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The Commoner.
VOLUME j, NUMBER 34
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WHATEVER THE INTENTION OR PURPOSE
of tho Colombian senate in disapproving of
me troaty, wo arc told by the Washington cor
robpondent for tho Philadelphia Public Ledger
that it is recognized by this government that tho
effect is equivalent to rejection and that the
president will therefore proceed further in accord
ance with tho act passed at the last session of
congress. Tho Public Ledger correspondent ex
plains: "The act of congress upon which tho
treaty is based, and which provides for the con
struction of an isthmian cnnal, also provides that
In the event of the president being unable to se
cure from Colombia control of the. necessary ter
ritory 'within a reasonable time and upon reason
able terms,' ho shall take certain steps that aro
specified, and 'shall, through the aid of the said
isthmian canal commission, cause to be excavated
and constructed a ship canal and waterway by
what is known as tho Nicaragua route. With this
mandate of the law, and tho practic.il rejection
of tho treaty by Colombia, this government is dis
posed to regard the 'reasonable time' specified in
tho act as having become exhausted, and, there
fore, steps aro being taken to comply with the
altoraative proposition authorized by tho act to
construct a canal through Costa Rica and
Nicaragua."
T IS SAID THAT SECRETARY HAY HAS
invited certain senators and representatives
l'j a conferenco to be held in Washington, at
which conference tho canal question will be con
sidered. The act of congress provides that tho
president must obtain for tho United States per
petual control by treaty of the necessary territory
in Costa Rica and Nicaragua for tho canal before
beginning the work of construction. This -concession
has already beeu obtained from the two
countries named in protocols agreed upon between
them and tho United States in December, 1900:
The Public Ledger Correspondent says: "Tho
canal treaty was ratified by the United States
senate only after a protracted debate rind after
thorough consideration of the amount of money
to -be paid and the extent of the jurisdiction to be
exercised by tho United States over the territory
to be traversed by the canal. Tho disapproval of
the treaty by tho Colombian senate was mainly on
the ground that its requirements in the matter of
transfer of territorial jurisdiction or sovereignty
could not be legally granted, and the negative ac
tion of the Colombian senate was coupled with a
measure providing for a joint committee to give
further consideration to this question, in the
expectation that the alleged constitutional bar-
rier would be removed. It is recognized here
that this movement, however sincere, involves
great delay, and that it Is by no means certain
that the settlement will be favorable to the re
quirements of the United States. Moreover, tho
existing feeling in the states of Panama and" Cau
ca, which is one of general discontent bordering
on revolution over the rejection of the treaty,
tends to discourage further efforts to induce Co
lombia to grant the required concessions. With
a revolution In Panama having for its object a
separation from Colombia and the establishment
of an Independent republic, this government could
not enter upon the work of building a canal, at
least until there should be a permanent settlement
of tho strife and tho country restored to order."
TIMOTHY KECK, A PROMINENT MANUFAC
turer at Johnstown, N. Y., recently gave to
a correspondent for" the St. Louis Republic some
Interesting statements with respect, to the con
nection of Congressman Littauer with various
contracts obtained from the government. In his
Interview with the Republic correspondent, Mr.
Keck deliberately charged thid member of con
gress with conspiring with himself and others to
keep the price on gloves for the army at an un
necessarily high figure. Mr. Keck challenges an
Investigation of the charges ho makes and says
that ho is willing to make affidavit of the truth
fulness of his statements. He expresses the hope
that the investigation into tho Littauer contracts
will be thorough and he gives the names of vari-'
ou8 manufacturers in gloves and others whom ho
says can furnish information that will bo of
value if tho investigation is not. to bo for white
washing purposes.
PREVIOUS TO 1896, WHEN MR. LITTAUER
was first sent to Washington as a member
of congress, Mr. Keck had been a contractor deal
ing with the government. Tho Republic corre
spondent says: "In ten years he had twenty-five
contracts for supplying gloves and caps for the
army, every one of the contracts having been
obtained after an open competition and an award
ing to the lowest bidder. Since 1896 he has had
only three minor contracts, .tr- 'ugh on several oc
casions he has submitted a bid lower than that,
of his competitors. He charges that favoritism
has been shown, and that though it Is impossible
to prove that it Las been done at tho suggestion
of Mr. Littauer, contracts have been awarded to
men who are little more than Littauer's dummy,
at figures above those submit tc. by other bidders.
He gives dates to prove what ho says and he
furnished the figures."
JO ?
IT IS POINTED OUT BY THIS SAME CORRE
spondent that "at present Mr. Keck is not
permitted to bid for government supplies because
of his having entered into a combination with
other bidders who put a certain price on a lot of
caps for the army." In his interview with the
Republic correspondent, Mr. Keck exhibited letters
showing that Congressman Littauer had sent him
at least one check as a reward for fixing a bid
for a lot of gloves at a figure that would not in
terfere with the bid made by William Topp, whose
factory at Johnstown, N. Y., it is claimed, is
practically owned by Congressman Littauer. Mr.
Keck says that all he asks is that there be a
thorough and impartial investigation. He says
that he was fairly successful until Mr. Littauer
was sent to congress and he declares that the
present expose is the result of an attempt by
Littauer to obtain through the courts tho profits
accruing from certain contracts which, under the
laws of tho country, Mr. Littauer had no right
to have any interest in.
MR. KECK EXHIBITED TO THE REPUBLIC
correspondent the originals, of a number of
contracts that he had obtained from the govern
ment before Mr. Littauer became influential as a
member of congress, and producing other papers
relating to tho period since 1896, Mr. Keck said:
"Here are the contracts I have succeeded in ob
taining since 1896. Hard times came upon me
and I even went to Mr. Littauer, asking him to
give me the same privileges he gave to men out
side tho district I told him that I would do the
work at the same figure that others did it and
though it was a mere pittance, he refused to do
that until ho learned that I l ght cut under his
prices. Then he sent for and he paid mo either
not to bid or to put my figure lu as ho directed.
