Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-01-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(rrom our Regular Corresponds en-,

WASHINGTON correspondent of Demo.
cratic newspaper to be loyal to the
Democrats in Congress. and that is
the constant aim of your correspond
ent But there are times when it is
difficult, and that your readers may
under stand how hard it Is l am going
to cut loose this week and tell you a
little bit of inside hist DRY. The Aid
rich financial bill is severely conde nm
ed, not only by Democrats but by
many Republicans as measure which
will make for the Wall Street specula-
tors. the BANKERS in the big cities of
that little crowd which always contri-
butes so generously to the Republican
campaign funds. OF course this
means that splendid opportunity is
afforded the Democrats to make fight
10 the Senate for the rights of the peo-
pie and of the entire country. Sena.
tor Stone of Missouri saw this Oppor-
tunity, this week, and sought to secure
concerted action by the Democrats.
So be circulated call for a Demo
cratic caucus to oppose the bill. Many
of the younger Democrats Senators
signed the call and all went we'll until
be met Senator Teller. Mr.. Teller,
who when be left the Republican
camp and was baptized Democrat
must have escaped entire EMERSON,
refused positively to sign the call. He
said be knew the Dem ocrats too we'll,
that they could never get together on
anything, and would never stand to-
gether and he would not sign the call
or be governed by the decision of a
caucus. Then Senator Bailey was ap
preached. He jumped on the propOs-
ition hard. He said that Aldricb was
prepared to accept an amendment be,
Bailey, was writing and that he was
quite certain he could amend the Aid
rich bill until it was very good bill.
This means, of course, that Aldrich
has so fiAttered Bailey, by agreeing to
accept an unimportant amendment,
ance of the Texan. But Bailey and
Teller are both members of the Finance
committee which Aldrich dominates,
, and with both opposed to a Democratic
, caucus and refusing to be bound by
one, there was no hope of success and
SO the idea was abandoned and anot her
fine Democratic opportunity lost. Is
it not dishearteniDg?
Speaking of Bailey, be has been,
| through the courtesy of Senator Cul-
bers0n, bis colleague, made chairman
, of a committee, the committee on the
Disposal of U seless Paper i'll the Exc
cutive Departments. Of course this
committee with the long name has
nothing to do but it means that Bailey
will have the privilege of appoint g
tionery allowance will be doubled and
80 be is delighted at the apo ointment.
| There were three other Democrats of
equal length of service and to get it
for Bailey, Culberson had to go to the
other three and beg them to reliL q uish
their claims, Which they did. Some
thought that Bailey, who is not on
good terms with his col league, would
refuse the favor at bis hands, but not
80. Bailey said an additional 81 200 a
year job to give out and an additional
1920 a year for stationery, or anything
else to which be chose to devote it,
was not to be rejected lightly, what
ever nigh. be its source.
An amusing incident occurred this
week within the dignilied portals of
the Supreme Court chamber. The
chamb Der looked like a music store and
the display of perforated sheet music,
samples of all mechanical music-play.
ing devices, etc, Was Occasi0ned by
the presentation of test case to de-
termlne whether strict construction of
the copyright law would protect the
composer of N sic against the appro-
priation of his muslc by the makers of
mechanical music machines. The
case has attracted wide attention
among music publishers. and in the
course of the proceedings the White
Smith Company selected for the test
two songs on which they had copy
rights. One was Little Cotton Dol
! ly'' and the other was Kentucky
Babe. During the arguments coun
with the first song, and then took up
"Kentucky Babe'', when Chief Justice
Fuller, with twinkle in bis eye. in.
quired whether or not it was proper
that Justice Harlan, who is from
Kentucky and is a vigorous youngster
of some seventy-four years, should sit
in the case. None of the justices
laughed louder than Justice Harlan.
One OF the local papers of Washing
TN has recently completed poll of
| the Democratic mem bers of the House
of Representatives.. with interesting
results. The question was put to each,
"What candidate do you individually
prefer today as the Democratic NOM
lnee for the Presidency?" Of the one
hundred and sixty seven, one hundred
and fifty one answered the question,
! and of the remainder sixteen were alb
sent or ill and two were nou commit
tai. The Bryan men were for the
most part willing to have their names
published but the others asked that
their Individual preferences should not
be made public. Bryan heads the list
with SO votes. followed by johnson
with 81, Gray 10, Hartman A, Culber-
SOD 4, and Hoke Smith, White, Will
liams and Tom johnson, each one.