Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 August 1902 — WASHINGTION GOSSIP [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WASHINGTION GOSSIP

Mr. Ware, the commissioner of pensions, received a letter from a man in Illinois a few days ago which read: “I am now getting a pension of S2O a month. Recently the Lord has prospered me, and I do not think I should get so much money. I gave my services to the country, and I thiiJk I should have some pension, of course, but I think S2O a month is too much. Is there any way I can have my pepsio’j reduced or suspended while I enjoy the prosperity that is mine at present?” This is the only request for a reduction of pension ever received by the bureau. It was referred to the pension examiner in the district in which the man lived, who reported as follows: "I have the honor to inform you that the person who .applied for a reduction in his pension is now in the insane asylum at this place, and has been for some time.” All members of the Cabinet who are able to spl-ak will be On the stump this fall, at the request of President Roosevelt, who himself will make several campaign speeches. Secretary Shaw will speak in Maine and will close the campaign in lowa. Secretary Moody will deliver several addresses in Massachusetts and other New England States. Secretary Hay is preparing a careful speech to be given wide publicity during the campaign. Secretary Root, upon his return from abroad, will go to the Northwest for a brief tour. Secretary Wilson will speak in lowa, Illinois, Indiana and other middle Western States. Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock and ’ Payne have not the gift of public speaking, and will not appear on the stump. Postmaster General Payne, however, will act as a political manager. On either side of the United States Senate chamber is an ancient snuffbox —one for Republicans and one for Democrats. The boxes are a survival of the old-time habit of snuff taking, which was almost universal iu the eighteenth century among persons of fashion and public men. The habit persisted well through the first half of the nineteenth century, but during the past fifty years snuff has gone out of style. The Senate boxes, however, remain, and it appears that they are kept filled. Senator Vest of Missouri and Senator Harris of Kansas, who formerly used the boxes occasionally, have broken off the habit, and Senator Pettus is now their solitary patron. He is the last of the snuff takers in that historic body at least. Count Cassini, the Russian ambassador to this country, is a confirmed cigarette smoker. Once he contracted nicotine poisoning by his excessive smoking and for a couple of weeks was near to death’s door. Nothing daunted, he resumed smoking as soon as he got well and he and the cigarette are now inseparable. Years ago, when on a diplomatic mission in China, he used to use between ninety and 109 cigarettes a day and used 400,000 of them during his stay in that country. In accordance with a decision made by the government a year ago, that pneumatic dynamite guns should no longer be used in the defense of New York harbor and San Francisco, the government has sold for $20,000 to private purchasers the pneumatic gun plant at Sandy Hook, which cost $1,000,000. The ordnance department claims to have found something better to take its place. President Roosevelt signifies his intention of going to Mississippi next fall to enjoy a bear hunt with Gov. Longino. In Tallahatchie County, where Gov. Longino's plantation is located, bears are so plentiful that the fanners are organizing bear hunts as a source of protection to their stock. This is assurance that the President will have rare sport so long as he cares to indulge in it. It is said that Senator Clark, the copper king Senator, is very fond of singing. He has a mild parlor tenor, and people who have heard it say they like it. When he warbles "I Am Dreaming. Ever Dreaming, as the Night Wind Croons Its Lay,” it is claimed that the listeners even go so far as to murmur, "Isn’t it sweet?" and “What an exquisite method!”

An order issued by the treasury officials extends to Chicago commercial interests the. privilege of depositing funds in the sub-treasury there for payment in New Orleans on the telegraphic notice of such deposits. The object of the order is to facilitate transactions in cotton operations, and it places Chicago on t-qnal footing with New Y’ork as a center of financial exchange. Secretary of the Navy Moody has decided that the press correspondence shall not be favored with reports of the army and navy maneuvers. He thinks this plan will be valuable in bringing to light news leaks and in testing official vigilance in preserving the secrecy of the maneuvers. It is quite probable that the signal corps of the army will use a system of wireless telegraphy in the coming joint army and naval maneuvers. Gen. Greely has designated a special army board to consider the matter. The government has decided to build its first wireless telegraph station on the Navesink highlands of New Jersey. With such a station the Navy Department will be able to communicate with ships many miles at sea. The civil service commission lias announced an amendment to the civil service regulations, providing a punishment for government employes who shall attempt to secure promotion by menus of influence. It has been announced from Washington that there is notv no likelihood of nn extra session of Congress. The President will negotiate a reciprocity treaty with Cuba nnd ask Congress to ratify it when U meets in December.