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iiotlflert to romovo tho bodies. A short t mo after
ward it was noticod that three of the victims wcro
roturnlng to consciousness, ltestoratives wero
applied and two recovored completely.'' Com
menting on tho affair tho paper says: "The vic
tims who survived tho oilicial execution arc le
gally dead. In a court of law they will not bo
pormittcd to impeach tho records of their execu
tion. Their rights and privileges before tho law
aro ondod. Thoy cannot suo, bo sued, marry, own
property, vote, or exercise any of tho rights of a
citizen. Neither will thoy bo hold accountable for
tholr acts. If arraigned for doprcdations it will
only bo necessary to rest on the court record of
tholr death."
A DEPLORABLE SITUATION IN SOUTH AF
rica Is reported by tho Capo Town corre
spondent for tho Cincinnati Enquirer. This corre
spondent says that tho British authorities aro
considering tho advisability of importing Asiatics
for tho purpose of .accomplishing tho work in
hand and that the British ministry is prepared to
sanction this plan. Tho Capo Town correspon
dent adds: "Meantime tho position is absolutely
doplorablo. Thousands of whites aro on the verge
of starvation. Tho government is arranging relief
works, but hundreds ofnowcomors daily swell tho
numbor of distressed. Tho arrivals Include many
white women, who ought not to bo allowed to pass
to Capo Town to a nameless fate. Crimes of
violonco aro increasing daily, streets of the town
bolng unsafo after dark. Tho veldt is infested
ovor largo aroas with roving bands of -desperadoes.
Noarly threo years drouth makes the con
dition of tho rural districts almost as bad as tho
towns. Tho Boors aro sighing for tho old times,
whon crimo was practically unknown outside of
Johannesburg."
tP ST
THE FAILURE OF THE STEEL TRUST TO
pay tho regular dividend on tho common
Btock has prompted a numbpr of holders of that
stock to organize for the purposo of obtaining
recognition. Tho Now York correspondent for
tho Boston Globe says that no dividond on tho
common stock was passed, although the corpora
tion has a surplus of noarly $100,000,000. It is
related by this correspondent that at the meeting
hold in a Now York law ofllce by tho representa
tives of tho holdors of tho common stock, one of
tho mon present laid down 135 shares of stock,
saying ho had bought it to give to his children,
as a promiso of J. Pierpont Morgan made him
feel it would be tho best legacy ho could leave.
Ho said that after investing his money, he had
boon forced to sit and see it molt to almost noth
ing. These peoplo contend that tho fact that tho
corporation has a growing surplus Is a proof that
tho trust is able to pay the common stock holders
Something, if tho directors who are most inter
ested in preforred stock only cared to do so.
IT JP
THE DECISION OF THE REPUBLICAN NA
tional committee to hold tho party conven
tion for 1904 at Chicago, Juno 21, prompts tho
Providenco Journal to compile a list of the times
and places of previous republican national con
ventions. Tho list is as follows: Philadelphia,
Juno 17, 1850; Chicago, May 16, 18G0; Baltimore,
Juno 7, 1864; Chicago, May 20, 18G8; Philadelphia,
Juno 5, 1872; Cincinnati, June 14, 1876; Chicago
Juno 2, 1880; Chicago, Juno 3, 1884; Chicago Juno
19, 1888; Minneapolis, Juno 7, 1892; St. Louis
Juno 16, 1896; Philadelphia, Juno 19, 1300. The
Journal adds: "From these figures it appears
that no national convention of tho republican
party has over been called for so late a date as
that of 1904. Tho November election will occur
however, on tho latest possible date, namely tho
8th, which will be 'tho first Tuesday after the' first
Monday' of tho month, so that tho campaign
noxt year will bo exactly as long as that of 1900
whon tho convention mot on June 19 and tho elec
tion was on November 6. But tho 1904 campaign
will bo much shorter than tho average since 1856 "
r
PU0J- WILLIS MOORE, CHIEF OF THE
United States weather bureau, recently de
livered an interesting address before the house
committeo on agriculturo relating to the estimates
for appropriations for tho weather bureau service
In this address, Professor Mooro, in reply to a
question said that there was but 17 per cent of
error in the weather forecast. Ho said that the?o
would be no improvement in this service, wE
m ISS3,35 fd under the circumstancesun
til additional scientific knowledge was obtained.
