Omaha daily bee., 1910-04-18
w Washington Life
some Interesting Phases
and Conditions Observed
~ the MGtiOn's Capital.

Inc oeath OF Associate Justice Brewer
and the continued illness Of Associate
Justice Moody, reducing the supreme
court to a working force Of seven mem
bers. draws national attention to the ply
steal condition OF the elders of the court,
Chief Justice Fuller and Associate Jus
tice Harlan, and their younger associates.
The Washington correspondent of the
Brooklyn Eagle writes on this point:
"ChiSf Justice Fuller and Associate
Justice Harlan are the most venerable
looking MEMBER OF the supreme court
Each is n years Of age. The chief jus
tice, while seated in the bench, shows no
more signs of the passing years than he
did ten years ago. Only when he walks
are you struck by the fact that time is
onexorable In its exactions. The chief
Justices step is slow and feeble.
Justice Harlan has declined physically
during the last year in q way to give
~serioua alarm TO his friends. Especially
has he lost in weight. He is fifty to
sixty pounds lighter than he was twelve
months ago. His cheek bones are high
and his face haggard. while his great
shoulders arH stopped and his figure has
taken on q gaunt appearance. Hts tone
and manner show no loss OF mental yigor.
Justice White carries his burden Of
Eyears gracefully. He Is twelve years the
Junior OF the chief justice. Justice Nc
Kenna gives one the Impression of being
frail and in delicate health. He always
has been 80 and IL one Of those wiry
kind that seem able TO stand most any
thing. Justice Holmes is remarkably
we'll preserved at the age of 90. His
calm. serene. eountenance indicates a
mind that borrow no trouble.
Justice Day In 81 and seemingly as
80 A.
Mckinley cabinet. Justice Lnrton. aged
Sc, liz a robust appearing man who looks
as though he could still stand a great
amount Of hard work"
Ordinarily the front row of seats in the
United State senate are the most desir-
able in the senate chamber, particularly
during debate on an important piece of
legislation, sayb the Washington Times,
One of the exceptions to the rule is when
Senator Hepburn Of Idaho arises and
launches off into a speech of consider
able length.
Senator Hepburn is worry large. the
largest man in the senate, In fact. He
likes plenty of room when he addresses
himself to weighty affairs of state and
he always gets II. The senator him
self is one Of those favored with q seat
in the front rev. When he begins his
speech he invariably stands at his desk
for q few moments.
His next move is to roll his chair aside
in order that he may turn easily and
direct his remarks to senators at his rear.
His chair goes humping into the chair of
the senator sitting next TO him. Tn
senator uneonsciously pushes first one
chair and then another untl he has them
rolling hither ana yon.
Senators in the front row begin to got
FESTIVE when they see = big piece OF
mahogany furniture rolling in their
direction and pretty soon they move to
safer quarters. Senator Hepburn, OBJ
livious Of the departing senators, but
realizing thai there are more empty
chairs to be moved, keeps on movinE
them. After he is we'll into his speech
he has q clear track, all of the 'front.'
row chairs are vacant and he paradeH
back and forth. stopping now and then
to pound the desk Of a senator in the sec
ond row by way Of emphasis.
Senator Hepburn, by the way, dis
likes the word insurEent lie can hammer
away at a proposition brought out by a
republican COMMITTEES as hArd as ever Il
was by Senator Doiliver. Cum
Minis, or La Toilette, but he does not want
| MS GIlNlGA9AnA iEoNNeN 8NhNsH AN
protests against provisions Of certain bills
are in the way OF enlightenment and II
the senate refuses 70 be enlightened. all
well and good, he votes for the bill as the
republican majority wants him to vote
for II.
The difference In the personality at the
Taft boys and the Roosevelt boys is
quite az marked as is the sap between
the methods OF their distinguished par
ents. When the Roosevelt boys were
home everybody knew IL. They made the
great corridors Of the White House re-
sound from attic 90 basement with noisy
demonstration.
The Taft children take their pleasures
more moderately. Robert has gone back
TO college but Charley fingers in WASH
ington. He slips around the White House
ana through the executive offices in a
quiet, shy way and disturbs no one.
Charley inherits from hts father a smll-
ing, beaminE countenance. His father
has nothing ION HIM when Il comes
70 the Taft smile
Matthew Stanley Quay. the great repub-
lican boss OF Pennsylvania. has been dead
several years. but the influences which he
exercised here while in the United States
senate Is stil sufficient 70 cause the re-