The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-06-16

National Capital Has Lost Its
Interest in Congress and
Graves a Change.
BY Ernest G.. Walker,

(Mail Special to The Advertiser.)
WASHINGTON, June 2.-The fed
eral capital Ianguishes for new
theme. 1t has wearied of the old
friends, The spring has worn along
into the approach of summer. Events
that affected the rapdity of ones
pulse have grown stale with repeti-
tions that were in substance only re-
iterations. There has been progress
but it has not been progress that speeds
to fnalties.
No new captains of achievement
have been looming upon the Washing
ton horizon Of recent months. Wash
ington always greets new hero in
the field of politics and administration
more or less feyerishly. But there have
been few new faces Of interest in the
galaxy. On the contrary, the interest
of recent months as far as men are
concerned, has been chiefly IN the
names Of those dropping out from the
federal activities. That is a sort of
anticlimax when does not hold the
interest long.
Much comment about prospective
new leaders has been printed. How
ever. the new leader in the senate
for instance, has not appeared. No
one has stepped out with the force
and tact to take the place of Senator
Aidrich or the solid common sense and
ability to accomplish things which has
characterized Senator Hale. Those two
| linger on the scene. of course. for
| their terms do not expire for another
year. But situation has followed stu
alton, where great maker of com
promises and keen composer of differ
ences might have distinguished him
self
| However, Washington tires of con
gress and congressional subjects. One
who dropped out a month or two
months ago and returned now could
| take up the current conversation of
| the Capitol or the White House or the
| departments nowadays even if he had
not read newspaper or seen living
person in the interim. The advance
| that has been made would not be to
| him conversationally embarrassing.
| To be sure late spring and early sum
mer generally bring stagnatiOn and
| Indifference at Washington under all
administrations. About the time Wash
| ingtOn housekeepers take down their
curtains and remove their rugs and
carpets the official world is indeter-
| inmate. 1t wants to HE away but hest
| tates over activities. The fires Of en-
ergv 90 down. One must get accus-
| toned to summer ways, proceed more
slowly and watch the Opportune mo-
| ment for getting anything done.
Usually politics can be depended
| upon to furnish an interesting develop
| ment to the excitement loving com
| munitv on the Potomac. But the pres
| ent spring and approaching summer
| have been characterized by a lack of
concern in that regard. In proof there
of. remember how enthusiastically two
| new political prodig1es from congress
sional districts were welcomed to Wash
ngton not many weeks ago. When
| Eugene n Foss, Democrat. carried a
| Republican stronghold in Massachusetts
during March, Washington waited i'm
patiently for him to come to town.
When James S. Ravens, a Rochester
Democrat. repeated the performance in
a New York Republican congressional
stronghold, there was a repetition on
the interest at Washington.
| But behold how not many days ago
| both gentlemen finally arose in their
| seats to deliver their maiden speeches
on the dominant political theme of the
tariff They were given a little space
in the newspapers, but the ensuing com
ment was chiefly conspicuous for its
| absence and it seems in Washington a,
! though those two Democratic worthies
were quite forgotten as far as Wash
| ington is concerned.
Travelling Money.
| For a short while last week it seemed
! as though there was to be something
new in the general thought. Repre-