The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-01-24
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Gem
eral Topics from
the Capital.
January Is. 1908.

OF course it is the solemn duty |
of the Washington correspondent
of Democratic newspaper to bt
loyal to the Democrats in Con-
gress, and that is the constant
aim Of your correspondent. But
there are times when it is difficult
aud that your readers may under
stand how hard it is, l am going
to cut loose this week and tell
you y little bit of inside history.
The Aldrich financial bill is Sc
verely condemned, not only by
the Democrats but by many Re-
publicans ~ a measure which
will make for the Wall Street
spectators. the bankers in the
big cities of the East, and she
special interests Of that little
crowd which always contributed
so generously to the Republican
campaign funds. Of course this
means that there is splendid OPP
portuni y afforded for the Dem
ocrats of the country to make a
fight in the Senate for the rights
OF the people and of the entire
country. Senator Stone, of Mis-
souri,, saw this opportunity, this
week, and sought TO secure con-
certed action 10y the Democrats.
So he circulated call for Dem
ocratic caucus to oppose the bill.
Many of the younger Democratic
Senators signed the call and all
went well until he met Senator
Teller. Mr.. Teller, who when he
left the Republican camp and
was baptized Democrat must
have escaped entire emersiOn, re-
fused positively to sign the call.
He said that he knew the Demo
Gratis too we'll, and that they
never get together Oh anything
and would never stand together
and he would not sign the call or
be governed by the decision OF
the caucus. Then Senator Bailey
was approached. He jumped on
the proposition hard. He said
that Aldrich was prepared to ac-
cept an amendment he, Bailey,
WAS writing, and that he was
quite certain he could amend the
Aldrich Bill until it was a very
good bill. This meaus, of course,
that Aldrich has so hatlered
Bailey by agreeing to accept an
unimpOrtant amendment, that he
has won the absolute allegiance
of the Texan. But Bailey and
Teller are both members of the
Finance Committee, which AID
rich dominates, and with both
opposed to a Democratic caucus
aud refusing to be bound by one,
there was no hope of success aud
so the idea was abandoned and
another fine Democratic opportu
nifty lost. Is it not dishearieningg
Speaking of Bailey, he has
been, through the courtesy OF
Senator Culberson, his colleague,
made chairman of committee,
the Committee on the Disposal OF
Useless raper in the Executive
Departments. OF course this
committee with the long name
will have nothing to do, but it
means that Bailey will have :hs
appointments of an additional
clerk and that his stationery
allowance will be doubled, and
80 he is delighted with the APP
pOintmenu. There were three
other Democrats of equal length
of service and to get it for Bailey,
CulbersOn had 10 go to the other
three and beg them TO relinquish
their claims, which they did.
Some thought that Bailey, who
is not on very good terms with
his colleague, wonld refuse the
favor at his hands, but not so.
Bailey said that an additional
IL, POO year job to give out and
$l20 dollars year for sta
tionery, or anything else to
which he chose to devote it, was
not to be rejected lightly, what
ever might be its source.
An amusing incident occurred
this week within the dignified
portals Of the Supreme Court
Cham Der. The cham Der looked
like a music store. and the dis
play of perforated sheet music,
samples of all mechanical music
playing devices, etc, was occas-
Toned by The presentation of a
test case to determine whether
strict construction of the copy
right law would protect the com
poser of music against the appr0.
priation Of his music by the
makers of mechanical music ma
chimes. The case has attracted
wide attention among the music
publishers, and in the course of
the proceedings the White Smith
Company selected for the test
two songs on which. they had
copyrights. One was Little
Cotton Dolly" and the other was
"Kentucky Babe" During the
armnmanfa nnnnaal had atafad ha