The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1912-03-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Interesting News Items Reported From
The National Capitol.


Washington, D. c., March, 2-The
Rivers and Harbors Committee of
the House, after patient and pains.
taking investigation. with due con.
sideration given to all merltorious
waterway projects, has reported 8
bill carrying twenty-five millions ir
round numbers. While there will
be great disappointment in some sec
tions Of the country over the failure
of the committee to give considera-
ton to projectshaving local bearing,
the bill will be generally acceptable,
as it carries out the principle urged
upon the Federal Congress, for the
past ten years. by the National Rivers
and Harbors Congress, that there
should be an annual river and harbor
bill and that the estimates of the
Army Engineers should be made
with the yearly feature in view. Of
course there will be general regret
that the amount carried by the bill
is not larger. but with the democrats
pledged to economy and retrench-
ment wherever possible, the bill is as
large as could have been expected
The Senate will probably add anoth-
er five millions to the measure bring
ing the amount carried by the bill to
thirty millions or thereabouts.
Although the United States has
expended several million dollars
during the past twenty five years in
preparing a complete indexed roster
of all the troops engaged in the fed
eral and confederate armies during
the civil war the records of the mill
tary service of those who fought in
the revolutionary struggle have ne
yer been compiled.
These data. if made available
would be of unestimable advantag.
70 the Daughters Of the American.
Revolution and other Patriotic Socie
ties and to the end that the records
may be properly assembled and COM
piled Representative Mott, Of New
York city, has introduced a bill to
sum sufficient for the
purpose. The sponsor for the meas
ure is Mrs. John Miller horton, of
f Buffalo, who is the leading candi-
tate for the Office of President Gen
eral of the d. A. R. in the election
next year. AS soon as that lady re-
turns from her home in Buffalo a
hearing on the Mott bill will be ar
ranged and as the Ladies of the or
ganization have many friends in ev-
cry congressional district of the
country it is probable that Congress
will be only too willing to authorize
the expenditure Of the twenty-five
thousand dollars carried by the Mott
bill.
Although the real Presidential |
campaign cannot start until after the
National Conventions there are indi-
cations that the public ear is to be
Jared with the usual doggrel which |
does duty for campaign songs. Be
fore Champ Clark was selected for
Speaker of the 61st Congress wild
story came from Missouri to the eff
feet that he would drive to the Cap
itol behind team of Missouri mules. |
Mr.. Clark promptly and emphatical-
y denied the yarn. Now comes an
other to the OBJECT that a Missouri |
poet (?) has evolved song about a |
houn' dawg which is kicked quite
frequently. 1t is asserted that this
frightful ditty is to be sung at the
Baltimore convention and the CORES
pondent who sends out the yarn de-
clares that it is in the interest of the
speakers campaign for the demo-
cratic nomination.
Campaign songs are fearfully and
made. Maine went |
1ell bent for Tippecanoe and Tyler |
too" did duty in the first Harrison
Lincoln had to bear up
under an aff1iction reciting his vir-
,ues as rail-splitter. A bright but
Misguided federal official in Buffalo |
rot up a lot of lines about ''In the
morning by the bright light, when
Garfield blows his trumpet in the
of 1880. After singing it
! few times the "Three-Naught-
Six and the Boys in Blue revolted
and new tune was concocted. In
1888 someone, taking for his cue Bob |
.ngersoll's speech nominating Blaine
wrote fairly decent song about
following where the White Plume
Waves" but it was set to music on
he order of the Dead March in
sual," it was to Salt River instead of
% the White House, that the White
Plume" led the way.
Probably the best remembered
song in recent years was