The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1911-04-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.

OF an international exposition lasting
from May to November, but the. capita
of the United States is in perpetua
state Of exposition and growing more in
teresting year after year. As transpor
tation facilities improve. as population
grows, as wealth increases, Washington
becomes more and more attractive and
more and more the Mecca of hundreds 8,
thousands of pilgrims. During the pasl
week the Daughters of the American
Revolution were in session at theil
beautiful temple facing the plaza south Of
the White House. The President adj
dressed them in language in which fat
terry and irony We'd with each other bu,
so deity welded that it is doubtful if the
dear ladies knew all he was thinking. II
Is as good as comic opera to see this con.
yention in full session. The stage bank ed
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 resurrec,s the names
Of Mrs Martha Washington, Mrs. Lucy
Jefferson, Abigail Warren. Lucretia
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, every.
body was patriotic, honest and good.
Well, long live illusion and down with
the 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. results of tie Chal-
lerger expedition in 1850 Of which he
was commander. The afternoon session
was enlivened by seven papers on astron-
omical subjects. The subject osinfantile
paralysis was treated by DR.. Flexner who
has become famous tor his connection
with the Rockefeller Medical Institution.
~
This is the third week Of Congress and
the Democrats are congratulating them
selves on what they have accomplished
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 Repr sentatives and he
has smashed two hard wood gaveis in the
cause. There are other gavels, however,
in his locker, and the country no doubt
wishes him success and will give hin
credit for his effort whether he succeeds
or not. Visitors to Washington who are
fortunate as to go 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 ii is
almost impossible to hear the mcmber
who is trying to make speech. In the
midst of such Confusion. no one wonders
that member some years ago made him.
self famous by saying .Mr. Speaker,
where was at?'' The present speaker
Of the House was no doubt member of
a debating society when be was little
boy, and recollects what beautiful order
was maintained there and how much
better they knew and practiced parlia.
mentary etiquette than they do 10 the de-
batting society over which he now pre-
sides. He is now insisting that parlia
meutary form must be Respected by Con
gressmen who desire 10 interrupt the
orator who has the floor He insists that
there shall be no loa6ng in the aisles,
that smoking must be stopped aud that
courtesy must be shown the member " q
has the floor and is trying TO make him
self heard, I believe our Congress Is the
only legislative body in the world that
has separate desks before each seat like
children il the public schools Sooner
or later doubtless we will adopt the
English plan Of having theamembers sit
on seats without desks and that will
probably do much 10 abate such con-
fnsion as at presents exists. Then the
enlarged House membership will not
seem so unwieldy.
~.
Henry George. Jr., the SON of lis dis
tinguished father, made his first speech
in the House on Tuesday when he an.
nounced himself a free trader and ex-
planned that he had taken mp 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 4
following speech to show that.the Demo
cratic party was urging the reciprocitv