The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1911-06-22
NEWS FROM The NATIONAL CAPITAL.
siGAll0n Made OF Many Important News
Items About the Capital City.
Special Correspondence.

Washington, d. c., June 17.-Sen
ator Taylor, Of Tennessee, delivered
the GRAFTON at the exercises on Con
federate Memorial Day at Arlington
cemetery last Sunday. His addres:
was mastery presentation of the
"lost cause, claiming that secession
| was right and that the Southern
States were justified in wishing tc
leave the Union. His tribute tt
Robt. e. Lee, the stainless knight"
was eloquent. 1t is not generally
known that there are number o1
Confederate soldiers buried in the
National cemetery at Arlington.
After session lasting ten hours
the Senate passed the resolution pro-
posing a constitutional amendment
for the direct election Of Senators
by vote Of ga to "a, more than the
necessary two-thirds, but the Bris.
tow amendment, which retains the
time, place and manner" of hold
ing the elections in the various
States, was added to the resolution
On the amendment the vote was a
to a. but the Vice-Fresident cast
deciding vote in favor of the amend
ment, breaking the tie. One Demo
crat, Clarke, of Arkansas, voted for
the Bristow amendment. The South
wants direct election of Senators,
but it does not want the objectiona-
bic Federal supervision which the
Bristow amendment calls for, and it
is freely predicted that the bill will
not be ratified by the Southern
States owing to this Objectionable
feature. Better far that the pres
ent method Of electing Senators con-
tinue than Federal supervision,
which the South does not want and
and will not have, and for that rea-
son the resolution is apt to fail of
ratification. Senator Clarke, of Ar
kansas, the lone Democrat who voted
for the Bristow amendment, must
feel pretty mean. Let us hope that
in conference the Bristow amend
r1ent will be dropped.
After it had been ''lost" for five
years, Disbursing Officer Morrison.
of the State Department, found the
missing voucher on the floor near his
desk. At the time of its disappear
ance, the mysterious expenditure of
$1,000 was unexplained. When
found recently, a full explanation
by Colonel Michael, who received
the money. was attached. This
voucher was the one calling for S2,-
45O, out of which the artist who
signed it received $3.50 for painting
a portrait of former Secretary Of the
State Department Day, and the re-
naming S1,60O was unexplained.
On the O. k. Of Secretary of State
Knox, Mr.. Morrison paid $1,000 to a
son Of former Senator Eugene Hale,
Of Maine, for services in connection
with the Canadian boundary settle
ment. Mr. Knox had himself in
serted the $1,000 item in the esti-
mates prepared by Boundary Com
missioner Tittman. DR.. Tittman
knew nothing of the addition to his
estimates, and although he was sup
posed to have charge Of the work in
this connection. DR.. Tittman knew
nothing of any work done by Mr.
Hale. The House Investigating com.
mittee on expenditures in the State
Department is doing a good work
and has uncovered some remarkable
doings, of which the two cases above
are sample, and no doubt by con
tinual probing more peculiar trans
actions will be unearthed. Let the
good work go on. Turn on the light
Every department Of the govern
ment should be thoroughly investi
gated by this Democratic House Of
Congress, and no doubt will be
They need it.
Ex-President Roosevelt, in the
current number Of the Outlook
scores General Harrison Gray Otis
publisher of the Los Angeles (Cal.
Times, saying, He is consisten
enemy Of every movement for socla
and economic betterment and thI
consistent enemy of the men OF Cal
ifornia who have dared resolutely t.
stand against corruption and IL
favor of honesty" At the same
time, Colonel Roosevelt praises Sam
uel Gompers, president Of the Fed
GRAFTON of Labor, for recent articl'
in The Federat;onist, and asserts tin
labor leader j. doing q great wol