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MVOLVEBM SCANDAL
Alleged Irregularities in the Postoffice Department to be Made Sub
ject of a. Searching Investigation Ugly R-urrs of Misconduct
Are Current High Officials Accused.
OfhVi.it cire -Ih iti Washington hav
not been stirreel lefore in a long time
a they are? at present ver the news
that there is to.be a general investi
gation of all Ihi' divisions under the
first assistant postmaster gneral. The
investigation of (it-n. Jam-1 N. Tyner,
assistant attrny general for thepost
oftiee department. Is nothing compareel
with what is to intii". President
Roosevelt has given stri t orders that
v erylliing crewiked shall ! un overed
and this means llial the probe is to
be inserted deep. Fourth Assistant
I ..-. I master ('. -mial Mtislow has been
designated as the administration's in
quisitor to conduct the examination
into a!l l the bureaus.
The first head to fall is that er Gen.
.lames N. Tvncr. whose connection
with the postoflii o department lias
lieeti severed. Tiie harsh word tJ is
mi.ised" is not iise;j at the department
in liis rase, hut it is officially an
nouueed that his connection with the
department is terminated for good.
There are some very pathetic phases
of the denouement of this old man's
public laicer. He hrs been connected
Ivith the jmstoflb-e department forty
two years and has held many import
ant po.-itions. including that of post-nia.-.ler
general. It seems that fate is
ery cruel in causing him to retire
from the public s'a-p under a shadow,
but the verdict of all who know him
i that he has been more sinned
against than sinning.
Gen. T ner is in a very critical con
dition and is supiosed to be on his
deathbed. He was stricken with par
alysis July 27 of last year.
There are six divisions under the
first assistant postmaster general, and
ea h of them is booked for an investi
gation. They are the division of
H.ilanes and allowances, the division
of post office supplies, the division of
fre delivery, the division of corre-RKnd-iw
e. the money order division
and the division of dead letters. The
order for an investigation refers par
ticularly, however, to the division of
salaries and allowances, the division
f supplies and the division of free
delivery. It is not believed that there
has been any flagrant wrongdoing in
the division of correspondence, the
money order division or the division
of dead letters, but it was thought
best to make the investigation include
all of the divisions so that the cry
could not afterw .rd be raised that it
had been partial and incomplete.
Had Statesmen at His Mercy.
When the government ship Dolphin
was- coming home from Cuba carry
ing Secretary of War Moody, Senator
Hale of the rava! committee and
Speaker Elect Cannon some rough
weather was encountered. Just prev
ious to the coming of the storm the
statesmen named had been discussing
the proposed building of six battle
ships. Messrs. Hale and Cannon suc
cumbed to seasickness. When his
sufferings bad become too Intense to
1m- borne longer in silence "Uncle Joe"
tailed out to Secretary Moody: "Say,
Moody, if you will get us to shore
quickly I'll give you six battleships
next winter." "I will make a better
bid than that." exclaimed Senator
Hale. "I'll favor twenty battleships if
the secretary will only keep this ship
still for half an hour."
Skyscrapers Foster Consumption.
In a public address recently Wheeler
H
Peekham of New York took ground
against skyscrajer office buildings,
which he condemned as dangerous to
health. "How 'considerate we are." he
exclaimed. "We build hospitals for
the poor consumptive and then we
turn around and build skyscraping
structures where consumption may
breed so that we shall not lack for
patients." This matter is beginning to
attract serious attention in New York
city, especially in the lower part of
Manhattan island, where the streets
art as
narrow- and crooked as when
the
Dutch burghers laid them out or
their cows traced them across the
fields.
Twenty Years Asleep.
There is alive in France to-day a
woman who has been asleep for the
last twenty years. Recently an ab
scess appeared on one arm and this
had to b lanced. Dr. Charlku per
formed the operation. The sleeper
seemed to feel the incision, and for
the first time in twenty years was ob
served r move. making a slight
ticch of. the arm.
SRKBBa
T" TVT vfv TT
It is claimed that the investigation
of the division of salaries and allow
ances will show that the public funds
have been disbursed with the utmost
extravagance and recklessness. Con
gressmen with pulls have been able to
get nearly all they asked for in the
line of salaries and allowances for the
lstofHces in their districts. This
kind of free-handed giving made Geo.
