Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-05-01
WASHINGTON LETTER.

SOclatlOnlS pursuing a vigorous cam
paign to obtain the passage at this SEES
sion of Congress of bills placing wood
pulp and print paper on the free list,
and the agitation of the subject has
been so great as to wholly upset the
equilibrium of Speaker Cannon. The
association is taking every advantage
of its constitutional right of petition
and is being ably supported by John
Sharp Williams, of Mississippi, the
Democratic leader whose performance
is most edifying to the publishers and
prOpOrtiOnately annoying to Cannon?
AS matter of fact Speaker Cannon is
master if the situation and while his
appointment of select committee to
investigate the operations of the So
called paper trust will in no way de-
ceive either the public or the publish
ers, who are thoroughly familiar with
the Speakers "flim fam" methods, it
will bottle up the publishers most eff
fectually.
A resolution was offered in the House
this week by Representative Carlin, of
Virginia, seeking to elicit information
from the War Department as to the
reasons that actuated the government
in removing the name of Jefferson
Davis from the tablet on Cabin John
Bridge The resolution directs the
Secretary of War, if not incompatible
with the public interes,s, to inform the
House by what authority the name of
Davis was removed from the stone ia
blet, and directs that the House be in
formed what steps, if any have been
taken toward restoring the name of
Davis as Secretary of War to the stone.
This affords fine opportunity for
controversy over the life and public ser
vices of Jefferson Davis. 1t will be re-
membered he was Secretary of War
under President Buchannon and al
most up to the time of the Civil War.
His name was on the arch of this
bridge and is most conspicuous by be-
ing erased.
There has been, recently, redistrib-
ution of Senate Committee places
among the minority, made necessary
by the deaths of Senator Whyte, and
Senator Bryan. and Senator Stone of
Missouri, made great fight for better
places for new Senators. He claimed
that it was not for the best interests of
the minority that all the fine places
should be given to old men and that
great benefit would accrue by the in
fusion of new blood in the more i'm
portant committees. Senator Paynter
of Kentucky, suddenly called on Mr..
Stone to make good his proposition by
giving him his place on the Philippine
Committee and Senator Stone readily
consented to snake good" and Mr..
Paynter was transferred to the Philip
pine Committee. A vacancy existed
on Foreign Relations Committee which
Senator Rayner, of Maryland, was
most DESTROYS of securing, maintaining
he could, thereby, further the inter-
ests of his fellow Jews who are under
going great hardships in Russia. Ray
ner is so unpopular with both Demo-
Gratis and Republicans that his appli-
cation was emphatically refused, but a
compromise was reached in decision
to offer the position to his colleague,
Senator Smith, recently elected from
Maryland. However, some of the old
er members of the Senate concluded
that it might be we'll, before informing
Mr.. Smith of the honor proposed for
him, to examine him little as to his
qualifications for this particular place.
In pursuance of this suggestion small
committee went up to the Democratic
cloak room and asked Mr. Smith what
he would think of position on the
Foreign Relations Committee, TO which
he replied, "Cut it out. l don't want
any unimportant committee whose
members get on it only for the purpose
Of securing dinner invitations from
foreign diplomats" AS this is regard
ed as the most important committee in
the senate as it has almost coordinate
powers with the President in making
treaties with foreign nations, it is need
less to say the Democratic Senators
concluded it would be a mistake to give
this place to Mr.. Smith, and the honor
was finally conferred upon Mr.. Stone,
of Missouri.
Senator Rayner, of Maryland, made
a strong plea in the Senate, this week,
for the inviolability of the Constitution
and the limitation which it places up
on Federal encroachment on the rights
of the States. Mr.. Rayner said his re-
marks were not intended to be used as
campaign material, that his motive
was simply to clear.away, if he could,
the public misapprehension of the at
titude of those who uphold the doc
trine of State rights. 81 will, there
fore, now define what 1 mean by State
rights Democracy" said Mr.. Rayner.
81 mean this, nothing less and nothing
more; mean that the rights of the
States must be maintained inviolate,
as intended by the trainers of the Con-
stitution; that there must be no per
version of the delegated powers so as to
strike down the reservation to the
States, and that whatever rights the
States possess under the Constitution
and under the amendments must re-
main intact and unimpaired until, if
ever, the Constitution should be chang
ed by the voice of the people according
to the methods that it provides, and the
structure of our government should be
diverted from its present conception and
design.