The National tribune., 1907-01-10

his elevation to the Senate he owned
a small plantation and had a moderate
income from his law practise. When
he returned to private life he was much
poorer than when he left it, and devoted
himself to his law practise. His son.
Don Caffery, became his law partner,
and they became interested in the Jen-
nings oil iields They made a number
of shrewd investments in the fields, and
now Ex-senator Caffery is ranked as
one of the wealthy men of the State 2t
his death.
1t is said that Senator Caffery was
practically ridieuled out of the United
States Senate. He was far from being
a handsome man; in fact, had the ap-
pearance of a laboring man of small
intelligence, but he was really gen.
tleman of much ability. He was eX-
tremely sensitive to ridicule of any kind.
One of his fads was fine hosiery Of
dainty tints, such as pink and baby blue
One day in early Spring his corns hurt
him nightly, and as there were very
few Senators in their seats. Senator
Caffery removed his shoes and put his
delicately tinted blue-soclled feet up
ON his desk and went fast asleep.
It was not long till the room was
empty, but for Senator Caffery, and all
that the Presiding Officer could see of
him was those blue socks The clerk
of the Senate was droning thru very
long bill. and at the end of it the Pre-
siding Officer, Senator ingalls,. by the
way, made some announcement about
the bill which required a vote, and
glancing over toward the blue socks, as
he said, 'All those in favor" and just
then Senator Caffery gave a stentorian
snore and wiggled those blue-socked
feet 1.-The ayes have it," declared the
f1,4 hill &c
past Some waggish newspaper man
in the press gallery wrote up story
of how the President of the Senate vot>
ed Caffery's blue socks, and the story
got back to Cafferys State. 1t was
little too much for his friends. who be-
liered that United States Senator
ought to have a little more dignity than
that. and ne got left at home the next
time.
Gov. Magoon has informed Secretary
Taft that there is absolutely no truth
in the story printed by Havana paper
that japanese had been heard intriguing
to get possession and control of Cuba.
It is said that President Roosevelt
is desirous of having Secretary Root
become United States Senator in Sen
ator Platt'S place, when that gentleman
resignation nobody knows. Senator
Pfatt promises to remain until he has
satisfied all his grudges. All? Well,
a few of them. anyhow, and he certain
ly does not banker to see either the
President or Secretary Root filling his
shoes. One would suppose that Senator
PIatt would now look forward to a life
of leisure instead of fighting the old
battles over but tho he can no longer
legislate he has enough life left in him
to nuss up things for the President,
and he seems to be fixing things up that
way IT is said that there will be a big
battle fought out in New York before
anybody succeeds Senator Piatt, and
that this battle will be between con-
tending financial forces-the railroads
on one hand and the various corporate
industries on the other. 1t is to be
battle of high finance. and that these
do not intend that either the President
or Secretary Root shall be Senator.
President Roosevelt is pursuing his
1ong-established policy of granting few
pardons. regardless of the class of peo-
pie involved Since the sembling of
Congress he has been visited by large
number of representatives importuning
him for the pardon of Federal prison.
ers. most of them men of former re-
spectability and high standing While
he has had most of these applications
referred to the Attorney-Generai for
opinion. he has intimated in a number
of instances his opposition to particular
pardons.
If Members of Congress we're not
towards one might hope for reform in
the seed distribution business of the
Government but as long as a bag of
seeds-seeds that won't grow, or if they
do the farmer who planted them wishes
they hadn't-so long as this bag or
these bags of seeds look the equivalent
for a vote. just so long we will have
the Government free seed farce. Now,
If the seeds sent out We're as for
merly, rare kind of seed a really
good thing that il was expected would
be introduced in the United States and
be of some benefit to agriculture. the
Government seed distribution would be
all right. But as matter of fact the
seeds are gathered up from all over
= the country, the left-overs of seed men
who would not think of selling them
from their own house, but who are glad
enough to sell them to the Government.
Such seeds do no one any good. and
are only tremendously expensive
white elephant
Just now the proposed advocates of
ftIoTIn III the Sttu ale WDTR-
ing on a new plan. DIR. +. I. Galloway,
Chief of the Bureau of Plant Industry,
which has immediate charge of the dis
tribution, has outlined this TO the House
Committee on Agriculture. He hopes
something like it will be enacted into
law and put into operation during the
next fiscal year. He has rs projects,
In reality. for the distribution of seed ;.
but by altogether different methods
than Congress ever directly authorized
These projects contemplate sending out
to various localities choice varieties of
seeds as soon as feasible He exhibited
to the committee recently maps and
photographs to illustrate where the
work could be carried on. He has al
ready undertaken IL in a small way
sending special varieties of seeds to
farmers or others known to be special
ly interested in certain kinds of crops.
The Department keeps in close touch
with the recipients of these seeds. Re-
ports are made. and the farmers are
thus brought into close cooperation
with the Department In a way the
individual farmer conducts a miniature
experiment station, such as most States
now maintain in connection with their
Agricultural Colleges.
In effect DIR. Galloway proposes to
make each Congressman the agent of
the Agricultural Department in ex-
tending these seed experiments He
would cut off entirely the annual sup
ply of ordinary varieties of beet seed