—_——— 
THE : 
National Capital 
Events of yrorest eee the Seat of 
By J. E. Jones 
The Breeze Bureau 
Washington, March 10, 1914 
An Hour In The Senate 
It was the last hour of the last 
day of the week, and the Senators 
were weary with the debate which 
had for days brought under consid- 
eration everp phase of the manage- 
ment of our great postoffice system. 
Senator Cummins was urging an 
amendment to curtail the one-man 
power of the Postmaster General, 
and at the conclusion of his speech 
an attempt was made to present a 
rolleall for fear it would disclose 
that a quorum was not present. 
From somewhere came Reed of Mis- 
souri, evidently suffering from a 
grouch, and he had hardly reached 
the chamber before he began to talk. 
There was a snarl] in his voice and 
he intimated that the express com- 
panies were using Senators to tie 
up the ‘‘parcels post,’’ which now- 
adays among polite Senators is plain 
*‘pnarcel post.’’ Poindexter of 
Washington got in a point of order, 
and in discussing it had a great deal 
to say about the ‘‘Senator from lIo- 
way,’’ with decided accent on the 
‘““way.’’ ‘‘Uncle Ike’’ Stephenson 
of Wisconsin had found a map of 
the United States and Mexcio at the 
rear of the room, and he was study- 
ing the southwest corner in a man- 
ner that might lead to the suspicion 
that he was looking for the white 
pine forest that would net him an- 
other million. Of course he was 
chewing gum, as he is seldom with- 
out his cud. Possibly he was pon- 
dering over his vote, a sacred thing 
with him, since the Senatorial vo- 
cabulary of the octogenarian has 
been limited from the outset to 
‘*aye”’ and ‘‘no,’’ and if he ever had 
a word or thought beyond that it 
has never been expressed, not when 
the Senate was threatening him with 
the boot. 
Meanwhile Reed continued to 
rant, and Cummins was holding on 
with both hands to keep himself 
from jumping over his desk. As 
Cummins proceeded with his reply, 
Reed grew redder and redder. It 
was the second time in two days 
that the Missourian had _ been 
‘*called,’’ and he followed the Iowa 
Senator, and made the ‘‘amende 
honorable’’ in truly distinguished 
Senatorial style. 
_ bestowed upon the ‘‘blind Senator.’ 
._back-number 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE 
Senator Gore, fresh from the 
tumultous scenes of an Oklahoma 
court room, attracted more than the 
customary attention which is always 
? 
Bankhead of Alabama, in charge of 
the bill, arose to admit that he ‘‘was 
in the same condition he often found 
himself, in that he hardly knew 
what to do.’’ But everybody smiled 
geood-naturedly, and gave their sym- 
pathy to the farmer-statesman, 
whose sentences would have been 
roundly complete if he had only had 
a straw in his mouth. Finally there 
was a rolleall, and in the midst of 
it Pitchfork Tillman stumbled into 
the room, tines all bent, twisted and 
busted. At the exact moment of his 
entrance the clerk called his name 
on the roll; and South Carolina’s 
econfusedly asked: 
‘‘What is it?’’ ‘‘Vote ‘no,’ respond- 
ed a Democratic colleague, where- 
upon Tillman said ‘‘no,’’ and the 
Senate smiled again. . 
The amendments having all been 
disposed of the struggle was over. 
Everyone was ready to pass the bill. 
‘* All in favor of the passage of the 
bill will say ‘aye,’ ’’ announced the 
Vice President. ‘‘Those opposed 
will say ‘no,’ The bill is passed.’’ 
Not a single voice had responded to 
either request. Silence must still 
be golden; anyhow the old rule that 
‘silence gives consent’’ was in- 
voked. The postoffice bill appro- 
priating more than $314,000,000 was 
finished. 
A half dozen Senators sprang to 
their feet with matters to press. 
Some one moved to adjourn. The 
Chair put the motion. Plainly 
enough the adjournment was lost. 
Vice President Marshall glanced 
for a moment at the clock, straight- 
ened out the kinks in his legs, and 
looked at the disappearing pages 
who seemed to have no doubt that 
Mr. Marshall would stand by their 
decision to quit. A naughty twin- 
kle sparkled in his eyes, seeming to 
imply that he wanted his supper; 
whereupon the Vice President an- 
nounced: ‘‘The ‘ayes’ have it—the 
Senate is adjourned.’’ 
No Time For Political Anemia. 
American diplomacy is receiving 
severe tests, and whether it will be 
suspended in the air as the result 
of jockeying Mexicans and canal 
treaties that bind, remains to be 
seen. However, the difficulties at 
the White House and the State De- 
partment are such that there is no 
place in the Administration for any- 
one with political anemia. Colonel 
Goethals says that the United States 
3 
government will not be affected by 
extending universal treatment to 
the boats of all nations, and he adds 
that the steamship companies are 
-the only ones vitally concerned in 
the controversy. And President 
Wilson tells the country to ‘‘keep 
cool’’ and help him bring Mexico 
to terms, without intervention. 
Woodrow Is Boss ’Round Here. 
A year ago on March fourth 
Woodrow Wilson arrived in Wash- 
ington. In the twelve months he 
has been in office he has held a 
mastery over Congress that no 
president has wielded before. Great 
constructive legislation has been en- 
acted precisely in the manner in 
which he dictated it. His master 
mind has directed the course of 
every phase of government. People 
may differ in their estimate of 
Woodrow Wilson; and may ap- 
prove or disapprove of his policies, 
but they all know who rules the 
roost. Dignitaries of high degree 
who at first were inclined to argue 
have been accomodated by a ruler 
who has been able to talk them to 
sleep without sign of fatigue; and 
they have quietly submitted to one 
of the most absolute leaderships 
that ever existed in America. 
Efficiency Versus the Pork Barrel. 
An energetic attack is being made 
in Congress upon the marble pal- 
aces being built throughout the 
country for postoffices, and it is 
urged that in this busy commercial 
age ‘‘we need workshops in which 
to conduct the postal business.’’ 
Likewise, the advance of the parcel 
post and the great growth of the 
country make it imperative that 
there be more energetic methods 
in constructing public buildings. 
Throughout the country buildings 
authorized several years ago have 
not yet been started; and the gov- 
ernment’s architects in Washington 
must be a dreamy sort, as it is 
claimed that that branch of the gov- 
ernment is five or six years behind 
in its work. <A big movement is 
being agitated in Congress to stand- 
ardize methods that will result in 
‘ buildings for cities that are entitled 
to them, and to prescribe their class. 
Art is being invited to take a back 
seat, and pork barrel methods are 
expected to decline in competition 
with the more modern idea of the 
maximum of efficiency in choosing 
sites and in the construction of 
buildings. 
Two may live on what one may 
spend foolishly. 
