The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1909-03-11
IN WASHINGTON

the White House to see Payne's fire
works nearly filling the half-mile
circle, and standing for three hours
in the chilling wind with deep snow
under foot The pyrotechnics were
worth II. too. Then about ten O'Clock
everyone went down on the Avenue
again, and marched up and down till
long past midnight, tickling each
other with feather "ticklers," cutting
the eating-houses and saloons. and
making hearty sport Of the beastly
weather. Incidentally many robberies
were pulled off. and some two hun
dred cases OF pneumonia and diptheria
contracted from which there have
been a dozen deaths already. Mean
while those who had the foresight TO
procure tickets to the Inauguration
Ball at s. per. while the supply was
still unexhausted. betOOk themselves
I in carriages, at $40 each TO the huge
Pension Office whose court had been
converted into a mammoth ballroom,
where President Taft received the
fluctuations OF his fellow-countrymen.
and whore the United States Marine
Band "Sousa's Band" furnished dance
music far into the morning hours.
There seems TO be general agree
ment that the date Of, Inauguration
Day will be changed to the last We'd
nesday In April. tho an amendment
to the Constitution will be needed.
ADMINISTRATION BEGINS.
Before leaving office Mr.. Roosevelt
called a special session OF the Senate
to meet on March 4th. This session
received on Friday President Tafts
nomination for his Cabinet and for
the Collectorship OF the Port OF New
York, which goes 10 eX-Secretary
VIM. Loeb, jr The Senate proceeded
to confirm these nominations at once.
All the Cabinet except two we're sworn
in by Saturday noon. Another impor-
tant announcement by Taft Is the ap-
pointment OF Oscar 5. Strauss. RoOse-
velt's Secretary OF Commerce and La
Dor, as minister TO Japan. This en-
sures first class handling Of the Jap
anese situation insofar as our legation
there is concerned.
Mr.. Taft has let II be known that
he will change the Interstate Com
merce Commission into a sort OF judi
cial court, and will lay the duty of
collecting evidence on the Bureau of
Corporations. A new Bureau will be
created In the Department Of Justice
to prosecute railroads which do not
obey the decisions of the Interstate
Commerce Commission.
The members who are leaving Con
gress because they failed to be
reelected are mostly receiving good
Federal appointive offices James
Watson os Indiana, ex-Republican
House Whip" is to stay here and
help Cannon in his fight for re-elec-
tion to the Speakership. On last
Monday the Insurgents" in the
House combined with the Democrats.
and found that they lacked just four
votes of controlling the House. Champ
Clark, the minority leader, who had
the great power which Cannon gives
him, proved earnest in his pledge TO
support the fight to break the Speak
er's power. 1t seemed probable that
the four votes may be found before
next Monday and that Victor Muir
dock of Kansas may be made Speak
er. At any rate the House ring has
turned yellow" for the first time
In history, and in these days when
neither house is in session House
politics is at boiling point, and plot
leaps forth to meet counter-plot along
the Capitol corridors hourly and NOM
emily by day and night.
The call for the special session of
Congress does not specify what ques-
lions are to be considered, and there
fore that body may legislate on any
thing II wants 70. II looks now as IL
good deal of general legislation
would be attempted. II the tariff
only is taken up, the Senate will have
to wait for a month or so while the
House is passing the bill, and then the
House will have to wait a while till
the Senate gets thru with II. Mean
while the two houses might just as
well be at work on some other matter