The National tribune., 1908-04-02

can girl is really going to join her for
tunes with the Roman. May joy GO
with her if she finally accepts the
"Eytalian," but in all probability the
joy she has known all her life will
really take to itself wings and fly away
when the irrevocabie vows have been
said. II yet stands that no American
girl has ever been really happy in 8
foreign marriage. In the case of Mary
Curzon nee Letter there was some de-
gree of happiness, but that has been
the only foreign marriage that has not
left the lees of bitterness in the cup
after it was quaffed. Miss Elkins is a
typical American girl essentially horsey,
sport loving, breezy, self-willed and in
no sense of the word will she ever be a
society woman. In fact, she has no use
for society at all. Now, what on earth
can a girl like that do in a dry-as-dust
old court, such as she will find herself
attached to if she marries the cousin
of a King? Miss Katharine Elkins would
better think twice now than to have a
think coming after it is too late to
remedy things except in the disgraceful
divorce court.
The story is going the rounds that
half the men on the Illinois were made
ill by eating bad beef just before they
reached Callao. A young machinist on
the battleship wrote the story to his
mother, Mrs. Stockhaus, of Worcester,
Mass, and she told it. Maybe it is so
and maybe it isn't There are boys who
imagine that nothing is fit to eat that
is not made by mother, and such men
are usually responsible for such yarns.
Senator Bacon, of Georgia, made an
extended speech in the Senate the other
day deploring the ''encroachments of
the Executive" and quoted freely from
the newspapers to show that legislation
is being mapped out in the White House,
and no member of Congress is present
to approve or disapproVe. Senator Ba-
con is a Democrat; he does not like
Roosevelt, and sometimes one wonders
if he really loves himself. He might be
called the Great Objector."
The Democratic steering committee of
the Senate has taken up the subject of
inattention to business on the part of
minority Senators in committee meet
ings and on the floor of the Senate. Dur
ing the debate which was had recently
on the Frye bill requiring supplies for
the Isthmian Canal to be shipped in
American bottoms complaint was made
by some Democrats that the minority
of the committee which reported the
bill was unfamiliar with its provisions.
1t was argued that at time when there
was danger of legislation having di-
rect bearing on National politics the
should make it a point to ac-
quaint itself with all bills taken up in
committee, SO as to be ready to lead
the fights if it should be the policy of
the party to oppose such bills.
No rule was adopted, but it was un-
derstood that Senator CuIberson, the
minority leader, will prod the Demo-
cratic Senators to closer attention to
business. The steering committee de-
cided to appoint Senator-elect Gary to
all of the late Senator Latimer's COM
with the exception of Agricul-
ture, which will be given to Senator
Gore. Senator Gary will be appointed
also to the Committee ON Privileges and
Elections.
John L. Smithmeyer, the designer of
the Library of Congress, died the other
day. 1t is said that he died of a broken
heart. While the magnificent new
building. the finest library building in
the world, was designed by him, anoth-
er man stepped in and took all the
credit for the work. While it is true
that another man completed the work,
1t is nevertheless true that Mr.. Smith
meyer spent several years abroad pre-
pairing his plans in the great library CEN
ters of other countries, and then he re-
turned to the United States to begin
work on his plans. His influence was
and he himself was set
aside, but the men who took his place
Were not able to originate anything to-
equal the plans he had made, and so
the United States went right on with
his plans. Mr.. Smithmeyer finally got
his claims for payment for his plans
thru the Court of Claims, but the United
States, notoriously a bad payer of It's
debts, never reimbursed the architect,
and he died practically of broken
heart.
The Supreme Court of the United
States has decided that solicitation of
funds by letter is as unlawful
as solicitation by word of mouth, and So
there you are.
The residents of New Zealand want
the Atlantic battleship fleet, in COM
mand of Admiral Evans, to visit that
island on its way around the world. An
invitation has been extended by the
Premier of New Zealand, and has reach
ed the State Department 1t would be
an easy diversion of the direct route of
the battleships from Pago Pago, Samoa,
to stop at Auckland on their way to
Sydney and Melbourne. but whether or
not that will be done will be determined
later by the Navy Department. But we
might as well be neighborly while we
are about it, and call on all our friends.
After all, that "16 battleship" business
Is tremendous object-lesson to the Ma
tions of the earth. When they see our
lighting monsters they know very well
that they do not want to fight us.
We have had a heap of people to
visit US for whom we put on the best
tablecloth and got out the solid silver
teaspoons, but whatever we shall dc
next Summer is problematical, for we
are to have a visit from somebody be-
side a mere Prince" this trip. No less
q parsonage than the Prince of Wales
is promising himself to visit u.s. He is
to look Canada over, and has
about made up his mind that he will
run over the border and look at the
land that might have been his to this
day had not his gluttonous ancestor,
King George, been such an old pirate
The Prince of Wales is heir apparent to
the throne of England. The United
States Government never invites foreign
potentates to visit this country, and such
a step could not be taken without the
express direction of Congress. Congress
ought to take this action at once, and
then let usAshow this son of England
what we can do in the way of
but 1t won't While we
never invite, we do always cordially
all who come to us with the
stamp of rulership, probable or in fact,
and they are considered the guests of
the Nation.