Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-02-26
NATIONAL CAPITAL
NEWS. AND GOSSIP
BY Ralph Smith

1
| and his successor President-elect Taft.
/ The former is credited with having de-
clared that the latter wanted to be presl-
dent before he was inaugurated, and the
gossips declare that Mr.. Roosevelts re-
mark was precipitated because of the at
tention shown Mr.. Taft upon the occasion
of his recent visit to Washington.
! The Washington Post carries every
morning a list of the persons who call
at the white house to see the president,
| and on the morning following Mr.. Tafts
visit the Post carried a story, giving the
names Of the persons who called on the
| president-elect The story of Mr.. Tafts
doings occupied a prominent place on the
front page, while the story of the doings
at the white house was on an inside
page Gossips say this is one of the
things that angered Mr.. Roosevelt, who
insists nat he shall remain prominent
in the public eye until he leaves the
white house for good.
| 1t is stated also that Mr. Taft's tele
gram to Speaker Cannon, Senator Frye
and others prominent in congress, urging
legislation to make Senator Knox eligible
for a cabinet position smacked too much
of a premature message to suit Mr..
Roosevelt and others
1t is probable that few presidents-elect
lhave been as much in the public eye of
lrecent years has has Mr.. Taft He has
been on the move almost constantly, and
the newspapers have undoubtedly given
him as much or more space as they have
given to Mr.. Roosevelt.
Be these rumors of a break between
President Roosevelt and President-elect
Taft what they may, the fact remains
that the former is credited with having
spiked the cabinet aspirations of Senator
| Hemingway, of Indiana, on whom Mr..
Taft looked with favor as secretary of
the treasury. Mr.. Roosevelt is said to
have voiced his unalterable opposition to
Hemingway, and this opposition, be It
Esaid, is attributed to the senate sub-com-
mittee report censuring the president for
his attitude toward congress and the Sc
cret service. Mr.. Hemingway was
chairman of the subcommittee, and
drafted the report, which did not mince
words in rebuking the president.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. 23.-The
| house of representatives, the most dis
orderly deliberative body in the world,
| was severely spanked" the other day
| by Representative Foster, of Vermont,
one of the decorous and attentive men,
! bers. So much were Fosters remarks
! appreciated that his time was extended,
| that he might have his entire say about
the disorder in the house.
Mr.. Foster was right in everything
| he said, too. The conduct of the mem
| bers of the lower house of congress
would not be tolerated for a single in
| slant in a single legislature in the
| United States. It's the exception, not
the rule, that the proceedings of the
| body are Ineligible to observers in
! the galleries. or, for that matter, to
| more than a dozen or so members who
are Interested IN the particular matter
under consideration.
| There are fewer than dozen men,
bers of the house who command at
tention when they speak. Bourke Cock
! ran, Champ Clark, John Sharp Will
liams, Serene Payne, John Dalzell and
Eete Hepburn are among the few who
! receive respectful hearings At inter-
| vals--rare interYals-some other MEM
! Der wi. make a speech that will at
tract general attention, but as rule
the average speech is heard by hand
] full of men.
| 1t matters little what is under con-
sheraton, half of the members leaf
about the cloak rooms, telling stories,
| a third of the membership hang over
! their desks, chatting with other MEM
| bers sixth remain in their offices, and
another sixth follow the proceedings
lie buzz of conversation browns the
voice of the speaker, and the presiding
| o4..cer, as a study of the record will
|
| ing his, gavel to command order.
This house is composed of gentle
! men," said Mr.. Foster, "and yet the
| scenes of disorder witnessed here every
| day, when legislation of vital impor-
! lance is before the house, are disgrace
| full. If we wish to secure any i'm
provement in the rules of the house, we
must first improve our own conduct
! We ought to have order, and 1T should
| not be necessary for the speaker to
] spend a large portion of his time in
| an attempt to command just SEM
! blance of order.
'horty-six states are represented
here but 1 say without fear of contra
diction that there is not member OF
this house who could go to the legisla-
tive body of his home state and con-
duct himself as a majority Of the mem
I bers conduct themselves on this
! floor"
| Mr. Foster concluded his remarks By
| suggesting a conference of leaders
| Democrats and Republicans-at the be-
| ginning of the extra session, with
view to reaching a perfect and THOR
ough understanding about the mainten-
ance of order.g His suggestion meets
| with general favor, but it is doubtful
| il anything wiLl be DONE
WASHINGTON, d. c., Fen. 22.-After
March 4th, which is fast drawing near,
the United States will have another ex-
president, not having had one since the
death Of Grover Cleveland last summer.
Although human life is said to be un-
/ certain in the jungles of Africa, it is re-
! garded as reasonably certain that we
will have at least one former president for
some years to come, in the person OF
Theodore Roosevelt.
| In recent years there has been consid-
cradle discussion of what to do with the
men who have held the highest office of
the land, but it doesn't seem to have trou-
bled the fathers of the republic very much.
They made no effort to solve the problem.
They provided neither pension nor otheo
for ex-presidents. but in those days the
Office was not surrounded with so much
dignity, despite the historians who tell
of the formalities of George Washing
tons and Lady Washington's court.
Walter Edward Harris, of Richmond,
Va, a we'll known Washington cores
pendent. tells an interesting story of the
late Reuben Maury, of Charlottesville,
Va, who died two years ago, and who
remembered Thomas Jefferson distinctly.
| 1.-The Maurys lived not far from Month
cello" says Mr.. Harris, land young Reu-
| hen who lived to be ninety years old,