tf jc
LT HOUGH IT IS nrcwr a t t v
lieved that Mr. Roosevelt's, nomination la
A
The Commoner,
assured, considerable interest attaches to .tho
statements made by Mr Hanna's Ohio friends
Thomas R. Knapp of Columbus O, -spooking ; to
tho Washington correspondent for the Cine nnati
Enquirer, said: "If the friends of Roosevelt are
waiting for Hanna to announce his candidacy for
the president they will wait a long time. Senator
Hanna will make no such announcements, wno
ovcr heard of a man with any horse sense an
nounce I am a candidate for the presidential
nomination?' It is all right for a man to an
nounce through tho papers in his district that ho
is a candldato for sheriff, mayor or congress.
That is proper, but not so when it comes to seek
ing tho presidential nomination. Tho friends of
tho man to be voted for in convention do the an
nouncing. That is to say, they bring him out and
lot the people know why he should be nominated.
And that is what Hanna's friends are industrious
ly doing. The Ohio senator cannot help himself.
Ho is in tho hands of his friends. And he may
say a dozen times over 'I am not a candidate and
am not seeking the nomination,' but that will not
stop tho movement now on foot to nominate him
next June. The business interests of the country
are afraid of Roosevelt. It can trust Hanna. No
man has declined a presidential nomination and
Hanna will not, in my judgment, prove an excep
tion. Roosevelt may receive the promises now,
but Hanna will get the votes in convention, and
he doesn't have to announce that he is a candi
date." Jf so
IT WAS REPORTED FROM NEW YORK UN
der date of January 9 that it has been
definitoly decided that the government has agreed
upon a plan to finance the $40,000,000 Panama ca
nal payment, and that the transfers "will bo eriected
without disturbance of the money market. The
New York correspondent for the' St. Louis Re
public says: "The arrangement decided upon con
stitutes little more than a shifting of credits.
Funds to the amount named will be withdrawn by
degrees from tho depository banks and immediate
ly redoposited in the same banks to the credit of
the shareholders or their representatives. J. P.
Morgan & Co. will act as the financial agents of
the Panama company, and to them nearly tho
whole sum will be paid. The funds will bo rede
posited, it was said today, in their names. This
is tho first authentic statement yet made with
reference to a transaction that has elicited very
general interest in financial circles. Details of
the scheme as hero given were confirmed today by
banking interests with close Washington affilia
tions. This shifting of accounts has not yet taken
place. But tho arrangements are perfected so that,
whenever the treasury wishes to put through the
operation, it can bo easily d6ne. Government
deposits here and out of town will be utilized for
tho purpose. But the arrangement made is very
definite in providing for an equivalent deposit,
to be made with the banks whose government de
posits are drawn upon. For that reason the read
justment will have the effect of merely trans
ferring the sum from one account without the in
convenience that would be caused by not having
the sum withdrawn Immediately and replaced."
If 9?
WHAT THE WASHINGTON CORRESPON
dent for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch calls
"two astounding revelations" developed in the
contest over General Leonard Wood's nomination.
Tho Post-Dispatch's correspondent says that these
revelations are considered by anti-Roosevelt men
"as little less than a public scandal." This Wash
ington correspondent says: "In the opinion of
many senators, General Wood has been guilty of
tampering with a witness before tho senate com
mittee, which investigated tho charges preferred
against him. What is considered convincing evi
dence is submitted In tho form of a letter written
by General Wood to Ray Stannard Baker who
was the chief witness in his behalf before the com
mitteo. When Mr. Baker was before the com
mittee he was examined regarding a magazine
article written by Major Runcie attacking General
Brooke which, Runcie declared,, was revised and
approved by General Wood. It was developed that
he had received a letter from General Wood
Baker reluctantly admitted that fact. He could
not remember any of its contents, but final v
promised to forward a copy to the committee."
tr it
THE LETTER REFERRED TO RECENTLY
became public. It is dated Manila July 29
Thft'Pon,mad "Persol and Confidential"
The Post-Dispatch's correspondent says that thin
letter was evidently written by General Wool to
-VOLUME 4, NUMBER l
anticipation of the president calling an extraordi
nary session of congress, at which his case would
be considered". Tho letter referred to reviews the
doings of Wood and Baker in Cuba, and say
"I have given your name and address to the war
department and to the president and have re
quested the later to call upon you and show you
the letters and statements made. I do not know
that ho will see fit to tell him tho purpose of your
visit to Cuba in 1899, and why it was you wanted
as much information 'as you could get on Cuba.
