The National tribune., 1907-12-26
II =
Y vAzelll19lz 1lz....zzz1f y

Spoke to biggest crowd Senate ever
had. They came to scoff, but remained
to pray. Tell Josh, Harp and ROBIN
SON."
No egotism about that, Now you
see the caliber of the man right in the
outset of his career as a statesman
(heaven save the mark. Senator Till
man never did a thing like that in his
life.
The Isthmian Canal Commission has
purchased the tug e. G. Reynolds, OF
New York for service on the Paclhc
side of the Isthmus. The tug Will be
sent to Philadelphia to be fitted with
electric lights and steam steering gear,
preliminary to her long cruise around
South America, thru the Straits of Ma
gellan and up the west coast to La
Boca, where she will be stationed.
This is the third vessel to make the
long trip around to the Pacific side OF
the Isthmus. The others are now on
their way around South America. The
sea-going tug Katherine Moran sailed
from New York on Oct. last, and re-
ported her arrival at Montevideo on
Nov. % The Culebra, a sea-going sue
ton dredge, left Sparrows Point, Md,
on Oct. 9. and was reported at Punta
Arenas, Chile, on Dec. 2. Both vessels
will arrive at La Boca in about a
month.
1t is a little odd to learn that it is a
Southern Representative-Wya Aiken,
of South Carolina-who had more bills
passed thru both houses of Congress
and signed by the President than any
other member or Senator. He had TO
his credit when the 59th Congress
passed into history some 80 bills Rep
resentative Aiken is Democrat, ana
never held political office before in his
life He is not talker, and does MS
work quietly but he does it effectively.
He is the son of Representative Aiken.
of Confederate fame, who is said to
have remarked that South Carolina
was too small for a sovereign State, and
a leetle too large for lunatlc asy-
lum.''
Members of Congress will have Christ
mas vacation from Dec. 81 to Jan. 9.
Secretary of the Navy Metcalf has
the grip. He was not well when he
went to Norfolk to see the fleet off. and
was so i'll that he was not able to leave
his stateroom while there. He was
much worse when he got back TO WASH
Iington. and tho not dangerously i'll, he
is a pretty sick man. Secretary of the
Treasury Cortelyou is also i'll with grip.
Poor oklahoma, Senator Gore in
troduced bill in the Senate the other
day in which he asks for money to re-
imburse Oklahoma for the cost of her
Constitutional Convention. When he
presented the bill Senator Keane re-
marked that it should be referred to
the Committee on Territories. Think
of that slap for a brand new State!
Somebody suggested that Oklahoma was
not now a Territory, and the bill was
sent to one of the Committees on Ex-
penditures, of which there are dozen
or more.
Somebody is trying to get Congress
to pass a bill making the birthday of
Columbus-or maybe it is the landing
of Columbus legal holiday in the
District of Columbia and the Terri
tories. Wouldn't it be a good idea to
begin with some of our own great men
before we tackle the foreigners? The
birthday that should be recognized as
widely as possible is that of Lincoln,
have anything.
Arrangements have been made with
the accounting officers of the Treasury
Department by which Rear-Admiral
Evans Commander-in-Ch Chief of the At
lantic fleet, and the officers who are as
sociated with him, may be reimbursed
for their expenses on account of travel
in discharging official courtesies which
may devolve upon them at the various
ports which they will visit. This deci-
sion is received with considerable salts
faction by those officers who have been
apprehensive that they would be put
/ to considerable expense on account OF
! the cruise of the vessels, especially as
| the trip may be extended so as to re-
turn to the Atlantic Coast by way OF
Suez. That would mean call at the
various European ports, with the at
| tendant exchange of courtesies. The
decision of the Treasury Department
has to do only with certain travelling
expenses in the way of providing the
meaps of transportation, and does not
/ take into account any reimbursement
! for the outlay in the way of dining ol
wining on shipboard in return for sim
( liar courtesies extended to our nava
officers on shore.
The United States Government is al
together too penurious in this respect
Our Army and Navy officers ought tC
have appropriations sufficient to repay
in kind all the courtesies rendered then
I by the officers and heads of other Gov.
ernmentS.
!
The report of the Division of DEAD
/ Letters for November, made public b!
Assistant Postmaster-General De Graw
shows that there were handled during
the month 1.229,670 pieces of mail mat
ter, of which 526,200 pieces of domes
tic origin were returned to the writers
In November 1906, there were 324, 00t
letters awaiting return, while at thi
time the work of the office is practical
ly up to date.
The increase in the mails during th
holiday season being already percep
tible, the Fourth Assistant Postmaster
General has availed himself of ever,
possible method to impress upon per
sons the importance to them of placin;
card addresses in the left-hand corne
of all letters and packages, so as t
insure their prompt handling and re
turn 10 senders in cases where the
may be found unbelievable.
! Here is exactly what Mr.. Justic
David Brewer said of the President an
the third term:
''If that We're the provision "a seven
year Presidential term, with ineligibili
" to re-election), we should not nov
have the spectacle of our strenuou
President playing hide and seek wit
the office"
Justice Brewer does not deny that h
: said it, and he says he can't for the lif
10 H. Ii