Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 37, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 January 1905 — WASHINGTON GOSSIP [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WASHINGTON GOSSIP

There la a popular impression that the United States Senate is largely composed of men who have been In that body a very long time, if not running back a generation. Thia idea ia dispelled by the facts which show that there are but 17 Senators who were in service prior to 1803. There ire only 0 Senators who have served over 20 years. During the last few years a good many of the men who figured in national affairs during war times and In the 10-year period of reconstruction alter the war have dropped out of public view from one reason or another. Senator Allison is tbe nestor of tbs Senate, having begun his service In 1873. Next in length of service cornea Senator Cockrell, with two years less to his credit, and third, Senator Morgan, who began his senatorial work in 1877, and his present term will not end until 1007, with his re-election practically assured. Then comes Senator Platt, of Connecticut, 1879; Hale, Hawley, Frye and Aldrich, 1881; Cullom, 1883; Teller and Berry, 1885; Bat* Daniel and Stewart, 1887; Galllnger. Hansborough and Proctor, 1891; Lodge and Perkins, 1893. All the balance came in 1595, or since that date. About half the members of the Senate have been sworn in during the past four years, and on the 4th of March the proportion of old Senators will be still smaller, as Senators Cockrell and Haw. ley will both be out of the Senate then.

After being in the courts for 12 year# or more, the Fayerweather will case seems at last to have been settled by the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States that the action of the executors and trustees in dividing the residuary estate among the 20 colleges named in Mr. Fayerweather’# trill was legal. Mr. Fayerweather was a New York leather merchant, who, to the surprise of the people of the city, left an estate valued at $0,000,000. It had not been supposed that he was an unusually, rich man —millionaires hide easily in New York. The amount involved in the suits was $3,500,000. Many of the most" prominent lawyer# In the country were employed several cases, as counsel for the colleges or the heirs at law. The State Department has informed Mrs. Florence Maybrick’s attorney that the British government has strong objections to his client going about the Country on a lecture tour to “expose” the British penal system. The department made it clear to Mrs. Maybrick’# lawyer that the scheme must be abandoned, and all her dates have therefore been canceled. Mrs. Maybrick had planned a comprehensive tour. She had made a lucrative contract with a theatrical agent, and intended to devote her lectures to a discussion of the abuses of British prisons. Unless something now unforeseen prevents, Secretary Hay s remaining In office to the end of President Roosevelt’s coming term, he will have served in that position nearly eleven years, the longest period in history of that office, for only three persons have served for eight years, nnd no one longer than that. Yet there 1# no other in our whole system of government in which continuity of plans of policy Is more important. Diplomacy cannot bo hurried. The average term of Secretaries of State before Mr. Hay has been about three years.

The total vote for President at the last election, according to the canvass of the New York Times, based on official state returns, and on county returns where the state canvass was incomplete, was 13,533,019, which wai about 400,000 less than the vote cast in 1900. President Roosevelt received 7,040,560 against 5,093,891 for Mr. Parker, a plurality of 2,540,009. The vote for other candidates was as follows: Debs, Socialist. 392, 804.: Swallow, Prohibition, 248,411; Watson, People's party, 124,381, and Corregan, Socialist Labor, 33,519. The deadletter office of the United States receives 0,000,000 letters, written by almost as many different people and failing to reach their intended destinations owing to imperfect direction, or lack of stamps, etc. If you get no reply to letters you may know the reason. The safe way is to have printed letter heads with state and postoffice printed return, as many forget to give postoffice and State. According to the Interstate Commerce Commission’s annual report the railways in the United states during the past three years have killed 1,0-H passengers and wounded 21,139. During the same period they have killed 5,883 employes and injured 76,977. This makes a total of G. 927 killed and 98,116 Injured; 103,043 victims in all.

Rural free delivery tiff the malls has beeu so extended that the servlee now costs about $13,000,000 anually, and approximately 12,000,000 people receive the benefit of its facilities. Up to Oct. Ist, 27,138 rural routes bad been established, and there were then 3,859 petitions for new routes pending. These increased facilities c"pjtrlh.uA«**o_ the general lner»Bas«c‘ln"the receipts of the Department by promotr a larger use of the mails.