Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-05
House Members Noncommit-
tai on Inauguration Festival.
LEADERS ARE MYSTERIOUS
Their Possible Stand on Use Of Pen
sion Building Not Intimated.
FIERCE PROTESTS
Many Democrats Strenuously OPP
posed Any Such Foolish Frivolity
in President Taft's Honor.

There is no telling at this date just
which way the House of Representatives
! will vote on the matter of the pension
. Office as an inaugural ball site. Many
democrats who protested long and loud
against any such frivolity. as they termed
81. for President Taft. are not going to
make any such protests this year. One
OF the loudest DIRECTORS January IL,
1909 when the matter was being dis
. cussed in the House. was Representative
. Thetus ". Sims of Tennessee. He was
so much opposed to the use of the PEN
sion office as ballroom that he con-
sumed pages of the Record in spreading
his various ways of saying he did not
think ii a proper thing.
Resolution Attacked.
Representative Samuel W. Smith, then
chairman of the District committee.
brought the matter up in the form of a
. resolution which covered very nearly
everything needed by the inaugural COM
mittee. No sooner had the resolution
shown its head than people began to
bang at it. First. democrats began to
assail ii with the statement that the
pension Office would lose $4,000 in wages
il the building were to be turned over to
decorators for twenty days. Then there
was much talk about the building not
being fireproof until some one sprung
the now classic remark of Gen. Sher-
idan, that 1.-The one regrettable feature
about the building was that it was fire.
proof.
Representative Fitzgerald's name does
not appear in the historic fight against
the use of the pension Office in January,
ioOa He Will undoubtedly have much to
say about the matter this year. as the
chances are the appropriations committee
will be called on to attend to the matter.
He said Yesterday that he thought he
had troubles enough without having that
added. but. he sighed. If he had to take
hold. he would. The Brooklyn statesman
believes that he has always voted against
the pension office as ballroom.
And" he added. II don't care what
any one thinks about it. If voted against
II then, I'll have to vote against 1t now
Vote Not Recorded.
Happily. perhaps. the vote which au-
thorized the use of the pension office. was
not recorded.
The former inaugural committee an
swered the cry that the pension office
would lose SOS, COO in wages by the follow
ing statement. which Representative Smith
had printed in the Record:
The suggestion of the commissioner of
pensions to the cost to the government
in the enforced idleness of the pension
Office force during the occupancy Of the
building for this purpose Is in the view
OF the committee met by the plain an
swer that such force, is continuing in
service and as the work of the bureau
is now substantially up to date the sug-
gested loss is not real-such as would &C.
cur in a manufacturing plant. where the
output ceases when the employees are
idle
Sims on Warpath.
Representative Sims said during the
discussion:
Il wish the members of the House to
disabuse their minds of the supposed
fact that this is any part of the official
inaugural ceremony. 1t has nothing to
do with It, I imagine the President
would feel a great relief If he did not
have to go over there and show himself
that night in order to induce people to
pay So for the opportunity of seeing
him
Later Representative Sims grew elo-
quent over the fact that there are gov
eminent documents in the pension office.
old soldiers records. and stories of hard
ship. herOism and death He drew a
picture of the gayeties of the ball. with
the wonderfully gowned ladies, and the
soft enticing of the waltzs strains, and
then. standing dramatically with his back
to the stenographers, as he most always
does. announced:
Don't let us dance over the delayed
claims of the old soldiers of this coun-
try
Lands Takes Issue.
Representative Lands was there, and
appreciated the word picture. He arose
and pointed a finger at Representative
Sims. saying he did so:
There are many people who come here
tn inanplIral hall Sha1l
never forget the time I saw the gentle
man from Tennessee dancing to the in
spring strains of a Strauss waltz float
ing rhythmically down that great hail.
Any one who has seen Mr.. Sims knows
that Is not so. Mr.. Sims himself said
If the gentleman thinks he ever saw
me there doing anything of the kind. the
gentleman was not in condition to
know what he did see.
Clark Against Ball.
Representative Champ Clark had clear
idea and had no trouble in expressing 1t.
He was simply opposed to an inaugural
ball. What he said. In addition. was:
Tho President OF the United States
ought to be inaugurated in the House of
Representatives. That is where he was
be inaugurated there now. The circum-
stances Of the country with It's progress
and growth will bring larger and larger
crowds to each succeeding Inauguration
as long as the republic exists.
III we were going to inaugurate a
democratic President here March there
would be at least 10000 visitors and they
would not be asking for tnything ex-
cept a chance TO spend their money
.'And to get job interposed Phi
Campbell of Kansas.
Praises People Here.
II think the people of Washington are
the most sociable people In the world, the
kindest. the most accommodating. None
Of them has ever gouged me In prices.
have no complaint on that score. Blu,
the fact that they are SO kind and polite
il one reason why they are always get
ting things out Of Congress that they
have no business to get
Now coming down to the question be
fore the House. / am dead against It.
That Is all there IS to that. WIN Mr.
Clark oppose IT vigorously now?
But there are many men In the HOUSE
who simply will not say a word about
the matter now because they cannot gel
q line on what the leaders will do. ant
because there Is no one who Is willing II
speak for Gov. Wilson as to his wishes.
Finger Torn Of in Press.
While working on . press In the ma
chine shop at I'd and K streets 0outhwes
yesterday afternoon GustAve Kramer
seventeen years old. residing at ~ It'll
~