The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-30
THE NIGHT RIDER
 IS HARD HIT. When He Forces Special Gov- ernment Agent to Drink DRINK COSTS HIM S5 New Assistant Secretary Curtis Being From Boston Is Insultlngy Smart With His Technical Words-Hef-
 lin Holds Record.
BY RopERIck CLIFFORD.

Special Agent Harry Hoagland of the de- partment of justice first looked over the determined Tennessean, who was point ing pistol at him. Then he glanced at the weapon. Its very persuasive will take a drink" Hoagiand replied
 The scene was a hotel barroom in Lex ington, Ky, the heart of the Burley to- bacco country. Hoagland was gathering evidence for the department of justice about the night riders and the society. Twenty men were gathered in the bar. ciety's success.
 One minute, fellows said one of the number. There is a government detec- tive in the lobby. Let's bring him in and make him drink with us" Hoagland, when asked, came into the bar
 Have a drink. young fellow" came as command not as an invitation.
 I'm not drinking, thanks" was Hoag- lands reply.
 Then 1t was that the gun came into play and Hoagland decided he would drink.
 Give him anything he wants,' con- manded the gun holder to the barkeeper.
 
 government agent. It took some time for the man behind the bar to find 1t. It was a bottle that showed signs of extreme age. When the cork was pulled most of the contents of the bottle flew to the ceiling.
 After the success of the society had been toasted, the man with the gun threw 20 cents on the bar for Hoagland drink. -Four seventy-hve more" said h SaxIro rHafs ct, ct,,fF It is the first bottle we sold for Il years
 The IA others laughed heartily at the man with the gun. Hoagland left that day for Cincinnati.
 A merry war is on between members of the House of Representatives over the concentration of power In the committees on appropriations and ways and means. The inactivity of 20 years of committees on expenditures in the different execu- tive departments naturally gave the lat ter committees autocratic power In shap- ing the business of the government. Now these rejuvenatea committees--one for each of the nine executive departments- have been rehabilitated It Is their duty to act as auditors for Congress on the expenditures in the departments, and they should also govern the question of clerks hired clerk pay and the general
 
 The members of the appropriations and ways and means committee do not in- tend to let go of their monopoly without a fight, and this the members of the expenditures committees promise to give them. Bills affecting clerk pay and hire are still being referred to tho ways and means committee if they refer to customs employees, and the appropriation commit tee is dealing right along with the Ques- .f ,l> aa1a ria h. oreases There Is urgent need for the re- mobilization of these committees as 1t will be their duty to see that the executive departments adhere to the law and do not appropriate funds to some fad of the departments head, and thereby let other branches of the service suffer.
 Senator Nelson A. Aldrich of Rhode Is- land. boss of the Senate and Czar of both tho Senate and House in tariff legis- lation Is incensed. The object of his anger is Assistant Secretary of the Treas ury Curtis, who has immediate charge of the customs administration. MT. Aldrich called at the treasury de- partment the other day to confer with Mir Curtis on customs rulings and regu- lations. In the conversation the assist ant secretary used some technical Ian ruage. When he Inquired the meaning of the expressions, MT. Curtis, who is from Boston, politely, but firmly. referred the Senator to the dictionary. "Extremely peevish," was the diagno- sis of the Senator's condition when he left the assistant secretary's office 30 seconds later.
 The confirmation of MT. Curtiss nomi- nation Is still hanging ire. Representative Hayes of California is a fruit grower, furnishing the bulk of the California prune crop. Tom Hefin of Alabama, who is serving his third term as representative, has the top-notch record for attendance in the House of Representatives. He is rarely absent from his seat when the House is in session.
 Cy sulloway of New Hampshire, who. owing to his feet 2 inches of height and s0o pounds of weight, Is the giant of the House. has as his bosom friend Sam Smith of Michigan, who Is the pigmy of inc nations law makers When they have earnest conversations 1t Is necessary for Cy to sit down in a well braced chair in order that he can hear what Sam has to say without the latter straining his voice.
 There are other physical giants in the House-Ollie James of Kentucky, Tenner of Pennsylvania, who was at one time professional ball player, and Anthony of Kansas who is newspaper publisher at Leavenworth They have all measured up and weighed with the New Hampshire member and were unable to wrest the title from him.
 Daniel Lafean, republican of York, Pa. is a dairyman, a candy manufacturer and the managing proprietor of several silk mills. Boxes of candy and tubs of butter effectually take the place of money in his campaigns, the women population of the district every two years being strong for the reelection.
 Former Senator Cockrel of Missouri, who is now . member of the Interstate Commerce Commission. limits himself to an expenditure of $ . day when travel ing on official business This is the d. lowAncs for subsistence that the en,- ployes of the commission enjoy. The commissioners have no limit on their ex- penses. If the boys have to live within $ a day, why shouldn't +" said the commissioner.
 Rumor has it that the republican in- surgents of the Senate and House have a political programme for the next re- publican national convention, NO ono