I havo told them of my reference of you to Runcie
for information as to the condition of affairs in
the judiciary and department of justice generally,
etc."
jc -
IT IS POINTED OUT BY THIS WASHINGTON
correspondent that Mr". Roosevelt followed
General Wood,'s suggestion "to call upon you and
show you the letters and statements made;" that
the president desired to see Baker before he testi
fied; that efforts were made early in the morning
by telephone to find Baker at the various hotels;
that Baker was eventually found in the witness
room at the capitol and invited t'ojuncheon. This
correspondent says that members of the commit
tee heard of this search for" Mr. Baker and had
him on the witness stand until all his evidence
was submitted; that he arrived at the White
house nearly an hour late for luncheon. Another
revelation to which this correspondent referred
and the one which he says is attracting most at
tention relates to a portion of the testimony given
before the senate committee by General James IL
Wilson.
GENERAL WILSON SEEMS TO BE VERY
much opposed to General Wood's promo
tion, and in his testimony before the senate com
mittee, said that every officer in the army re
sented it. "I suppose he was selected," continued
General Wilson, "because the president thought he
was the best man. Now I think it would be well
for this committee to have a showdown as to merit
at this time. If he is the best man, he should bo
promoted. If he is not the best man, then follow
the precedents and select the best man." In his
testimony before the senate committee. General
Wilson told the committee, that lje had had an in
terview with Mr. Roosevelt at his home in uyster
Bay soon after Mr. Roosevelt had been elected to
tho office of vice president, but before the death of
Mr. McKinley. General Wilson said: "Mr. Roose
velt began then in rather extravagant terms to
praise General Wood, whereupon I said to him:
'Governor Roosevelt, I think you are perhaps
mistaken about that. If I am correctly informed,
General Wood was never under fire in his life un
til the Spanish war began, -either in the Geronimo
campaign or at any other time. In the Spanish
war, General Wood was never in but one battle,
and that at Las Guasimas where, but for his res
cue and support by the colored troops, he would
havo been badly handled.' ' According to Gen
eral Wilson, Mr. Roosevelt replied: "Oh, yes, ho
was at San Juan." General Wilson retorted: "I
beg your pardon, he was not. You know that ho
was in the rear looking for ammunition." Gen
eral Wilson says that Mr Roosevelt answered:
"Yes, but do not tell anybody." In his testimony
before the senate committee, General Wilson, com
menting upon this statement, said: "Now, why
he did not want me to tell anybody, I do not
know. I did not pursue the subject any further
and that is the last word that has ever passed
between us with reference to G -ueral Wood."
PRINTED TESTIMONY OF THE INQUIRY
before the senate committee with relation
to General Wood's promotion shows that when
General Wilson was asked: "Do ypu think that
President McKinley made a mistake when he made
General Wood a brigadier general?" General Wil
son answered: "I think he made a deadly mis
take. When he gave that appointmont, I think ho
gave the greatest shock to the sense of discipline
and fairness of tho American army that it has
ever received." it should bo said here that when
Secretary Root appeared before the .senate com
mittee, ho declared that he was in possession of
sufficient evidence to convince him that General
Wood was in the hottest of the firo during the
Spanish-American war. On that occasion, Mr. Root
also said: "I think I ought to allude to the re
marks of General Jr.mes H. Wilson- here as to the
conversation with the president. Of course, tho
president cannot be a witness. Tho president in
forms me that General Wilson is mistaken and
that no such conversation regarding General
Wood's presence at the "San Juan fight that day
ever took place between him and General Wilson
,