The National tribune., 1910-12-29

Arkansas has sent to the House of
Representatives one man called Macon,
who is what the men out West cali al
mighty narrow between the eyes" In
Yankee phrase he would be called
near or Close" but in the common
acceptance of the term this Represen-
tative Macon would be called ''po'
white Mr.. Macon apparently has new
er been used to luXurieS of any descrip-
tlon and possibly not to the necessities
. OF life. The people of the District of
Columbia are asking for more parks to
beautffy the city. Suburbs are building
very rapidly and open spaces being
nlled with residences, and it Will not be
long until all the open space is taken,
and provident citizens believe that now,
while land is cheaper is a good time to
provide fer parks They occupied the
greater portion of Tuesday afternoon
with the consideration of certain clauses
of the legislative, executive and judi
cial appropriation bill in the House.
There was one little bit of an item, an
appropriation for park, and upon this
Mr.. Macon jumped with both Of his
broSanS and proceeded to do a war
dance. He said he saw no reason why
the people of his district down in Ar
kansaw," who never got to Washington.
should pay for parks and drives for
Government clerks to enjoy. He an
nounced that he was looking out for
the plOwboy and the clerk behind the
counter of the country store. Repre-
sentative Macon fails to grasp the idea
of what a National Capital should be.
There are lot more like him in both
Houses of Congress when it comes to
that. All of them set forth their ideas,
consuming time in discussing the mat
ter that would pay for the little items
asked for four or five times over. They
are talking for buncombe and for home
consumption, however. The census of
Washington would go to show that
there are people here from every State
and Territory in the Union and from
every country on the civilized globe.
There gather here, first and last during
the year, many of the prominent men
of the world, and they are always max
ing comparisons between Washington
and their home towns. The Capital of
the Nation should be the most beautiful
city in it, because it belongs to the
whole Nation, and the lowlieSt in the
farthest corner of the domain can take
pride in the fact that it is beautiful
city. Short-sighted Congresses, made upt
of men who seldom had nickel to
spend until they managed to be elected |
to Congress and get $1,000 a year and
perquisites, are so overcome with the
beauty of the city that they Immediate
ly decide that it is costing the Nation
too much, and they are going to help
cut down expenses. 1t Is a short-sight-
ed, mistaken policy, and the members
usually get over it after they have been
here few years, and take the natural
pride in this great white city that
should be taken by every inhabitant in
the country. Washington will have the
parks in spite of the little-souled men
like Representative Macon, and the
little clerks behind the counters in his
little town will live just as long and
enjoy just as much prosperity. AS for
the plowboy in Mr.. Macon's district, it
would be the delight of his life, and
probably its greatest event, IL he could
come to Washington and see beautiful
things once in awhile 1t is q mistake
to suppose that the poor are always
envious or always carping about the
expenditure of the peoples money. II
takes statesmen Of the Macon stripe to
do this.
It is more than likely that Senator !
Foraker will in the not far distant fu-
ture be again upon the Senate rolls of
the Capitol. Not Joseph Benson Fora
ker. of Ohio, however. Joseph Benson
Foraker has a brother, Crayton NJ. Fo-
raker now United States Marshal in
New Mexico, and it looks now as tho
he will be one of the first two Senators
from the 'GFeaser" State. Crayton Fo-
raker went West quarter Of century
ago, perhaps more, maybe less. TO en-
gage in sheep raising. and incidentally
to help the Republican majority in the
President Crayton NJ. Foraker came
East with the United States Marshal
bee in his bonnet, and very much sur
prised his statesman brother, the Unit
ed States Senator. AS soon as Senator
Foraker found out what il was his
brother wanted he remarked to him
rather querulously: Don't you ask me
to introduce you to the President for
that position, because I have troubles
enough OF nv own in Ohio"
The New Mexican brother re-
piled crisply and coolly: Don't
not to object to my confirmation in the
Senate I will take care of the White |
House end of it" And he did to such |
good effect that Crayton NJ. Foraker |
was appointed and unanimously con-
frmed by the Senate, and he has been |
holding the office down ever since.
The contract has been given for the
27,000-ton battleship Texas, the lowest |
bid for il being s5,s30.000.
There has been a good deal of objec-
tion to the recession to the District of
Columbia of territory that was taken
back by Alexandria when she declined,
about 100 years ago. to become a part
of Washington lest her prospects for
expansion be injured At that time
Alexandria was seaport with great
wharyes, shipyards and all that sort OF
thing and her land was given back to
her. Now Congress is trying to get this
land back, with fair prospect of win
ming out. Alexandria is very angry,
and is trying thru her Senators, Martin
and Swanson, to get from the United
States Government the loan of 800,
which the city of Alexandria gave to IL
in the construction of the Capital here
in Washington. According to the old
records this loan was transferred by
the State of Virginia to Alexandra
County, and when collected this money
was TO be used for the construction of
boulevard from Washington to Mount
Vernon. Chief Justice John Marshall
is said to have conducted the negotia-
tions between the State and the Gov
ernment
1t is Gen. Zachary Taylor's body SER
wants who are beginning to die off now
George Washington HILL colored, said
to be 101 years old, died last week in
the old Finley mansion on Codington
avenue, in the Bronx New York Hel
was born in Savannah, Ca, and always
declared that he was Gen. Zachary Tay-
lor's body servant in Mexican War days.
The mince pies used In the White
House for its Christmas dinner were
made of homemade mince meat, jar
of which Mrs. Philander c. Knox, wife
OF the Secretary of State, sent to Mrs