The Washington herald., 1910-03-21
AT THE HOTELS.

AT THE HOTELS.
''The defeat OF Joe Cannon VIII marx
the beginning of a much greater popu-
larity for him than he ever enjoyed.
which means something indeed. as the
Speaker is one Of the most popular men
In the United States outside OF Col
Roosevelt" said Harry S. Cairns. Of
Chicago. who was seen at the New VII
lard yesterday Mr.. Cairns is interested
in the lumber industry, and Is here on
business
Il have never been great admirer Of
the method of procedure In the House.
There was too much Of a close cor
poration' air about #, and the individual
member Of Congress had never any
show unless the Speaker chose to honor
him with his favors.
1t was high time that a way should
be devised 10 bring about q reform OF
this seemingly despotic method Of law
making said Mr.. Cairns. ''and the in
surgents started out on the right road.
They. however, made the mistake OF al
into their confidence and made common
cause with them. thereby furnishing them
with lots Of mueh-needed campaign ma
teriaL The insurgents should have kept
up their missionary efforts among the
members OF their own party. and I have
no doubt they would have succeeded n
sWeiiihg their ranks sufficiently 10 force
reform Of the House rules
ne whole thing Is bad, bad politics,
so Tar as the Insurgents game was con-
cerned, and while It will strengthen
Cannon personally, Il viii weaken the
Republican party. party which will
consent to ruiership Of one as exem-
plified by Cannon's dictatorship. is evil
IDENTIFY not fit to be In power in this conn
try Of the free and equal That is where
one Of the strongest points against the
Republican party can be made by the
Democrats. Aldrich's confession that he
could save the country annually $40
oO90o0 in running the government Is q
confession Of Republican extravaganza.
Although Cannon IS shorn OF power
and the regulars have suffered defeat,
the end is not yet The insurgents are
eliminated Cannon as factor IN Re
publican politics or q leader in the
House. He has gained popular favor by
standing by his guns until the last
minute and fighting every inch OF
ground"
Cyrus S. Stiles, Of Philadelphia, who is
at the Raleigh, in discussing old soldiers
pensions. said. yesterday. that many
humorous Incidents occur in connection
with the pension work. in which he has
had many years Of practical experience.
being interested in the prosecution OF pen
sion cases.
Several years ago a Washington cor
respondent read IN a country paper a
story that one OF the two surviving
widows of the war OF 1872 died a few
years before He went hot foot 10 the
Pension Office, thinking that he had dis
covered a good story. When he explain
co his mission 70 the Commissioners, he
was told that instead OF there being but
one widow OF that war left, there were
some 500. and that there were still four
widows OF the Revolution alive. But a
few weeks before an application had
come in from a widow Of the war Of 1872
an examiner was sent to look into the
case. He expected to see an old and
feeble woman. Instead. he found in the
drawing room a buxom widow, on the
sunny side OF forty, who apologized for
keeping him waiting by saying that she
was Just arranging 10 leave for Atlantic
City to spend her vacation She had
married veteran nearly eighty years
old
I'm another case" continued Mr.. Stiles.
% veteran married girl aged seven
teen. He lived with her for fourteen
days and then died. She has been draw
ing pension for thirty years at the
rate Of IS a month. and is not an old
woman yet She has already collected
nearly s3,oo0 for her fourteen days OF
married life. The woman who married
a man fifty years after he last saw
service is just as eligible on the pension
list as the one who kissed her husband
good-by and looked after the home and
the babies during his four years at the
front. No inquiry is made as to the
financial condition OF the applicant for a
pension if he be a survivor Of the war;
One Of the severest punishments in the
army that can be inflicted. according 10
Col ]. G. Leroy, a former army officer,
but now engaged in business in Portland,
Greg. is dismissal with ignominy"
Under this sentence" said Col. Leroy
who is at the Arlington, no officer IN
the United States army. not even his
father or brother, if they be officers.
may speak to the convicted man during
his lifetime. Dismissal with ignominy'
is lifetime punishment 1t prohibits.
re-enlistment in the army or navy and
brands the man forever. This sentence
Is seldom pronounced. It is essentially
an ethical punishment, and with the loss
Of position. honor. and caste, an officer
so punished Is regarded by his former
associates as a pariah.
" Dismissal with ignominv' Is practl-
cally the same as the old 'cashiered' pun
ishment which was accompanied by a re-
moval Of the insignia of rank Formerly,
in the English army. a man convicted Of
a serious crime, which involved ire
trieyable disgrace. was sentenced 10 be
'cashiered- He was marched before the
troops and publicly deprived Of his stripes
and epaulet5. This custom has been
abandoned and dismissal with ignominy'
substituted. In France. If you remember
the Dreyfus case, the stripping Of an Of
fcer or his e2aulets, buttons, and insig-
MA and breaking his sword across the
knee still hold good with disgracing an
officer. This is done before representa-
tives Of every branch Of the army IN
public
Should fellow-oficer speak to the