Indian. / doubt IL three
persons in the car recognized him. But If
something should happen tonight to Mr..
Roosevelt the secret service men would be
following Mr.. Fairbanks tomorrow"
Senator Dick of Ohio prepared a speech
on the statehood bill and carried il around
with him for two weeks before he had a
chance to deliver it. When opportunity
did offer the effort proved to be unusually
dreary, and in a few minutes the senator
was addressing a few pages and the pre-
siding officer. Mr. Dick had underscored
a lot OF words he intended to emphasize
to. give the maiden effort the proper de-
clamatory effect, ard he sent that copy TO
the government printing Office. The result
was that the speech in next mornings
Record was bestrewn with italics and capt
tails and looked like college girls COM
mencement essay.
At White House dinner not long ago
Secretary Taft had occasion to say some
thing In regard to the Philippines, and, as
was expected. his conversation was full
body was interested in what he had TO
say, and when he had finished one OF the
women, who it is needless TO add, was a
stranger in Washington, turned to the sec
retary Of war and asked in frank man
ner:
mr.. Secretary, were you ever in the
Philippines?"
The secretary was too embarrassed to
answer, and the woman's neighbor quietly
informed her of the secretary's record in
the islands This occurrence was some
thing like that which happened at dinner
party given by Secretary Hay. During the
course of the evening John Hay began
personal "reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln.
He spoke for some time relating some
most interesting and entertaining anec-
dotes A United States senator who was
listening with the greatest attention broke
into the conversation, saying:
Mr.. Secretary, why don't you take time
some day and write a book about Abraham
Lincoln?'
Mr.. Hay laughed and replied that he
had already done a little something in that
| line to which the senator replied:
You ought to get to work and write
big book. You seem to know so many
stories of the martyred president"
| As the guests OF the dinner party were
leaving one of the gentlemen remarked to
the senator:
did you ever hear Of the celebrated
biography OF Lincoln by Hay and Nico-
lay2" To which the senator confessed
ignorance, but replied:
| nj he wrote that book no wonder he
knows so many stories about Lincoln"
| Senator Tilman was talking about the
rate bill in his room to a number Of his
| friends recently.
What do you think Of Senator Spooner's
escrow idea?" asked one.
Il always look for a good thing to come
| from spooner," replied the South Carolina
senator, but in this case I am a little
distrustful.'
Slows. that?'' said two or three to-
gether.
II don't like the sound of that word
answered Tillman with his peculiar nasa
drawl. 1T sounds like a diet that Ia,
been served out to us democrats too Ions
and often"
A party Of Apache Indians on a visit tC
Washington visited the senate and listened
l with stolid interest while Mr.. La Follett,