Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-12

a matter of paying dividends and not en-
tertainment of visiting guests
Mr.. Lands here took up the cudgels
for the inaugural committee and the reso-
luton
rs there city in your state he asked
Mr.. Sims. lin which the citizens would
band together and voluntarily contribute
out Of their own pockets a million dollars
for the construction of convention hall
for the entertainment Of people who
came to the city if they did not think
there would be some sort OF compensa-
ton for it,
Mr.. Sims, that has not already, at its
own expense, provided such a hall to
accommodate every kind of a meeting
that. it is probable or likely to be held
in those Cities
Without prolific suggested Mr.. Ian
dis.
Il do not care anything about the
profits they may make or do not make
rejoined Mr.. Sims.
But they do" said Mr.. Lands with
a smile.
II do not know whether they do or
not" Mr.. Sims came back. There is
not city in the state of Tennessee max
Ing such provision. whose only object is
the dividends expected Of 1t; and ! think
the same remark will apply to Indiana.
Pension Commissioner Letter.
we have a letter from the commission
err Of pensions. He tells Of three incipient
fires having occurred in the pension
Office by reason of balls; that the garnet
lofts in this pension building are full of
valuable records. liable to be burned; that
during the last inaugural ball valuable
papers were either stolen or lost"
Representative Champ Clark Of Missouri
interrupted to ask:
How can we justify hanging up these
old pensioners for even day or spending
even IS bill down there to have
dancer
There Is no dance, am sorry to say"
said!Mr. Mann; 1T is a ball not q dance.
II you should take the 500, 900. the admit
ted expense to the government, capitalize
It. even at 10 per cent It could amount to
per cent to 100000: and SO practically
the government is contributing this year,
by this bill, the capital of $5,0o0,000, as
against nothing paid by the District of
Columbia.
Mr.. Sims then read letters from Milton
E. Allies. treasurer Of the inaugural COM
mittee of 1905, showing that there had
been surplus Of some $4,000 after all the
receipts and disbursements of the inaugu-
raj committee had been settled.
100000 Loss; $4,000 Gain.
THE impression was given in the hear
ings before our committee" said Mr..
Sims. that the ball was given to get
money with which to discharge expenses.
They get $1,000. net, speaking in round
numbers. and the government of the
United States loses 800, 900 in order for
them to get $1,000.
'Gentlemen, had we not better make
a direct contribution? l say here and
now that while l would not vote to ap-
propriate money for the use of the build
Ing for an inaugural ball, / would vote
proper and reasonable amount as a part
contribution to building to be built by
the citizens of the District of Columbia.
and it would be far better than to lose
directly 100000 in order for them to
make x11 600 out Of our constituents, and
take the risk of burning the files and
depriving soldiers Of what they are en-
titled to at the time they are entitled
to receive it
Representative Olcott Of New York de-
Tended the resolution.
Il think, said he, that the mind Of
the gentleman from Tennessee Is unneces-
sarily perturbed in regard to the reso-
luton which is before this committee.
1t is only to make possible the proper
and dign1fled conduct of a great and i'm
portant event.
Therefore it has seemed fitting in times
gone by. and think it Is proper now. to
allow the inaugural committee to hold
a ball at which they ask the outgoing
President and the incoming President and
such people of distinction as may be in
the city of Washington, to appear. to
show themselves, If you choose; and
the people that come here from our sew
eral constituencies would rather go to
that inaugural ball at the price of SIS
apiece than take any other part in the
inaugural ceremonies, unless they were
or the comparatively few who could get
Into the Senate chamber at the time of
the actual ceremonies Of the Inaugural
ton
Clark for Simple Ways.
Champ Clark came to the front again.
at seems said he, THAT this Is very
seasonable occasion to discuss Inaugural
tons in general. This proposal to hold
an inaugural ball in the pension Office has
nothing whatever to do with the inaugu-
ration ceremony. The truth is that the
first thing the new Congress should do,
the House at least, after we get rid of the
tariff bill. is to address ourselves to q
change of the date of inauguration
The President of the United States
ought to be elected for six years, and he
ought to be made forever ineligible for
ought to be held the first Monday in Au-
gust, and the President ought to be in
auSurated the first Monday in October
The new Congress ought to be elected at
the same time he is elected and start in
the same day that he is inaugurated
The dates Of inaugurating a President
and the converting of Congress were fixed
with reference to the eXigencies OF the
stagecoach age and not for the age OF
steam and electricity.
Il think the people of Washington are
the most sociable people in. the world,
the kindest. the most accommodating
None of them has ever gouged me in
prices. have no complaint to make what
ever on that score. but the very fact
that they are so kind and polite is one
reason why they are always getting things
out of Congress that Congress has no
right to give them. They come around to
the best Of us, and the least polite of u.s.
and beg of us and plead with us until we
agree inadvertently and unadvisedly to
arrives. If we are honest. we go on and
do what we promised to do.
-Four years ago they promised solemn
ly that they would never ask for the use
of the pension Office again. If we do this
thing that these men want done-I do not
know how many OF us will be here four
years from now: I hope we all will. ex-
Cept vacant seats enough on that side to
give us the House flaughter). and would
like to pick them out Oaughter), but those
Of us that will be here four years from
now will be going through this same de-
bate again. and the Congress four years
after that will be going again through it,
and SO on ad infinitum."
Lands Defends Ceremonies.
speaker. He said:
II do not believe there is nation on
earth that installs, inaugurates