Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-09-29
w ashingt Life
some Interesting Phases
ana Conditions Observed
- ths Uation's Capitol

one Of the surprising incidents OF a cam
paign Of surprises is the eclipse of the in
come tax amendment \ year ago the
question exhibited considerable vitality and
gave promise OF making Winning race.
1 Nowadays no party or subdivision of party
give il passing recognition. Standpatters and
insurgents are absorbed in other and more
exciting game The pie counter looms so
large before democrats that they are blind
to the loneliness of an old friend, and pass
it by with a cold storage stare. Friends
Of the amendment at Washington are sound
ing alarms hoping to arouse the voters
and thereby secure pledges from candidates
J for the various state legislatures. which
will be called to act on the question next
winter. Since the amendment was submit
tea a year ago, seven states, Georgia. Ala
bama, Maryland, Illinois South Carolina,
Oklahoma and Mississippi ratified the
amendment Two states, Massachusetts and
Virginia, have rejected It, and several other
states have deferred final action.
The general expectation at the time con
gress voted to submit the amendment was
that it would be energetically advocated by
both the old parties in most of the states,
As a matter of fact, political conventions so
! far held this year, have generally ignored
the subject. The friends Of the proposed
amendment are greatly surprised at this
very general lack of interest. Apparently
the amendment is nowhere a real issue in
this years campaigns. The danger, as
friends of the amendment view the situa-
ton is that the amendment will fail. of
ratification through neglect
The real strength Of the amendment"
says the Washington correspondent of the
Boston Transcript, will be demonstrated
} next January when the legislatures of
twenty-one states will meet These states
are Arkansas Indiana, Iowa, Missouri
Minnesota, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska
Nevada, Michigan North Carolina, North
| Dakota, Tennessee. Texas. Washington
, Wisconsin and Wyoming. The legislatures
of Maryland, Massachusetts. New Jersey,
New York, Ohio anG Rhode Island WIN also
be in session in January, but they are re-
garded in a different light because they
3 have already had an opportunity to pass
, on the amendment With the exception of
Maryland, the legislatures of those states
deferred action which probably means that
3 they will be In no hurry to act when their
. legislatures meet again.
Senator Brown of Nebraska the author
of the amendment believes that eventually
it will be ratified. Plans are now being
s made by men who are greatly interested
in seeing the amendment added to the con-
stitution, to take up with governors of the
5 various states the question of urging rati-
D fication on legislatures. Every governor
whose legislature meets next January will
be asked to discuss the subject in his mes
sage and to urge upon members of the
legislature the Importance of ratlfying the
amendment Senator Brown is particularly
z active in trying to organize a campaign in
S favor of the amendment"
0 Almost a newNinterior greeted President
Taft on his return to the White House last
Saturday. All summer electricians, paint
ers decorators, carpenters and various
other mechanics have been busy bright
enng up the old mansion. Each of the
= twenty-odd rooms have been renovated
t Hangings have been cleaned, woodwork
n painted and refinshed and floors polished
r This, all in the White House proper
n over in the executive offices the hand OF
the mechanic has been just as busy. Eacf
of~t'Ss offices which less than a year age
were newly built, have been gone ovei
again. Walls have been painted and som,
s OF the rooms have even been enlarged Of
: made smaller.
IS Out in the grounds improvements hav,
d also been made. The old gravel walk anC
If roadway. over which many presidents anC
@ their families have trod, have been macad
amized. This was done at the order o
Mrs. Taft and Miss Helen Taft 1t vii
be over this southern driveway that tn
women members of the presidents famil,
Il will leave and enter the White House
IS The northern or main driveway will b.
l. used by the public exclusively.
l. The southern balcony, where Presiden
II Taft was wont to spend the warm evening
1 during the tariff ta 10 a.
# early part of this summer, and wher
many plans for the furtherance of tn
Taft policies were either started or aban
doned, has been reprinted and made NOR
luxurious with new porch chairs.
Senator Tillman never again will TAX,
an active part in senate proceedings, anC
he will not be reelected when his tern
v expires"
De Veaux Porter of Horny county. Soutl
a Carolina, in the Washington Herald, thu
> summarized the political future of one o
lie the most interesting figures in the ma
III tional capital for many years:
lie 1T is common talk in South Carolina.
II said Mr.. Porter, that for physical reasons
De alone there would be little likelihood o
ID Mr.. Tllman ever again being able to TAX
s. up actively the work of a political leader
lie Before this last attack he had an illness
e. that sent him abroad for months in al
Is effort to recover, and since his return
lie though he seemed about normal, he hal
~ dropped into the background
Id The truth is Tillman has lost his gril
e. on the state. Ever since he defeate,
(. Hampton for the senate his position ha,
T. been undisputed, but at his last election
40 when there was no candidate who dare,
- oppose him, 1900 men scratched his mann
N on the ballot, just 20 show they didn
" like him. That was straw I'm the wind
ia UNcIE sANt,C noV.I