For some time I did not realize what was hap
pening, then I say that Mr Littauer was in the
business for all there was in it, and I went to him
to ,see if I couldn't get a share of the work. That
.was more than three years ago, when there was
a gool contract to be let. I saw Mr. Littauer in
the presence of William Topp, who has since died.
I talked with, him about the contract, but nothing
came of it Mr. Topp obtained the contract
Previous to 1900, E. R. Lyon had been tho bid
der for Mr. Littauer, tho presen . disclosures, as I
have said, resulting from their falling out. Mr.
Lyon was the principal in the bankruptcy pro
ceedings and Mr. Littauer objected to his being
discharged, that Mr. Lyon owed him a large
amount of money, about $18,000. Then Lyon's
books were taken into court and it was quickly
demonstrated that Mr. Littauer had been deriving
the profits in the contracts with the government.
Well, after Mr. Littauer got through with Mr.
Lyon he took up Mr. Topp. It happened that a
contract was to be let in August, 1900, and Mr.
Littauer learned that I intended to bid. He sent
for mo and asked me to keep out I agreed to
do so on his terms. The contract was awarded
to Mr. Topp, August 17, 1900, and just ten days
later Mr. Littauer sent me his check for $400 in
payment for doing as he suggested."
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AT THE SMALL VILLAGE OF OBER-EIOH-wald,
in Bohemia, is to be found a church
building which was first bull' In Venice and then
taken to pieces and transferred to its present lo
cation. A cablegram to the Chicago Inter-Ocean
under date of Prague, August 16, says: "Prince
Clary Aldringen, who is lord of the manor ot
Ober-Elchwald, admired very greatly the church of
the Madonna dell' Orta ia Venice, and by his or
ders an exact model was built in Venice, and then
in sections transferred to Bohemia, where it was
erected. The building is 170 feet long, and the
tower 160 feet high. Veronese marble and Istrian
limestone have been used in the construction of
the church, which is an exact copy of the Vene
tian original."
tf iff
ONE OF THE INSTITUTIONS OF THE POST
ofiice department in Russia is known as tho
"black cabinet." The St. Petersburg correspon
dent of tho Chicago Chronicle says: "The 'black
cabinet,' long in existence in Russia, has been re
organized and enlarged and a part of the postal
and telegraph building has been assigned to it,
where letters will be sent up by elevator as fast
as they arrive. The 'bureau of exploration' ia
divided into three sections. The first, under Mr.
Rentzky, will examine letters from foreign coun
tries; the second, under Mr. Dragonnow, will look
after Russian letters, and the third, under Mr.
Faber, will watch over letters and packages leav
ing the country. Every compromising letter will
be submitted to the police. There is In the 'black
cabinet' a register containing the names of all
the persons who receive or send letters suspected
of being treasonable."
PERHAPS FEW PEOPLE KNOW THAT
there is one place in the world where the
sun sets twice daily. 'This place is said to be at
Leok, in Staffordshire, England. Tho Chicago
Tribune, which tells the story, pays: "The rea
son of this is that a jagged mountain is situated
to the west of the town, and in the evening the
sun sets behind' it and darkness comes on. Then
is tho first sunsot, the gas lamps are lit, and
apparently night has set in. But it has not, for
in the space of an hour or so the sun reappears
again through the opening at the side of tho
mountain and daylight again appears. Artificial
lights are extinguished and daylight again pre
vails until the sun descent below the opening
and the second sunset follows and night comes to
stay."
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THE STORY OF AN INTERESTING RELIG
is told by a correspondent of the Boston
'ju-anscrlpt in this way: "At the office of the
Pacific coast secretary of tho American Board
may be seen the first Morning Star Bible. Octo
ber 12, 1866, this Bible was given to the Morning
Star, the far-famed missionary ship of the Pa
cific sea, by the children of Rev. Charles J. and
Martha T. Hill of Gloversvi-ie, N. Y., 'in grateful
remembrance of deliverance in shipwreck, June
, 22, 1866.' It bears on the fly-leaf the scriptural
Inscription: 'For thou hast delivered my soul from
death, mine eyes from tears and my feet from
falling.' Further inscriptions are: 'Saved from
the wreck of the second Moruhig Star, October
18, 1869. Transferred to the third Morning Star,
July 22, 1871.' 'Saved from the wreck of the third
Morning Star, February 22, 1884. Transferred to
the fourth Morning Star, June 22, 1885. Trans
ferred to the Carrie and Annie, June 7, 1903.' A
few weeks ago the Carrie and Annie was leased
to a San Francisco shipping firm for several
months and this Bible was brought to Congrega
tional headquarters in San Francisco. Along with
the Bible was brought the old Morning Star Al
bum, which contains pictures of many of tho
captains, some of the missionaries, and American
Board secretaries. These books will be disposed of
as tho board may order."
GREAT EFFORT IS BEING MADE TO SECURE
accurate maps of the different sections of
the Philippines. A general order was recently
Issued by Major General Davis, in command of
the division of the Philippines, directing thaj
great liberality be exercised in the granting of.
leaves of absence to the army officers for the pur"
poso of hunting. A Washington dispatch to the
St Louis Globe-Democrat gives this order a3
concluding in this way: "When the territory is
new it should be the desire of every officer avail
ing himself of this privilege to furnish a reliable
map of the country traversed, remembering that
a map is tho most indispensable supplement to ttt
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