W. Heavers, the division chief, very
popular among the members of con
gress, and they have gone ahead vot
ing him larger and larger appropria
tions whenever he asked for them. It
is believed by the postoflice depart
ment officials higher than Mr. Heav
ers that this way of passing out sops
to favorites has been little less than
scandalous.
It is said that the investigation of
the division of supplies will be pro
ductive of sensations. For years there
have been rumors of very questionable
proceedings in the letting of contracts
for postoffice supplies, such as twine,
paper, etc.
August V. Machen. general superin
tendent of the free delivery division,
does not intend to emulate the exam
ple of Mr. Heavers, who got out of the
department when he saw the storm
brewing. On the other hand. Mr.
Machen is preparing to make a bitter
light.
Mr. Machen hails from Ohio. He is
the father of the rural free delivery
system and his name is almost
a household word in all sections of
the countrv. The old talk of a rake-
off on rural letter boxes is being re
vived and several other allegations
will be considered in the investigation
of the free delivery division.
The story about the mail boxes is
that during the earlier development of
the rural mail service proprietors of
a certain box were given the tip in ad
vance whenever a new route was to
be established, thus enabling them to
get on the ground ahead of any other
concern, practically destroying compe
tition. For a long time, it is alleged, there
has been a ring in the postoffice de
partment, and Beavers and Machen
are its star leaders. The favors which
they have shown to senators and rep
resentatives are said to have enabled
them to become powers in political
circles, and congressmen whenever
they wanted a favor did not think of
consulting with the postmaster gener
al or first assistant, but went directly
Senator Bates a Brave Soldier.
Senator W. B. Bate of Tennessee
has often been urged to write a book
of reminiscences but now declares that
he is too old to undertake such a
task. The old gentleman served as
a youth in the Mexican war and in
the confederate army he was reckoned
one of the most intrepid men who
every wore the gray. From start to
finish he was on the firing line and
as colonel of his regiment he won
deathless fame on the bloody field of
Shiloh. In that fight he had three
horses killed under him, while he him
self and four members of his family
were simultaneously bleeding. His
heroism won for him the rank of a
major general and since those stormy
days there has been no office that was
too good for him in the opinion of the
people of Tennessee.
Fellow-Worker With Noted Scribes.
James A. Tidford' of New York, but
formerly of Denver. Colo., is a guest
at the new- Willard.
When he lived in Denver he was
employed on the Denver Tribune. At
that time Eugene Field was city edi
tor, O. J. Rothaker chief editorial
writer and Bill Nye was the Laramie
correspondent. To a reporter for the
Times Mr. Tidford said:
"When I was on that paper Nye was
getting $ a column for his work from
I .a ramie. He rarely came to town,
and when he did he drew " all the
money due him sinc e the last visit.
"It usually came to a large sum.
Before he could get back home the
other beys on the paper would escort
him off to some near-by saloon and
slake their thirst. I.aramle never saw
Nye again until he was broke and
ready to resume his correspondence."
Washington Times.
Marconi Has Another Invention.
Signor Marconi, the inventor of
wireless telegraph y. is said to have
discovered a method by which oxygen
may be extracted from air at a very
slight expense.
TI TT A TT ft
to Machen : 1 Heavers. It nettled the
postmaster genera and his first as
sistant to be dominated In this way
by mere division chiefs.
The power which Machen and Beav
ers exercised is shown by the fact
that, in the absence of any recom
mendation from the postmaster gener
al, the last congress increased their
salaries to $4,oe) a year, but Ignored
the request of the postmaster general
that the salaries of the fourth assist
ant postmaster general be increased
from $4. nun to $4. Sou a year. It is alb-god
that Machen and Heavers, who
are both under civil service, wantonly
violated the civil service law in going
over the heads of their superiors to
get this increase. It is charged that
both Heavers and Machen transact
business and arrange matters directly
with congressmen without consulting
their superiors, to their own advan
tage and gain, political and otherwise.
