The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-12-20
CONGRESS DOING
SOME HARD WORK
Cleaning Up the Slate to Leave
Incoming Congress a
Free Hand.
BY Ernest @. Walker.

WASHINGTON, December s.-This
is the year and the season Of the year,
when lot of public noses are at the
grindstone. Particular reference is
bad to, the aggregation of NJ. e 3 in
senate and house assembled. Ten days
have passed with as fine a spectacle of
industry as leisure.loving Washington
often beholds.
Democrats are working, Republicans
are working. Nearly everybody has
something to do at catching up and
achieving No matter that it is routine.
1t is tremendously interesting to some
body, or the work would not remain to
be done. The house is staying in SEES
sion five or six hours day. There is
n scrappy spirit in the hall of repre-
sentatives Men jaw at one another
across the center aisle and take politi-
cal filings, but just the same the house
keeps on grinding.
The dear old senate, too, is humping
itself, five and six hours on six days Of
the week Why9 Oh, the Archibald
Impeachment trial with some other
minor matters. 1t is pretty tough to
sit in ones seat all the afternoon and
into the evening to listen to testimony
that is dreadfully dry and fat, but that
is what the senators are doing. They
are Judges and jurors in determining
whether the ermine shall be stripped
from the shoulders of Robert w. Arch
BALD, circuit Judge. Incidentally it
might be said that nearly all impeach-
ment trials are exceedingly dull and un-
interesting. They do not occur very
often but senators know how tedious
an impeachment is and that is one rea.
son why 1t is so difficult indeed to get
an impeachment trial.
Would Finish Strong.
There is not likely to be any let up
in this industry. The work must be
done and there is lots of it. Some
lazy people, of course, are drifting
along and there is the usual coterie of
senators and members, who failed of
reelection and have lost all interest in
what is going on. There is some pride
in congress to dispose of its tasks well,
Notwithstanding the prospective change
of administration, and the general effort
to do what is to be done as well as
can be, is noticeable. The recent days
have been quickened by the presence in
Washington of an unusual number of
NlSlIOTS. HeSb nave DttH
some one of the several "little con
crosses that assemble here in early
December. The "House of Governors
has been meeting down at Richmond
and some score of Governors have
been in the city, en- route to their
homes. They have added something to
the first week gayety.
Democratic Simplicity.
Governor Marshall, of Indiana, Vice
President. elect, has been making in
quiries about the cost of living at
| Washington. He is a poor man, de-
pendent almost entirely upon his salary
| (Which will be $l2,000) and does not
intend TO run in debt during his four
years incumbency, now just ahead.
The social friends of Vice Presidents
in the last two or three administrations
are rather disappointed at this informa-
ton. 1t is circulated here by one of
Governor Marshall S neighbors at In
dianapolis, that he has decided he must
either live Mt Washington hotel or
rent modest establishment somewhere
on the outskirts of the city. He can
not stand the expenses of large house,
for that would require all his salary.
Former Vice President Fairbanks, who
rented a fine house, just off Farragut
Square and within the minutes walk
of the White House, paid exactly
$4,000 year for rent. 1t was about
that time the salary of the Office was
raised from 5000 to $4,000 but Mr.
Fairbanks is reputed to have spent
about $4,000 year more than the gov
eminent paid him for presiding over the
senate
The late Vice President Sherman, who
succeeded him, was a rich man. Al
though he lived in Washington rather
modestly for many years, while rep
resentatiVe in congress, as Vice Presi
dent he undertook TO live up to the ira
ditions established by Levi p. Morton
during the Harrison administration ant
maintained by Garrett A. Hobart
Colonel Roosevelt, when elected as Vic
President, had house remodeled il
the fashionable section and was prepaT
ing to live on generous scale, al
though not as lavishly as some of hi
predecessors had done.
1t is sixteen years since Washington
saw Vice President living in hote
Adlai T.. Stevenson, who was electe
with Cleveland, lived very simply i
Washington, occupying suite of room
at one of the less expensive, but yer
respectable hotels. He was then, a
now, fairly well to do, but did not wis
to use his money for making grea
social show at Washington,
Officials now set the social pace onl
for the official set at the Capital an
society in the larger sense goes abor
it's way and its pastimes without niue
regard for what the President, the Vic
President, the Speaker OF the house an
other officials, do. And yet an e,
ample of the simple life will be 81
by the higher officials of the next a
ministration. President Wilson is nj
man of wealth and has no wealth
relations. His salary and perquisit
will suffice to support him in great In
ury. If he wishes. but his habits al
those of his family are not expensiv
, There is every Season TO expect Dem