The broad ax., 1908-04-25
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial cOrrsspOndence-l


Especial correspondence-l
In the death Of Senator William
1smes Bryan Of Florida the senate
- suffered It's eighth loss within
= year The first death was that OF
senator Russell A. Alger Of Michigan.
Tben the venerable and beloved sena-
tors from Alabama, the Damon ana
.pvthias of that body, Morgan and Pet
%,,s both of whom had passed the age
- eighty years, suddenly went to their
~-aves In the recess Of congress pre-
oodinq the present session Senator
HToIIory of Florida was the next to 90,
dyin0 in the Christmas recess OF this
ssssion. His death was followed only
q few weeks ago by the unexpected de-
-nise Of Senator Latimer OF South
Carol,na who succumbed comparative
N early I'm life to a combination OF
c+ornach trouble and an operation for
.nnandicitis. which was found to have
been unnecessary. Then Senator Red
held Proctor Of Vermont passed away.
IN he soon followed by Senator William
Pinkney Whyte Of Maryland.
Senate Has Its supsrstitionS.
Washingtonians hold fast to certain
we'll defined superstitions regarding
deaths In the senate. Thus 1t was thar
when Senator W. ]. Bryan, the youth
fuI successor Of Mallory, took his seat
snd the two new senators from Okla
hona had been sworn In and George
peabody Wetmore was finally chosen
TO succeed himself, thereby completing
a fuu membership of the senate for the
first time in many years, the veterans
Of the senate chamber began to Whis-
uer among themselves, 'Who VIII De
the nrst TO die%
That there is a tradition OF the SEN
ate that q full senate means an cary
death of a senator can be readily con-
armed by the curious, but 1t would not
be an easy matter to ind out when and
where this grewsome tradition arose.
Senator Latimer, who died BocS after
fhts tradition began to be whispered
about was one OF the men In the sen
ate whose deaths were the least ex'
pected.
Deaths In Congress
There Is another common superst
tion about deaths In congress winch
usuaIly yerifes itself, and that Is thai
not fewer than three members OF each
congress die before their terms ex
uire. Already this number has beer
exceeded in the Sixtieth congress. al
though the Sixtieth congress Is now
only four months old. Technically
Senators Morgan and Pettus should
be added to the list because they were
until they died, entitled to sit In
speciaI session Of the StXtieth con
Rress, which really began its exist
ence March last As no special ses
sion was held, however, although thu
members draw their salaries from
March 4, the congress has sat only
since the first Monday in last Deem
Der.
President RoossvsIt's Portrait.
For some time past President Roose
welt has slipped away from his man!
duties at the White House to give hal
an hours sitting for a three-quarte
length portrait, which is being painte'
by P. A. Laszlo, a noted Hungarial
artist, who has an international repu
tation and who has painted portrait
Of many of the crowned heads Of Eu
rope. Among the monarchs he paint
ed was the late King Carlos Of POI
tugal. 1t was the last portrait 70
which King Carlos sat and was paint
ed two years ago in Paris.
Mr.. Laszlo's commission to paint tn
president was undertaken at the re
quest of Captain Arthur Lee Of Eng
land, who was formerly secretary o
the British embassy in Washington
Captain Lee served with Presiden
Roosevelt in Cuba, and the portal
which Mr.. Laszlo is engaged on vii
depict Colonel Roosevelt in rougl
rider uniform, with whip and gloves u
hand.
Invited to Firemen's Convention.
About six years ago President Roose
welt was made an honorary membe
Of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Fire
men when he attended the annual con
vention Of that organization in Chat
tanooga. Nearly every year since b.
has been invited to attend the conven
lions. An invitation was extende,
him the other day by ]. ]. Hanrahar
grand master of the organization, VIII
said that the annual convention VII
be held this year in September in c.
lumbus, o. The president repeate
what he has so often said to others
that he will not accept any more IN
Yitations this wear
To Mark Soldiers Graves.
Representative Porter Of New Yorl
At the request Of the Niagara Frontie
Landmarks association, has introduce
Q bill providing for the erection O
Q monument to the officers and eE
listed men who fell at the siege @
Fort Erie ia 1914. It Is proposed I
erect the monument at Fort Erie, o
Canadian sou, and the question 1
whether the United States could d
this. There Is no precedent in col
Gress for such a procedure, but IT
thought likely that the consent Of Il
Canadian government could be secu
Cd for the erection Of the 4nonument
LII.