The conspiracy is intricate and far
reaching in its ramifications. The
postoffice inspectors at work on the
case, many of whom were fresh from
the Cuban investigation, have, it Is
rumored, found proof of a division of
profits between scores of swindling
concerns and postoffice officials.
Joseph Little Bristow, who has ac
tive charge of the investigation said
to have been ordered by President
Roosevelt into the alleged frauds in
the postal service, has been fourth as
sistant postmaster general sinee 1897,
when he was appointed to that posi
tion by President McKiniey. Up to
4. w. rzicr.
that time Mr. Bristow-'s life had been
confined to Kansas, where he had been
active in politics and where for five
years he had been a successful editor.
He was private secretary to Gov. Mor
rill from 1S95 to 1897 and secretary of
the Republican state committee from
1S94 to 1S9S. He was born in Ken
tucky in lSfil and removed as a young
man to Kansas, where he was educat
ed at Baker university. Mr. Bristow
made the personal acquaintance of
President McKiniey in 1S94 on the oc
casion of Mr. McKinley's visit to Kan
sas. The Western editor became an
enthusiastic supporter of McKiniey
two years subsequently, and it was
largely through his efforts that Kan
sas was the first Northern state to de
clare for the Ohioan. Mr. Bristow
proved a most valuable official of the
Postoffice department, and it w-as he
who directed the investigation in the
Cuban postal frauds in 190.
Pastor's Mistake Causes Trouble.
Rev. Donald C. MacLeod. D. D..
pastor of the First Presbyterian
church in Washington, who has got
ten himself in the public eye by marry
ing a colored man and a white wom
an in violation of the unwritten law of
his church, is a chubby-faced man. 34
years of age. He succeeded Dr. Tal
mage nearly four years ago and his
congregation includes many of the
fashionable set of Washington. Dr.
MacLeod is a Canadian, having been
born in Nova Scotia. He is a gradu
ate of the Western Theological sem
inary at Allegheny. Pa. Dr. Mac
Leod regrets marrying the couple and
attributes it to the fact that he was
in a hurry to keep another engage
ment and was too delicate aUout pur
suing the suspicion he had that the
prospective groom was colored.
Miss Alice Roosevelt at ha me.
This is what an English writer has
to say of Alice Roosevelt, whom he
met at a small party in Washington:
"She is an attractive girl rather
than pretty, with tremendously high
spirits and at times. I should say, a
little excitable. It was a homely af
fair at which a lot of youngsters were
present and we all knew one another
pretty well, which may account for the
little ebullition we were treated to.
There was a good deal of jollity and
romping and Miss Roosevelt danced
around the room in the gayest aban
donment, occasionally firing blank car
tridges from a little gold trinket pis
tol which her father had given her.
These have been quite the fashion
lately."
Venomous Water Moccasin.
The water moccasin, which seldom
exceeds four feet in length, is a
very venomous snake, and is more
to be dreaded than the rattlesnake,
as it will attack anything and every
thing on sight and without apparent
provocation. With its mouth wide
open it erects itself boldly and darts
forward with a rapid spring.
5 KljT L
SURPLUS
A RUE
TRUTH ABOUT FUNDS IN UNITED
STATES TREASURY.
Republican Claims That Enormous
Amounts are Stored in the Vaults
Are Absurd Money Loaned to
Banks That Csn Not be Called In.
It U well to go slow in believing
what you read in Republican news
papers about political matters. The
audacity and mendacity of the state-
j ments made by them are beyond be-
lier and yet many good, honest souls
are fooled by their utterances.
One of the late announcements is
that "the vaults of the United States
treasury are trammed with hundreds
of millions of dollars." This extrava
gant statement was made to deceive
those who read it into believing that
Uncle Sam has an overflowing treas
ury, and that enormous appropria
tions are therefore excusable. Now
the facts are, that the surplus in the
United States treasury on March H,
was only $2213.3J1. Of this there
is depositetl in the National banks
$150,373,210, which leaves an appar
ent available balance of $71,530,151.
