Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-03-20
WASHINGTON LETTER
Weekly Letter From Our Special
Correspondent.
NEWS FROM THE CAPITAL.
Brief Items of Interest to Iowa PeO-
pie, Written by an Iowa
Man.

Washington, D. C. March 1S, '12
The agricultural appropriation bill
Carrying $1,000, 900, has passed the
house.
The new anti-eavesdropping device
for telephones is going to be very
unpopular innovation on some rural
lines.
Be careful boys! A Brockton
maiden fed a poor fellow fudge and
weIch rabbit and then popped the
question and was accepted while he
was still groggy.
Representative Smith, of New
York, has introduced a bill to compel
registration of all lobbyists and the
filing of detailed statement of their
expenses after each session.
A Georgia man has appealed to
Attorney General Wickersham for a
decision as to whether there is any
law to justify fine imposed upon
him for trying to kill himself with
his own gun in his own house.
BY vote of PA to SO, the house
on Saturday passed the pension bill,
overriding Representative Rodden-
berry, of Georgia, who had exerted
all the tricks of the expert filibuster-
er during the previous day, OBTAINING
the house until late hour.
Chairman Adamson of the house
committee on interstate commerce
has introduced a bill providing for
a valuation of all the common car
riers of the United States. by the In
terstate Commerce Commission to
discover the original investment and
its growth.
The two New Jersey young ladies
who asked the Oshkosh (Wis.) post
master to help them find cowboy
correspondents are fair examples of
the provincial easterner who believes
that the Indian and the cowboy are
r still whooping it up in all the coun-
try west of the Ohio.
Hearings on the resolutions intro
duced in the senate and house pro-
vidfng for an amendment to the con-
stitution granting suffrage to women
were given the National American
Woman's Suffrage Association, and
the two committees were addressed
by various male and female forwar-
ders of the movement
Tne bill for the government of
the Panama Canal Zone and the op-
Grafton of the canal has been agreed
by the house committee on inter-
state commerce. Under it's provis-
ions the president would have au-
thomty to fix tolls within certain
limitations, a maximum of $1.25 a
ton being prescribed, with a mini
mum not below an amount suffic-
lent to maintain and operate the
canal. No preference would be CIV
en- TO American ships.
Fer the purpose of preserving for
the benefit of future generations the
costumes worn by notable women of
the social and official life of Wash
ington, movement has been start
ed to secure a collection for the Nat
ioAsl Museum. This collection would;
supplement a large and valuable one,
already In the museum, which con-
tairs distinctive costumes worn by
American women from the earliest
settlement of the colonies, but in
which there are many generation
gaps to be filled.
By vote of So to 26 the senate
has confirmed the nomination of
Mahlon Pitney, of New Jersey. to be
court, to succeed late Justice Harlan.
A vigorous fight had been waged
against the confirmation. based prin-
cipally upon the candidates decision
in a glass blowers strike case, and
the favorable vote was secured only
at the fourth executive session. Sem
ators Cummins and Kenyon voted
against the confirmation.
IN advocating single presiden-
tial term of six years, Senator Works
OF California, takes the view that
{ the American people should be spar
ed the "humiliating spectacle of
President travelling up and down the
country guarded by an army officer
and detectives, making political
speeches and urging his own re-elec-
ton" The senator declared 1t to
be IAN evil and wholly inexcusable
custom by which the great office OF
president of the United States Is
brought down to the level of self
seeking politics and personal appeals
for office"
TAe familiar bracketed loud APP