The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1911-04-28
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER

I4r. EdlLOr.
Other cities like San Francisco and
New Orleans may contend for the prize
of an international exposition lasting
from May to November, but the capt.
tai of the United States is in perpet-
ual state of exposition and growing
more interesting year after year. AS
transpoI tation facilities improve, as
population grows, as wealth increases,
Washington becomes more and more
attractive and more and more the Mecca
of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims.
During the past week the Daughters of
the American Revolution were in ses-
sion at their beautiful temple facing
the plaza south of the White House.
The President addressed them in Ian
guage IN which f1attery and irony We'd
with eacI' Their, but so deftly yelled
that it is doubtful if the dear ladies
knew all he was thinking. 1t is as
good as comic opera to see this conven-
ton in full session, the stage banked
with flowers and flowers bedecking the
monstrous hats of two thousand ladies
in the audience, beautiful maiden pages
in beautiful gowns moving about on the
stage and through the halls, everything
suggestive of elegance, wealth and
vanity. The roll call resurrects the
names of Mrs. Martha Washington,
Mrs. Lucy Jefferson, Abigail Warren,
Lueretia Hamilton and many other
names that carry one back to that
golden period of our history when, since
the historical school books do not SAY
otherwise, everybody was patriotic,
honest and good. Well, long live illu-
sion and down with hobble skirts.
Another convention, the American
Academy of Sciences, is in session in
the new National Museum. A lecture
on the ocean was delivered by Sir John
Murray of Glasgow, Scotland, last
night in which he told some of the re-
suits of the Challenger. expedition in
1889 of which he was commander. The
afternoon session was enlivened by
seven papers on astronomical subjects.
The subject of infantile paralysis was
treated by DR.. Flexner who has become
famous for his connection with the
Rockefeller Medical Institution.
This is the third week of Congress
and the Democrats are congratulating
themselves on what they have accom-
plished and what they are expecting to
do if it takes them all summer.
Speaker Clark is making an effort to
reform the manners Of the House of
Representatives and he has smashed
two hard wood gavels in the cause.
There are other gavels, however, in his
locker, and the country no doubt wishes
him success and will give him credit
for his effort whether he succeeds or
not. Visitors to Washington who are SO
fortunate as to 60 into the House
gallery are always surprised at the
confusion and noise on the floor.
Members of Congress are talking,
writing, smoking, joking and moving
about on the floor and it is almost i'm
possible to hear the member who is
trying to make speech. In the midst
of such confusion, no one wonders that
a member some years ago made him
self famous by saying ''Mr. Speaker,
where was l at?" The present speak
err of the House was no doubt member
of debating society when he
was a little boy, and recollects what
beautiful order was maintained there
and much better they knew and practic-
ed parliamentary etiquette than they
do in the debating society over which
he now presides. He is now insisting
that parliamentary forms must be re-
spected by Congressman who desire to
interrupt the orator who has the floor.
He insists that there shall be no
Ioafing in the aisles, that smoking
must re stopped and that courtesy
must be shown the member who has
the floor and is trying to make himself
heard. l believe our Congress is the
only legislative body in the world that
has separate desks before each like
children in the public schools Sooner
or later doubtless we will adopt the
English plan of having the members
sit on seats without desks and that
will probably do much to abate such
confusion as at present exists. Then
the enlarged House membership will
not seem so unwieldy.
Henry George, Jr., the son of his
distinguished father. made his first
speech in the House on Tuesday when
he announced himself a free trader and
explained that he had taken up his lot
with the Democratic party because he
believed it was the only great party
that was moving toward the light.
His speech was respectfully listened to
by Democrats and Republicans alike,
but did not arouse enthusiasm in either
party. His words were twisted by
Mr.. Pickett of Iowa in a following
speech to show that the Democratic
party was urging the reciprocity agree
ment with the ulterier hope that it
would lead to free trade.