Of this balance, however, it is con
sidered necessary by the secretary of
the treasury to keep on hand fifty
millons to draw on for current ex
penditures, and to be prepared for
emergencies. The balance is further
depleted by about twenty millions be
ing composed of fractional silver and
other money of small denominations,
that, could not be used for the pay
ment of drafts on the treasury. It
will thus be seen that all the surplus
available consists of the fifty million
which is held to draw on for current
expenditures. As the receipts of the
government exceed the expenditures
about three million dollars a month,
the above named balance will be
somewhat added to by June 30. the
last day of the fiscal year. After that
date the increased appropriations
made by Congress may extinguish
any excess and the receipts and ex
penditures will be about equal.
The secretary of the treasury is
now planning how to provide the
$50,000,000 to make the payment to
the French company and to Colombia
for the Panama canal, and It is
probable that more bords will have to
be issued to meet that payment. The
one hundred and fifty million depos
ited with the banks is not available.
although the treasury is receiving no
interest thereon. It is true that this
large sum is at the call of the treas
ury, but the financial extremity in
which the Wall street banks have
placed themselves, by loaning this
deposit and their other funds on
stocks and bonds, that, in many in
stances cannot be sold for enough to
redeem the loans, makes it out of the
question for the secretary to call for
the deposits. If this enormous
amount of securities were sold in the
open market, it would precipitate a
disastrous panic on Wall street, and
make it impossible for Secretary
Shaw to demand, the return of the
money or even part of it. In fact,
Wall street lsV jiVeady; urging that
more money fKym the treasury be
poured into its la, and the financial
organs of Wall street are calling upon
Secretary Shaw to anticipate the pay
ment of interest on government
bonds and buy bonds enough in the
pen market to ease the Wall street
.istress. Secretary Shaw announces
hat he will do all and everything
possible to help Wall street, and he
nay go as far as he did last fall and
lccept municipal bonds to replace the
Jnitod States bonds held as seenrity
'or the $l50,000,0i0 he and his prede
cessor have so kindly loaned Wall
street without charging any interest.
Being blest with a complacent ad
ministration and secretary of the
treasury. Wall street has launched
into speculation in aa amount so
fabulous that all past experience and
records are broken. The banks have
participated in the profits of this
"boom," but most of the business be
ing done on margin, the load they
carry is proving top heavy and thje
treasury- is expected to lighten it by
further advances. If the treasury was
so, "crammed with hundreds of mil
lions of dollars," as the Republican
newspapers are saying it is, there is
no doubt that President Roosevelt
and his secretary of the treasury
would quickly find a way to loan it to
Wall street and relieve the panicky
feeling. j
The success of the Republican ad
ministration depends on the continua
tion of the Wall street "boom," for
their whole political argument is "let
well enough alone."
The reckless way in which the Re
publican administration has been
loaning and appropriating money is
bound before long to bring disaster
on the financial centers and it be
hooves those who are interested in
stock speculation to act accordingly.
High Wool Tariff Rates.
A letter in the Wool and Cotton Re
porter of March 12. discusses the high
freight rates charged by the railroads
on wool shipped from Idaho. Utah,
Wyoming and Colorado to the sea
board. Previous to last year the rail
roads had always cut the nominal rate
of $2 per cw t on wool. Last year this
rate was maintained as, in future,
all rates will be if the big roads can
induce the little ones to take the
Elkins bill seriously and the freight
bill on wool from this district was
about $800,000 more than in previous
years. This year the railroads pro
pose to advance the rates 10 per cent
which will make the rate $2.20 per
cwt.
'From all this." says the Wool and
Cotton Reporter, "it does not appear
that community of interest among
railroads is a very healthy thing for
the public. The people of this coun
try have so frequently been given to
understand that combination, amal
gamation, co-ordination, and what-not.
of industry and especially of the
railroad industry represented the
longest step towards ushering in the
industrial milleniuni that had ever
been taken, that it is like a stinging
blow in the face to discover that just
the contrary is the case."
