The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-02-18
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial Correspondence

I
cat the close of the last fiscal year.
said General Edwards, chief of the In
sular bureau of the war department
the other day, "1S3 native Filipinos
were being educated in the United
States at the expense of the Philippine
government and under the supervision
of the insular bureau. OF this number
twelve attend educational institutions
in the District of Columbia.
Filipinos as Students.
Conclusion as to the value of this
educational movement to the Philip
pine government can best be made aft
er observation of results attained by
the students returning next summer.
They excelled in studies, in sports, in
music and especially in military sci
ence In open competition they secur-
ed many valuable prizes, one having
won q fellowship in leading univer-
sity of this country. 1t is not too much
to say that as a whole the students
have done remarkably we'll While
naturally handicapped by the Ian
guage, they hold their own with Amer
lean students, and In some instances
esteemed highly by classmates and in
structors. Without a single exception
they exemplify to a high degree the
Filipino characteristics of gentleman
ly, courteous and respectful demeanor,
and almost without exception are ear
nest, faithful and industrious. AS a
whole they are such body Of active,
intelligent and progressive students as
any country might well be proud Of"
Some Senate Committees.
Some very laborious efforts in no
menclature are evident in naming the
committees of the senate that never
meet. Like the vermiform appendix,
there was probably once an excuse for
all Of them, but it long ago ceased.
The name is continued because it is
quite as convenient as some other
might be for furnishing a senator a
a clerk.
Transportation. and sale of meat
products (selecN' is the name of one
of the three or four committees that
are permitted to have a Democratic
chairman. Some senators actually for
get the exact names of their commit
tees, as in Organization conduct and
expenditures of the executive depart
n1ents,' additional accommodations
for the library of congress (selecD,"
investigation of the condition of the
Potomac river front at Washington lse-
lecO" and disposition of useless pa
pers in the executive departments"
Uncle Joe's Lieutenants.
Two New England men are called
upon more often than any other NOM
bers of the house of representatives to
preside over that body during the tenn
porary absence of Speaker Cannon.
They are Representative George p.
Lawrence of Massachusetts and Rep
resentative Frank Currier of New
Hampshire, both of whom are regard
ed as among the most experienced men
in the lower branch of congress.
chippeways Want Legislation.
A band of Chippeway Indians from
the White Earth reservation in Mime
sofa paid their respects to the presi-
dent the other day. They are here to
take up with the interior department
numerous matters connected with their
tribal relations and also to ask con-
gress to enact legislation for their ben
eft. The delegation included Mesha-
ke-ge-shig, chief; Tay -oumig- e-sig, an
other chief; .Zhaday, also chief;
Omuck-ah- geehce, Edward Tanner,
John Carl, George Walters, Rev
Charles Wright, Wa-way-yea-cumig,
Thomas Swan and William Lufkins.
A number of these men are well edu-
Gated.
Picturesque Lawmakers.
Two picturesque figures are the old
est member of the house and the old
est member of the senate. In the house
Representative Nehemiah Day Sperry
of Connecticut has this distinction. In
the senate it belongs to William Pinck-
ney Whyte of Maryland. Mr.. Sperry
will be eighty-one next July. Senator
Whyte has the added distinction of be-
ing the oldest man in congress, as he
will be eighty-four next August.
Helped Build the Monitor.
Mr.. Sperry has had various honors,
but the one which he is proudest is
that he was one of the original bonds
men who made it possible to raise
funds in civil war days for the build
ing of the Monitor, the ironclad that
defeated the Merrimac at the mouth
of Hampton Roads. The designers of
the Monitor had great trouble in per-
suading the government that the pro-
jected vessel would be effectiveg and it
was only after great effort that the
funds were raised. Mr.. Sperry had
faith in the invention and is the only
one of the original bondsmen living.
Fifty-five Years In Politics.
He has been in politics since 1858,
more than half century, and be-
fore he was elected member of the
house was the Oldest postmaster in
point of service in a presidential post
office. Lincoln appointed him post
master of New Haven when he was
first made president, and he held the
place until Cleveland's Inauguration
in 1885. Harrison reappointed him,
and he remained in Office until Cleve-
land was inaugurated second time.
He has served continuously in the
house since 1894.
Senator Whyte's Career.
Senator WhYte has had q caraar still