The National tribune., 1907-12-19

Now will You be good? And please
10 remember that President Roose-
velt's mo" means mo" and his yes
means eyes" You have done him wrong
in trying to make believe that the Presl-
dent said one thing and meant another.
Davis done it, he certainly did: made
that trust-bustng speech that he
threatened TO make on the day that
Congress opened. 1t was exactly IKE
the speech that Bryan made the hrst
month he was in Congress, 10 years
ago, except that he had no free silver
in it-Jef Davis's speech didn I;
Bryan's did, and Grown of thorns'
or was it silver? Who is there that
can remember? Davis has good
deal of the same charm of voice that |
Bryan has but nothing like the pleas
ing personality. He is big and lat
with a Cleveland neck and smirk on
his smooth face which says, See me
and behold another Moses" just Ike
that don't you know. He began by
declaring that he didn't propose 10 sit
in the Senate till he was old and Whlte-
headed before he spoke against the
wrongs-oh, yes, ''W-R-O-N-G-S Isl
the proper way to put his attack on
the poor, threadbare word-of the peo-
pie. The grave and reverend senator
lust fresh from the wildS of Arkansas,
where he could thrash round TO MS
hearts content and not get on any
body's corns, found the confines OF the
House of Lords a pent-up Utica for
his powers He took the middle aisle
for his maiden effort, with brand
new dress-suit case of documentary evi-
dence beside him, and waded in-no,
bolted in. He charged up and down
the aisle for full hour, advancing
with sweating energy to the forum IN
front of the Vice Presidents chair
then pacing back, the persplTatlon
pouring off his marbled brow. He knit
ted his brows, like Hamlet wnen ne
settles down to his wrestle with To De
or not to be-" he pounded the desk
that happened to be handiest when he
wanted to make his audience believe
that he was in deadly earnest, and
Topped around just like Hamlet when
he shouts, The play, the plays the
thing" and was laboriously dramatic
at all times. He said absolutely moth
ing new; not a single, solitary thought
was advanced that has not been ad-
vanced a thousand times before, and
in much better shape than he got 1t
off He challenged any Senator or all
of them to mortal combat of words,
but the older ones smiled wanly and
sat still and the younger ones squirmed
and looked uncomfortable. Nobody
took up the gantlet; anyhow, it was
just a poor little thin, silk, worn-out
sort of a glove, and not worth the
picking up. Davis had announced that
he would wake the dead. but he didn't;
he only wakened some reminiscent
echoes. It was said that he would go
Tillman a whole lot worse, but ne
didn't. He just escaped being COM
monplace. He didn't get rise out OF
anybody, not a word. tho he fam liarly
addressed many Senators in the prog
ress of his efforts. He spoke very de-
III +r,,4 !, a-rir1 fayv
crudities which win wear off in time.
The new $40 gold piece is a peach,
it is 1t has on one side figure which
might be Venus just before her bath,
or Aphrodite rising from the waves, or
Cleopatra getting ready for her roll of
carpet and call of ceremony on An
thohy, or most any woman who wears
a single chiffon garment in a gale. This
same woman needs brush and comb.
: She looks as tho she had never been
introduced to either. She evidently dis
dains anything like whalebones and
coutiI, and has small use for a girdle
even. She holds a bunch of weeds in
one outstretched hand and the big stick
in the other. She stands with one foot
on rock, and that foot might belong
to the giant Chang, and she is evidently
pigeon-toed and knock-kneed Oh, she
is a beaut all right. On the reverse is
the pantelet eagle in full flight. He's
better looking than the $40 eagle, be-
cause his legs are kind of covered up
as he stretches them straight out under
his wings, his feet showing behind. (By
the, way, does an eagle stretch his feet
out like a goose when he fiies?) The
coin is defective, in that ii has wire
edges which are exceedingly unpleas-
ant 10 handle. and makes it impossible
to stack the gold pieces. For this
reason the design has already been
modified to reduce the wire edge. It's
art all right, according to ancient Ro-
man ideas. but it isn't American.
In communication TO the Presi-
dent, Secretary Metcalf points out the
growing necessity for correcting the
present anomalous political status of
Guam and Tutuila, Samoa, and recon-
mends that Congress enact legislation
establishing a form of government for
both islands. 1T is true says he,
''that law and order have been main
tained in these islands under naval ad-
ministration, as directed by the Chief
Executive, since their acquisition by
the United States. 1t is also true that
something has been done for the bet
termcnt Of the islands, and that some
progress has been made by extending to
them, in a measure, certain features of
our system Of government The ma
chineries of the courts and of the local
authorities have been maintained, good
work has been done in establishing
schools, building roads. and ameliorating
insanitary conditions, and for these pur.
poses meager revenues have been raised
in such ways as have been found prac-
ticable to meet immediate and urgent
necessities. But all that should have
been done under legislative sanction
The people of the United States. hav-
ing assumed control of these islands
owe it TO them TO make appropriate
provision for their Government. 1t /.
earnestly recommended that the Con.
gress give consideration to this matter
at the present session."
Somebody will have to draw the pure
food law on the friends of the Presiden
presently, or he runs the risk of insult
ing somebody. The latest freak pres
ent-when ii arrives-will be a''pos
sum. II is stated by Mrs. Helen Long
street, widow of the late rebel but re
constructed, Gen. Longstreet, that sh,
is feeding a 'possum on persimmons t
fatten il for the Presidents Christina.
table. 'Possum sounds good to somt
people, but 1t isn't at all likely that TIL.
President wants any more eak-foot
presents.
The President was certainly hunting
trouble when he issued his 39-mile or
lar -.