The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1908-12-29
QUIET NOW At
THE CAPITAL
BY Ernest @. walker.

/ WASHINGTON, ID. c., Dec. LITTLE
national capital is recovering from the
effects of strenuous week-the most
strenuous week it has had for long,
long time-and looking forward with
a feeling of some relief toward Christ
mas and the long holiday recess. For
Congress will last hardly more than a
week longer before the recess into a
new year, made almost imperative from
long custom, will be taken.
While there was no one event of
transcendent Importance during the first
six days of the session of Congress,
there were numerous happenings in con
junction during that period which gave
the city busy week indeed. The Con
servation Congress has been here, as
has the Rivers and Harbors Congress,
with its influential members agitating
for bond issue of $500,000,0O0 for in
ternal improvements. The President.
elect has been in town and Sena tors
and members have been occupied in
| getting talks with him and reaching
understandings. They have thronged
the parlors of the residence Of w J.
Boardman, on Dupont Circle, every day
during the hours when Mr.. Taft way not
presiding over the Red Cross convention
or filling other engagements. All these
occurrences have attracted many promi-
nent people from different parts OF the
country to Washington. There have
been numerous social events and the
city has assumed an,activity and gay
ETY. that will not be equalled again in
all probability till inauguration comes
in early March.
Search After Banquet Orator.
Along with the sessions of numerous
civic bodies there have been many eff
forts to engage attractive speakers for
the winter banquets of many varieties
in the big cities of the land Scores
of presidents of boards of trade, cham
bers of commerce, dry goods associa-
tons and other organizations, have can
vassed not only the membership of Con-
gress but the ranks of the visiting
governors and other celebrities for ora.
torical talent. Some have come with
delegations and nearly all have gone
to the Capitol to enlist the aid of their
home Congressman to persuade such
orators and public men, who would be
a drawing card at the banquet tables
to make the trip and get better &C
quainted with the people of giyer
localities.
Then to enhance the popular Interest
] in Washington at such busy time came
the offensive paragraph in the Presi
, dents message about the prohibition
of transfers of Secret Service men to
detective work in other departments
Visitors always like to throng the Cap
itol to see the Senate and House at
work but it has been an extra treat to
follow the proceedings by which special
committees, authorized by Republicans,
are directed to investigate the truth of
statements by President of the same
party. The possibility of breach be-
tween the President and the Congress
and also of high old row have added
zest to the rapid panorama, spread be-
fore such an eager and cosmopolitan
multitude.
The remarkable week was brought to
a climax with the annual fall dinner of
the Gridiron Club, all of whose dinners
have come to be notable events in the
life of Washington winter. Nearly
all the prominent figures in the week IS
doings were invited guests at that ban
quet. The President and Vice Presi.
dent of the United States were present
as were the President elect and the
Vice President elect. Hon. w. F. FreaI
of Honolulu, figured among the guber.
Material guests and occupied seat at
, the head table.
1t was night of wit and fun-making
in which all the dignitaries unbended
, and met on plane of equality with the
forty-odd Washington newspaper cor
respondents comprising the membership
of that club. Cabinet officials, national
. chairmen, and Senators and Represel ia
, tives galore were among the banqueteri
about the gridiron shaped table and die
not adjourn till midnight, when the i'm
I pressive rendering by tenor SOLOS
/. of "The Song That Reached Ny
Heart" was completed.
!, "Take-offs" on Public Officials.
4 The veil is drawn aside only little
s. SO that the general public catches blu
!. a glimpse of those dinners, but Their
:, were bright speeches by the Presiden
l. and the President.elect and by numeI
s. Gus other notables. These speeches wer
= sandwiched in between the "stunts
:. that are always "take-offs on cor
d spieuous developments in political an
v | Governmental affairs