The Washington herald., 1907-04-04
AT THE HOTELS.

Senator Buckley. of Connecticut. full Of
iifo and activity IN spite Of bis seventy
years. sat in the shoreham last evening
and told pleasant "reminiscences of the
days when IL held the govornorship Of his
state for two years in addition 70 his
regular term. giving him a tenure Of the
executive Office twice as long SIS any
other governor Of Connecticut ever en-
ioyed.
Yes said the good-natured Senator.
4 served as governor for four years.
lSS9-iss3 although I was only elected for
two. his grew cut OF our. peculiar sys-
ten Of throwing the election of Cover
nor into the legislature II any candidate
falls OF getting a majority Of the popu-
lar vote. The Democratic candidate. Nor
ris, claimed the election. bat 70 went T.
the legislature, ana as that body was
constituted, the senate Democratic and
the house Republican. he could not get "a
certificate. In this situation merely held
on 10 the Office and kept it until tie ex-
Tirati0n Of another luli term.
THE legislature continued to fight and
all sorts Of complications resulted. NJ
appropriations could be had because the
senate refused 20 act with the house. ana
l was forced to borrow money with which
to defray the expenses Of the state gov
eminent At the next election the Demo
lerats carried the State, electing major
+ ity OF the legislature, and Morris winning
the governorship. The legislature prompt
ly paid back the money had borrowed.
and since then all parties have gotten
along In perfect amity."
People who imagine that the young
governor Of Kentucky is nothing more
than "a clever. machine politician have not
the faintest idea Of the real nature Of the
man. declared Capt. C. c. Calhoun. ii
prominent lawyer Of the Blue Grass State.
at the Arlington.
/ TO say that Beekham IS = small man.
latter his successive political triuulpAz. IS
+ 90 say thar such men as Yerkes and Belk-
nap. on the Republican side. and Black
/ burn and AcGreaFy on the Democratir.
whom he defeated in memorable contests.
! are pigmies. The truth Is that his triumph
over them was victory over giants q
victory impossible FOR mediocre man %
/ have achieved
/ -3Iy association with Gov Beckbsm ID
murder OF Gov GoebeI led me 20 an init
mate acquaintance with his successor.
As enc OF the officers in command Of the
troops aud deputy sheriffs detailed 10 pro-
/ tect the prisoners charged with GOebeTs
murder and also 10 protect Beckham. I
/ had the best means of measuring the cali
+ Der Of the man. Ever since that critical
epoch In the history Of Kentucky. when
for weeks and weeks TWO hostile bands OF
Ina rT..-
the capital at Frankfort, and when Il
looked as though a deadly fight was GER
tain at any hour Of the day or night. ]
F have given Beckham the chief credit OF
averting a conflict that might have del
F uged the whole State in blo0dshed.
IF ever "a collision had arisen in Frank
fort between the followers Of Beckham
and the mOuntaineeTs who reioiced I'm the
{ killing Of GoebeI. the worst sort of a civil
war would have. been precipitated. That
this tragedy was aVerted was due 7 say.
+ to the co0iness. the balance. the courage.
and greatness Of Gov. Beckhsm. He sub
mitted 10 being called a coward by men
/ Of his OWL party who wanted US 10 charge
! on the mountaineers, armed with rifles
and Calling guns, as they were, and
drive them out of Frankfort. Let as
wait. said the governor, Till the law de-
Cides. We have justice on our side and
+ ii is wrong 10 take the law IN our own
hands His wise counsel prevailed. In
April following the atroeious assassiHa-
ton Of William G0ebel. the Supreme Court
upheld the title Of Beckhsm to the execu-
+ tive Office. and his career since then has
/ been one of honor and advancement"
! NO man who has Travelled down TO the
Isthmus Of Panama seems TO have made
+ better use Of his faculties Of observation
than that energetic and clear-headed Con
gresham from Illinois. Hon. Henry T.
Rainey. who has just returned from that
interesting scene. Mr.. Rainey's trip was
unique He went by himself observed
for himself, interviewed all sorts AID
conditions Of people in the Canal Zone
asked no favors of anybody because he
was Congressman, jouneyed from one
+ side Of the isthmus % The other on foot.
and in the eight days Of his stay gath
cred about as much information OF the
+ progress Of affairs as the average mem
t Der OF a big party would get in twice OF
+ thrice that time
I think said Dir. Rainey to a Herald
/ reporter. that in "a large sense, the
American people can congratulate them
selves on the canal proposition. Instead
! Of work Of indefinite execution. my be-
+ lief is that it viii be completed within
/ the next FIVE years. All the difficulties
/ of the task have been solved. and only
some minor evils remain To he eliminated
{ THE worst report I have To make is
3 that q certain amount Of grating is uII-
/ denably going on. I do not believe that
any of the higher officials are corrupt.
! but some of the subOTdinates are surely
/ engaged in pilfering. 7 took the trouble
to get affidavits from those who knew the
I facts. and exposure is in store for the
( persons who are involved in the rascalitv.
/ Some unpleasant things happen down
there that probably do not get in our
United States newspapers. The mistake
/ has been made of bringing the Spanish
( IabOrers and negroes into close associa-
T ton The Spaniards scorn the blacks
and great deal of friction results. AT
one of the camps there was a regular
riot between negro policemen and Span
iards, resulting in the killing of one of
/ the foreigners and the serious wounding
/ of several more 1 do not think any &C.
count Of this got into our papers.
But on the whole the work Is advanc-
/ ing In a most satisfactory way. and Chief
/ Engineer Stevens has accomplished Won
/ ders. Some mistakes have been made
as is inevitable in project of such pro-
portions. but henceforth there should be
plain sailing There Is Just one more
thing I'd like TO say. II is altogether 4
useless and injurious thing for large par
| ties of men 10 go down there. il matters
not whether they are Congressman or or
ganized bodies Of any kind. The officials