The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1907-04-18

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wonderful speech, which had been
scheduled for a week, and which had
packed the Senate Chamber, galleries
and halls, by a wonderful peroration.
which was to the speech what heaven
will be to those who only know it by
word description. He implofed the
President to move to free the Pearl OF
the Antilles from the tyranny of Spain,
as a compensation to him for the loss
of his wife. and sank fainting. with his
head in his arms upon his desk. to be
led from the Senate Chamber by older
and more conservative Senator'S, who
didn't like the display q little bit. Be
fore the violets had ceased to bloom
Senator Thurston had found solace, but
not in Cuba iibre. tho that had been
accomplished. A new Mrs TEurston
filed the place Of the very nGcl1 older
lady. Somehow, don't you know, the
young and beautiful and very gay Mrs.
Thurston and that Cuba hbre speech
seemed to play queer pranks in the
memories of the Senators. and the at
mosphere In the vicinity of the Nebras-
ka Senator's desk cooled perceptibly.
Then he decided not to try for the Sem
ate again. That's about all there is to
the story. Ex-senator Thurston Is prac-
Using law now.
It is an odd fact that the gavel used
by the Presiding Officer of the Senate
has no handle, like that used by the
Speaker of the House. It is an ivory
continuance. modestly ornamented. OF
cylindrical shape. and about four inches
long In welding it the Vice President
has to hold the gavel in his hand as If
1t were small hammer withOu: han
die. How the custom originated OF pro-
viding the Vice President with a handle
less gayel is not known. tho the Oldest
Senate attache cannot remember when
ii was otherwise, just as the Oldest Sen
ate attache cannot remember when the
gold snuff box that occupies its ancient
niche at the right of the Vice Presi-
dents raised desk. was not dutifully
filed every morning, altho no states
man now patroniZeS that once popular
box for gentle sneeze.
Ferdinand W. Peck. Of Chicago. Pres
ident of the Lafayette Monument Com
mission. has had a conference with the
President about the .invailing of the
monument in Paris. July 1, the date
selected. When Mr.. Peck was Commits
sioner-General of the United States to
the Paris Exposition he was made
Chairman of the Commission. He ap-
pointed the following members: Senator
Allison, Justice William r. Day, Rev.
Edward Everett Hale. Archbishop John
Ireland. Melville E. Stone, A. H. Revell.
T. Harris, Robert ]. Thompson.
The Lafayette Monument is a splen-
did equestrian statue of bronze. situated
upon a marble pedestal. and Is located
in the famous Tuileries Garden, near
Paris. Paul Bartlett, now living in
Paris. is the sculptor. and the statue
has been eight years in process of erec-
ton.
The cost Of the monument has been
$125,00O. OF this amount American
school children contributed $4,000 in
pennies and fye-cent pieces, practically
every school In the country being repre-
sented. Congress provided $4,000 in
Lafayette dollars, and these were sold
at a premium. netting another $4,000
Private subscriptions make up the other
part Of the total.
These figures will give you some idea
of what a Congressman does. While
more bills were introduced than ever
before, there were fewer laws made.
In the 59th Congress 1879 bills and
Joint resolutions were introduced in
both the Senate and House, about a
fourth more than in the 5Sth Congress
There were 2S.154 House bills, and OF
these $40 became laws. About the
same proportion of Senate bills received
approval
The work of the 5sth Congress is
summarized as follows:
Number of bills introduced, 25,897;
number. of joint resolutions EST: con-
current resolutions. 81; simple resolu-
tons. 1913; reports, STA. Number OF
laws: Public. first session, 416: second
session, 276; total. 6s2: private, first
session, 3,573; second session. 2.675;
total. 6.24S. Number of. resolutions:
Public, first session, "a; second session
%; total. SO; private. second session
one.
In the 58th Congress the summary
was as follows:
Number of bills, 1920. Number OF
reports. 1904. Number of laws: Pub
lie. 574; private. 3.467: total. 4.041
Number of resolutions: Public. 70; pri-
vate, 2: total, "a.
Apropos of the apparently concerted
movement in various parts of the coun-
try to induce President Roosevelt to
consent to another nomination. con-
versation at a White House lunch soon
after the election in 1904 is of peculiar
pertinence. The Presidents guests on
the occasion referred to were a literary
man of national repute and the late
Marshall Field. both Democrats, but
both of whom had supported Mr.. Roose-
Welt in the campaign. The literary man
rather brusquely chided the President
for his now famous letter, issued the
night of election, in which he stated
positively that he would. under no cir
cumstances. seek or accept another
nomination.
1.-The country may be in such condi-
ton in 190S,' said the literary man. las
to demand your nomination and cleo.
ton"
To this suggestion Marshall Field as
sented.
The President rose abruptly from the
table and paced the floor nervously fol
a moment before speaking.
''The suggestion Of you gentlemen
he said, '.is too absurd to be seriously
contemplated. If either of you knew
anything about politics you would not
for an instant entertain any such q
thought. But In the wholly improbable
event Of the country being in the con
dition you describe as possible 1 should
all the more firmly decline a renomi-
nation, because it would he sad but con-
vincing evidence to me that the country
had lost its proper spirit, and assure
you would not want to undertake the
drtfas ~ this nfYSco uytfl INV oornt.,, a.,