Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-02-26
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent. /

Washington, D. G., Feb. 2O.-The
President has signed the joint resolu-
ton Of Congress removing the censti-
tutional barrier to the appointment OF
Senator Knox to the premiership in
Mr.. Taft's Cabinet and it is to be hoped
that this tempest in tea pot has been
settled for all time. Mr.. Knox will
now certainly become Secretary of
State under the new administration
and tits probable that the new Congress
will pass law increasing his salary
from $1,000, the amount to which it
was reduced in order to make Mr.. Knox
eligible to the $4,000 which was the
amount agreed upon in the general sal
ary raise. Mr.. Knox is rich man and
the salary is matter of small import
ance to him. The tschnicality though,
by which having been q member of
the body that voted the increase, he
became ineligible for the position has
been made the most Of by a Congress
which would rather debate q whole
session on = tschnicality than to get
down to real work on simple, uncom-
plicated problem providing necessary
appropriation or the solution of vital
question.
Senator La Toilette has been accused
Of taking upon himself the task of be-
ing the conscience of Congress. He
has spent several summers in CHATEAU
qua lecturing, and he has not hesitated
to use the names of those Senators
whom he declares have been guilty OF
neglecting THAR duties. He came in
for whitening rebuke this week when
Senator Penrose of Pennsylvania, un-
corked the vials of his wrath and charg-
ed the Wisconsin Senator with neglect
of his Senatorial duties. He named
four committees upon which Mr.. La
Toilette is assigned and declared that
he has not attended the meetings of
any of them this sesrion. These charges
were not taken seriously by the Senate,
probably because NO Senator is guilt
less Of neglecting the work Of all the
Committees upon which his name APP
pears except that one or two Of which
he is chairman, but the members who
have been SO often and severely scored
by the Wisconsin Senator were delight
ed in hearing him publicity rebuked.
The record of Mr.. La Folletts's activity
since he has been United States Ssna-
tor is too well known to need vlndica-
ton here and the grudge that is borne
him by the Senate is due to too much
rather than too little energy in the per-
formance of his duties.
The last and farewell reception of
President Roosevelt was given Thurs
day night when the army and navy
were the guests Of honor. When the
Presidential party retired after the re-
ception it WAS with the doubtless hap
py consciousness that its official enter
tanning was at an end. The reception
was exactly like all that have preceded
it for the past seven years except for
the general adieus that were made dur
ing the handshaking. Early in the
administration it was Mrs. Roosevelt's
boast that like the President, she en-
joyed her job and it must be said that
both she and the President have never
shown any signs Of diminishing inter-
est or enthusiasm but there has been no
Disgusting the fact this winter that
they have both been looking forward
to their release, especially from the Sc
cial requirements of it and that they
are happily anticipating the trip which
will follow almost Immediately on their
retirement. The original plan was for
Mr.. Roosevelt to take the trip alone
and for Mrs. Roosevelt to join him next
year on the continent. This has been
altered so that Mrs. Roosevelt and her
daughter will accompany him to Nap
lCS dA0 w bl10 SSChO VI Viz lCCOAe Vf@A ga
quake at Messina. They will be much
entertained in Southern Italy and will
proceed from there to Egypt where q
dahabeah will be placsd at their dis
posal and that they will 60 in a large
party up the Nile to the second catar'
act Mrs. Roosevelt will then return
in time for the London season and with
her debutante daughter will be pres.
ented at Court. There will follow leis
urely visits in the other Capitols Of thu
cid world and sixteen or eighteen
months later the President will joir
them for the voyage home. More of ,
change and relaxation from the sxac
tons of the life Of the past seven year
could not we'll be imagined.