The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1908-02-20

the interest of his bill to make TIL
birthday of Abraham Lincoln ma
tional holiday.
OF course Congress cannot make ;
National holiday. Congress can onl.
make the day national so far a!
| the territories and the District of Co
lumbia are concerned, for a holiday il
State is made only by its own chosen
representatives in Legislatures assem-
bled. The making of a holiday in {
State belongs to the police" power:
of the State. The day might be made
National if the Southern States woult
agree to it, but they won't, and it is Nc
use to discuss the probabilities of it
The Southern States also decline t.
recognize Memorial Day, and it is no
likely that they ever will. So it comes
about that this country has no Ma.
tionaf' holiday. We have legal holi,
days so far as States have legislated Il
make them SO, and that is the extent
of it.
Admiral Converse has submitted tc
Secretary Metcalf a report of his in
vestigation into the recently-published
criticisms of the designs of American
naval vessels. 1t is not probable that
its contents will be made public until
the President has had an opportunity
to read the report, if then.
1t may be stated, however that the
report undertakes to demonstrate as
clearly as figures, comparisons of for
eign navies, and scale drawings can eS-
tablish the fact, that the fighting ships
of the American navy were, at the date
of their design, the best ships in the
world of their class, and that they are
to-day comparable on even terms with
the ships of any other navy.
1t is declared in the report that every
thing that human forethought on the
part of intelligent and highly trained
naval officers could do to insure the
best results has been done by veteran
naval officers. both line and staff, who
perfected the designs for the vessels
of the new navy. None of the objec-
lions which have been found by latter
day critics were unknown to the de-
signers of the ships, who considered
them, while plans were being prepared,
which, it is said. represented the neces-
Sary compromise between extreme
views of different schools of construc-
ton.
Snow and ice to those who never be-
fore beheld it is something they cannot
comprehend, and to the ignorant is
something superstitious. The other day
negro from Jamaica landed in Wash
ington. He spoke an outlandish lingo
of mOngrel French, and few could I'M
derstand him. He was well but thinly
clad, and just then did not need any
thing heavier. A few days later the
blizzard landed in Washington on all
four feet. The next morning, with the
hunting a hiding place, the
Jamaica negro was found sitting on
the sidewalk in the snow with a look
of absolute bewilderment on his face.
To the policeman who found him he
said he felt funny in his feet. The
policeman then saw that he was in his
feet and his shoes lay on the
ground beside him. He said he felt as
tho some one was sticking needles in
his feet. In other words, the poor
West Indian had a mighty bad pair of
frozen feet.
One day I was up at the Capitol just
as fine, drifting snow began to fall.
There was no wind. and the flakes were
big and soft, and it was day to de-
light one just to be alive. Suddenly
there appeared on the great stone por-
tico of the Capitol two beautiful young
girls of some Is or IS years of age. The
one started back into the Capt.
tol, almost frightened at the snow on
the ground and the falling flakes which
filed the air She cried out, Papa.
papa, Oh, what is it? Can it be-oh,
papa. is it sure enough snow?" And
like a wild creature she ran out on the
plaza and gathered up hands full of the
soft white snow and tossed it in the
air. The older girl followed her, and
they had fine romp until papa" APP
peared on the scene. A staid old New
he was, and he soon made
some snowballs to pelt his daughters.
[ learned finally that the young daugh-
tiers were born and bred in California
and had never even seen frost. They
had heard of snow, but they had never
seen any. They enjoyed the romp i'm
and the girls got on the car
that took them hotelward, declaring
they must write to mother" who had
never seen snow either, and tell her
what a wonderful thing it is.
The bill making Gen. o. o. Howard
a General has been passed.
Gen. Howard is the only General now
living who commanded an army in the
war Of the rebellion.
Vagrancy, mendicancy, intoxication
and disorderly conduct or disturbance
Of the peace are hereafter to be dealt
with severely by the officials of the
Panama Canal Zone. This is made evil
dent by the issuance Of an addition to
the penal code of the laws of section
and signed by President
Roosevelt Persons charged with Of
lenses of this character are to be held
guilty of misdemeanor. and upon con-
viction are to be punished by fine not
to exceed $25 or by Imprisonment not
exceeding 80 days, or both.
Representative Sibley, of Pennsylva-
MIA, one of the richest men in the House
who could come to Congress till he |
fell from his chair if he liked, has posi-
lively declined q reelection. He is Just
starting on a trip to Egypt, and declares
hat on his return he will take a rest
md leave politics forever.
The total number Of laborers import |
ID from Europe on the Isthmian Canal |
turing 1906 and 1907 was 1914 At |
he end of the year the number of Eu-
'opeans actually at work for the Com
mission was 4,793, the other 5,121 hay
ing returned to the countries from
which they came or IN Soutb America