6 
__ 
THE 
National Capital 
Events of pacts from the Seat of 
overnment 
By J..E.,.Jones 
The Breeze Bureau 
Washington, Dec. 2, 1913 
Tue Currency BILL 
The situation in relation to the 
currency legislation appears to have 
clarified, and the measure being sup- 
~ ported by the Democratic majority in 
the Senate, is practically the bill as 
passed by the House. There are a 
good many amendments to the origi- 
nal bill prepared at the instigation of 
President Wilson. Senator Owen 
from now on will jump into added 
prominence as the administration 
leader in the Senate. While Senator 
Hitchcock is the lone Democrat to 
champion the opposition, he is likely 
tc overreach the eminence he attained 
when he arose day after day in the 
House of Representatives demanding 
an investigation of the Interior De- 
partment under Secretary Ballinger. 
It was Hitchcock who drove Ballinger 
out of public life, and did more than 
any other member of Congress to dis- 
i-rupt the Taft adminstration. In those 
days Mr. Hitchcock was fighting his 
political enemies.. .Now he is a 
thorn in the side of his party’s flesh, 
_as the leader of the Republican mem- 
bers in the committee who signed the 
minority report with him. Senator 
Newlands of Nevada and Senator 
Shafroth of Colorado, both Demo- 
crats, jumped into the fray at the 
outset, with amendments to the Dem- 
ocratic bill. ‘The substance of the ob- 
jection by them and other represent- 
atives.of western states is because of 
the lack of regional reserve banks; 
and it is evidently the belief in the 
far west ‘that they are to be slighted 
in the distribution of these regional 
banks. 
SEGREGATION OF THE RACES 
With the advent of the Democratic 
administration and the control of 
Congress by the southern states there 
were a great many charges of segre- 
gation of the races in the depart- 
ments. Immediately following the 
inauguration of President Wilson 
there came to Washington large arm- 
ies of office-seekers from the southern 
states, who felt that inasmuch as 
they had been occupying obscure cor- 
ners for so long, that it was about 
time for them to share in some of 
tthe spoils of victory. Finding that 
there was not room enough for them 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE 
all, there resulted an organization in 
Washington whose object was the 
segregation of the races in govern- 
ment positions. This demand, though 
rather feebly expressed in having as 
it principle champions disappointed 
politicians, likely found some support 
in a number of departments where 
prejudice existed against the negro. 
However, it was dscovered that the 
civil service was rather unwieldly and 
unyielding, and the “segregators” 
gave up the job. Although there still 
remain in Washington a good many 
people who continue to fight the 
struggles of civil war-times, yet the 
indications are that there will not be 
any early revival of efforts toward 
segregation. 
Surr Acatnst U, S. SENATOR 
The ways of rich senators and their 
campaign managers are indeed along 
most rocky routes. The whole country 
knows the story of the election of 
Isaac Stephenson of Wisconsin, 
which brought on an investigation in 
the Senate itself, wherein the multi- 
millionaire -had a close call when it 
cate to the final vote as to his ouster. 
One of the senator’s protegees in 
Washington has been Mr. Rodney 
Sacket, who until recently held a po- 
sition on the Senate clerical force. 
Having lost out along with a good 
many other Republicans whose places 
were wanted by Democrats, Sacket 
has taken up the vocation of suing 
Senator Stephenson for “services 
rendered” during the campaign. Mr. 
Sacket was one of the men who held 
the Stephenson bag in the Wisconsin 
primaries. 
Tue Procress oF THE NATION 
A series of those characteristically 
sensationally articles declaring that 
the eyes of the world rest on the Na- 
tional Capital, and adding that the in- 
dustrial interests are shivering in 
their boots, have made their simul- 
taneous mysterious appearance on 
the front pages of newspapers 
throughout the country, serving to il- 
lustrate that there still remains in the 
vicinity of a little narrow street run- 
ning from Broadway down to the 
East River, a coterie of people who 
have not yet discovered that the 
American people are no longer fright- 
ened by somebody hollering “boo!” 
The hhysteria of the trusts has be- 
come familiar to Washington in the 
past six or seven years, during which 
time the control of government has 
been passing swiftly to the govern- 
ment itself, instead of being a sublet 
privilege of big business. It is a cer- 
tain fact that all political parties in 
Columbia definitely proposed that the 
existence today recognize the need 
for advance legislation, and likewise 
all concur in the need of currency re- 
form. ‘There are natural differences 
of opinion as to the method of arriv 
ing at this, and there are those who — 
do not agree with the Democrats that — 
their bill is anywhere near perfect, 
but the three principle political parties 
are united in desiring to secure the 
best possible legislative results. The 
attitude of the leaders of these great 
political parties assures every reason- 
able protection .to legitimate business, — 
However, “big business” has started 
its backfire in the hopes of checking 
the investigation of trusts which has 
been under way in this country for a 
number of years. The reason for this 
hidden activity is evident since Con- 
gress is determined to pursue federal 
investigation on a more extensive 
scale than has been heretofore known. 
Hence the conflict in which the greed 
of trusts stands for the first time in 
its history unsupported by any sub- 
stantial wing of any political party. 
Want THEIR PANAMA Back —— 
The great big United States has 
been paying little attention to the 
never-ceasing wail of the Republic 
of Columbia, since that eventful day 
when a revolution was started on the 
Isthmus of Panama resulting in less 
than twenty-four hours in an inde- 
pendent republic being recognized 
and protected by the strong arm of 
Uncle Sam, through the action of — 
former President Roosevelt. The po- 
sition taken by President Roosevelt 
was that politicians, capitalists and 
others interested in obstructing the 
progress of the canal were using Col- 
chestnuts out of the fire. Therefore 
Mr, Roosevelt felt justified in taking 
the short cut in establishing an inde- 
pendent government on the Isthmus. 
Columbia has never ceased to press 
its claim against the United States, 
and it is therefore of interest that 
Secretary Bryan has been the first to 
lend an ear to the protesting Colum- 
bian government. It is said that 
United States repudiate the recogni- 
tion of the independence of Panama, 
and permit Columbia to force that 
country back to its old position as a 
province of Columbia. In return Col- 
umbia will then give the United 
States a clear title to the Canal Zone, 
and promise that the hostilities of 
that country against the United 
States will end. Of course, Colum- 
bia will expect a big piece of United 
States currency as a balm for this 
loss of territory, and its injured dig- 
nity. 
