The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1912-06-04
NEWS NOTES
From the Nations Capital, of Interest to
West VirginianS.
(By George w. Summers)

Democratic House of Represen-
tatives has been doing more for
the people of West Virginia in
the last week while the Repub-
lican Senate has tried to undo
some of the things which the
House has been endeavoring to
accomplish. T h e Democratic
majority in the House has decid-
ed that so far as the House is
concerned there shall be no tolls
charged for the passage of Amer
lean vessels through the Panama
Canal. A bill to this effect has
passed the House and will become
law if the Senate concurs in it.
West Virginia ought to become
one of the greatest users of the
Panama Canal. The West Viz
ginia coal which will be shipped
down the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers can be taken through the
Canal to markets on the Pacific
Coast at cost which will enable
it to compete with all Goals in
that part of the United States.
Ii tolls were to be charged by the
United States for taking vessels
through the Canal, the Canal
would be practically useless, SO
far as West Virginia is concern
ed, for it would place a prohibi-
tive freight rate on coal shipped
to the far West. There was con-
siderable opposition to the propo-
sition for free tolls for American
vessels. But the West Virginia
Democrats in Congress and other
members of the Democratic
House decided it would not be
best to charge any tolls to Amer
lean vessels passing through the
Canal, and passed the bill with a
provision for the free transpor-
tation of all American vessels
through the Canal.
While the House with it's Dem
ocratic majority was putting
through this bill for the benefit
of West Virginia and it's coal in
dustry, the Senate was engaged
In cutting out all the appropria-
tons which had been made by
the House to pay what are known
as the war claims to residents of
West Virginia and several other
states. The House passed a bill
appropriating about $3.50, 900 to
pay the claims of some sixty or
more West Virginians for DANA
ges to property taken or destroy
ed by union soldiers during the
Civil War. With the exception
of about six items in the bill ev-
cry appropriation for West
Virginia war claims was stricken
from the bill by the Senate Com
mittee. The larger number Of
claimants under this bill were
churches of almost every denom-
ination, whose buildings had been
occupied, damaged and in some
cases practically destroyed by
the Union soldiers. Most of
these churches are struggling
for an existence and in the opin-
ion of the House they were emit
tied to relief from the Govern
ment. But the Senate Commit
tee appointed by a Republican
| Vice-President and with a ma
jority of Republican members
has decided that the Govern
ment shall not pay these churches
or individuals for the damages
done by it's soldiers, regardless
of what the House might think
of the matter.
~
The indications from West
Virginia are that the hackers of
Theodore Roosevelt for the Presi-
dency are working hard to get
the same old bunch of Roosevelt
appOintees back into office.
Gov. Glasscock, who instituted
the Roosevelt movement in West
Virginia, was collector of Inter
nal Revenue by appointment OF
President Roosevelt and doubt.
less he expects to be reappointed
to the same position in the event
of the ColonePs election. Cen
eral G. ID. Elliott was Marshall
by the grace OF Theodore 1, and
it is understood that he will be