The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-03-31
WASHINGTON LETTEA
[speciaf correspondence.l

| JameS bryan of FI0rlda the senate
has suffered its eighth loss within
year. The first death was that Of
Senator Russell A. Alger of Michigan
Then the venerable and beloved sena-
tors from Alabama, the Damon and
Pythias Of that body, Morgan and Pet
/ tus, both of whom had passed the age
| of eighty years, suddenly went to their
graves in the recess of congress pre-
ceding the present session. Senator
! Mallory of Florida was the next to go,
/ dying in the Christmas recess of this
session. His death was followed only
a few weeks ago by the unexpected de-
mise of Senator Latimer of South
Carolina, who succumbed comparative
! ly early in life to a combination of
stomach trouble and an operation for
appendicitis, which was found to have
been unnecessary. Then Senator Red
field Proctor of Vermont passed away,
to be soon followed by Senator William
Pinkney Whyte of Maryland.
Senate Has Its Superstitions.
Washingtonians hold fast to certain
well defined superstitions regarding
deaths in the senate. Thus it was that
when Senator w. j. Bryan, the youth
full successor of Mallory, took his seat
and the two new senators from Okla
homa had been sworn in and George
Peabody Wetmore was finally chosen
to succeed himself, thereby completing
a full membership of the senate for the
first time in many years, the veterans
of the senate chamber began to whis-
per among themselves, "Who will be
the first to die?"
That there is tradition of the SEN
ate that a full senate means an early
firmed by the curious, but it would not
be an easy matter to find out when and
where this grewsome tradition arose.
Senator Latimer, who died soon after
this tradition began to be whispered
about, was one of the men in the sem
ate whose deaths were the least ex-
pected.
Deaths In Congress.
There is another common supersti-
ton about deaths in congress which
usually verifies itself, and that is that
not fewer than three members of each
congress die before their terms ex-
pire. Already this number has been
exceeded in the Sixtieth congress, al
though the Sixtieth congress is now
only four months old. Technically
Senators Morgan and Pettus should
be added to the list because they were,
until they died, entitled to sit in a
special session of the Sixtieth con-
gress, which really began its exist
ence March last. AS no special ses-
sion was held, however, although the
members draw their salaries from
March 4, the congress has sat only
since the first Monday in last Deem
Der.
President Roosevelt's Portrait.
For some time past President Roose-
welt has slipped away from his many
duties at the White House to give half
an hours sitting for three-quarter
length portrait, which is being painted
by p A. LasZlo, a noted Hungarian
artist, who has an international repu-
tation and, who has painted portraits
of many of the crowned heads of Eu-
rope. Among the monarchs he paint
ed was the late King Carlos of Por-
tugal. 1t was the last portrait for
which King Carlos sat and was paint
ed two years ago in Paris.
Mr.. Laszlo's commission to paint the
president was undertaken at the re-
quest of Captain Arthur Lee of Eng
land, who was formerly secretary of
the British embassy in Washington.
Captain Lee served with President
Roosevelt in Cuba, >and the portrait
which Mr.. Laszlo is engaged on will
depict Colonel Roosevelt in rough
rider uniform, with whip and gloves in
hand.
Invited to Firemen's Convention.
About six years ago President Roose-
welt was made an honorary member
of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Fire
men when he attended the annual con
vention of that organization in Chat
tanooga Nearly every year since he
has been invited to attend the conven-
lions. An invitation was extended
him the other day by ]. j. Hanrahan,
grand master of the organization, who
said that the annual convention will
be held this year in September in Co
lumbus, O. The president repeated
what he has so often said to others
that he will not accept any more in
vitations this year.
To Mark Soldiers Graves.
Representative Porter of New York,
at the request of the Niagara Frontier
Landmarks association, has introduced
bill providing for the erection of
monument to the officers and en-
listed men who fell at the siege of
Fort Erie in 1914. 1t is proposed to
erect the monument at Fort Erie, on
Canadian soil, and the question is
whether the United States could do
this. There is no precedent in con-
gress for such procedure, but 1t is
thought likely that the consent of the
Canadian government could be secur-
ed for the erection of the monument.
Loeb Holds SecretariaI Record.
Secretary Loeb remarked to one of
his visitors recently that he had been
ia the office of secretary to the presi-
dent longer than any one of his prede-
cessors. Secretary Cortelyou served
under two presidents, but he did not
become secretary to Mr.. Mckinley un-
til 1900, and he resigned the Office i'll
1908 to become secretary Of commerce
and labor. His term of office was