Evening star., 1924-03-05
January IA, 1918.

You are mistaken in thinking ]
have a great deal of leisure time. The
committee Of which / am one gen.
and I have business from abroad daily
flowing in. in behalf of widows and
children Of deceased soldiers. post
office complaints, etc, and letters on
business to answer. all Of which
amounts to u heavy tax on my time.
I'VE have been busily engaged in
the discussion of John Anderson s
case and have not yet come to con-
clusion upon It, 1t Is admitted on all
hands that the attempt to corrupt the
integrity of the House. by Offering q
bribe to one Of its members. is a most
ought to be repelled with indignation.
but it is denied by certain individuals
that Congress has any power to COM
NIT or punish for the alleged con-
tempt Of it's rights and privileges.
This question has given rise to an
has occupied the better part OF six
days. Tomorrow 1t is expected the
discussion will close, and the right OF
the House to protect itself from in
suit and indignity solemnly decided.
1 consider it shameful that q mo-
ment's hesitation should have been
made over a question SO directly IN.
volving the purity of legislation and
the vital interests and principles OF
government. I hope. however. that
the farce is nearly at an end. and
that we shall show to the world by a
handsome majority that bribery and
corruption will find no advocate with
in the walls of the national legiSla-
sure. AS to punishment (as the Of
fense has not been committed against
Ioy
that, but / would deter others from
following the pernicious example of
John Anderson by asserting and en-
forcing the rights OF the House TO
protect itself by confining or restrain
ing the offender, so as to prevent
repetition of the attempt.
"For three or four days past we nave
had very cold weather, and the Potomac
is again frozen over. But we have had
no snow yet and sleighing Is hardly
known here.
"On Saturday dined with his excel
Iency Mr.. Dickenvil1e in company with
about twenty ladies and gentlemen.
Those that now recollect were Senator
Smith and lady (Senator William Smith
of South Carolina). Mr.. George w.
a senator, Mr.. Forney Daniel NJ. For
new of North Carolina) and lady; Messrs
Daegett, Pitkin, Holmes. Talmadge,
Anderson, Westerlo (Senator Rensse-
laer Westerlo Of New York;. Palmer
(Senator William Adams Palmer OF Ver-
monty, Torrey, etc. The first course
consisted Of meats cooked IN different
WAYS. each dish on q platter OF solid
silver being placed on large round Sill
yer covered dishes filed with hot wa
ter. plates of white china edged with
gold and silver knizes and forks. The
next course consisted of q great variety
of confectionery. sweetmeats, etc. on
white plates edged with gold and broad
blue border. The third course was COM
posed OF fruit and a small pig, I would
saw a week or ten days old. Whether 1t
was brought on by mistake cannot
say, but l believe that no one ate OF 1t.
The knives, forks and spoons were
now of pure gold, handles as well as
blades. In the center OF the table
stood q long oval silver tray. beautt-
fully polished, and about flve feet by
two, and raised perhaps two inches
from the table. In the center OF this
was a. flower pot Of porcelain or white
marble tastefully adorned with artif1-
cial flowers in great profusion and lux
urancy. and all around 1t near the outer
edges were several other flower pots
filled with artificial flowers Of great
beauty.
male figures of white marble abou,
eight inches high, and on pedestais
kneeling with them with their hands
| on their heads they supported each
basket with raisine and almonds, etc
Ion retiring from the table we assem-
| bled in the drawing room FOR the eve
lining, separating at 10.
"On Sunday afternoon ! rode With
lMr. Pitkin to Georgetown to visit