The Wool and Cotton Reporter
makes this further comment: "To a
certain extent the railroads in the
ce before us can probably not be
blamed. Their expenses have in-
, creased heavily (-ilong with those vf
everybody e lse) in tin; last year, an.',
lately they have boon obliged to sat
isfy the clamorous demand of their
employes for higher wages. The pub
lie are always the ones to pay such
bills as those. Prosperity is a won
derful thing. It has but one defect:
it has a way of working in a circle,
and of eventually encompassing its
own defeat."
Thus even the trade papers, which
usually take their cues from the big
corporations, have to recognize the
evils and dangers of the present pecu
liar prosperity, a prosperity that be
gins and ends with the trusts and
monopolies, and that is sapping the
life out of the common people who
have to pay for it. No wonder that,
as this same Journal has recently told
us. the purchasing jiower of the peo
ple is so nearly exhausted that they
are ceasing to wear woolens and are
purchasing more and more of cotton
and shoddy clothes. High prices for
cotton and old rags and comparatively
low pric es for wool indicates the kind
of prosperity that is now devastating
our land.
Prosperity!
The Workingman Knows How It Is.
The President and Wall Street.
There is not much doubt that Presi
dent Roosevelt will call Congress in
extraordinary session early in the fall,
if not before that time. The visit of
Mr. Morgan, the trust magnate, to the
White House, and his talk to Secre
tary Shaw and several Senators has
given rise to the report that Mr. Mor
gan and the President have come to
an undersanding about calling a spe
cial session. Wall street is very anx
ious that the bill pressed by Senator
Aldrich at the late session of Con
gress or some similar bill for the re
lief of the money market should be
passed to aid in tiding Aver the finan
cial trouble that Is exf.ed later lu
the year. President Roosevelt being
determined to force the Cuban reci
procity bill through in spite of the
strong opposition in his own party, it
was doubtless not difficult for the
"Wall street king of finance to convince
him that the banks were in great
danger if a law was not passed to tide
over the money stringency. As Mr.
Morgan and his brother Wall street
magnates are looked to for the main
contributions to the Republican cam
paign fund, they are in a position to
ask for favors at the hands of the
President and a Republican Congress
that cannot well be denied. The money
power and the Republicans have never
yet failed to act in unison when their
interests are identical or to pool their
issues when the political situation de
manded it.
An Extinct Species of Liar.
There yet remain a few men with
consciences sufficiently tough and
elastic who continue to tell us of the
"economies of trust production." the
"cheapening cost of goods" and the
"blessings to mankind" coming from
trusts and combinations, but their
number is rapidly growing smaller and
soon this species of liar will be ex
tinct. Not that there will not always
be an ample supply of smart lawyers
and pseudo professors willing, for a
fair consideration, to serve the trusts,
but simply that the facts are so di
rectly pnd strikingly against their
claims that it will no longer pay the
trusts to employ economic shysters to
tell the people that white is black.
With prices higher than ever before
the handicap on the pro-trust liar i
too great to be overcome.
Control of Delaware Patronage.
Although Gas-Man Addicks did not
succeed in being elected United
States senator he has the satisfac
tion of being represented by his prin
cipal adherent in that body and ex
pects to control the federal patronage.
It will be interesting to watch the ap
pointments made by President Roose
velt for Delaware and see if boodle is
as influential as it is said to be in
Republican politics. As far as Sena
tor Hanna is concerned, he lines up
with the boodle crowd and does not
seem to care who knows it, for he
sent Congressman Dick to Delaware
at the critical moment, to advise just
the action that Addicks desired.
The Foreigner Does Not Pay.
Referring to the Venezuelan situa
tion the Milwaukee Evening Wiscon
sin says: "As usual, it is the people
who pay the costs of war. President
Castro has clapped an extra duty of
30 per cent on all imports to satisfy
the demands of the allies." And yet
the Milwaukee Evening Wisconsin is
a Republican organ that still insists
"the foreigner pays the tax."
Easily Paid.
It is reported from St. Paul that the
Standard Oil trust, on losing a local
suit for damages to the amount of
$10.0oo on account of injuries caused
by gasoline, at once advanced the
price, and in nine days collected from
the local public enough extra to pay
all the costs. Here we have publicity,
but not necessarily the preventive.
Springfield Republican.
w m
ALL K0R DELAY
I-
SENATOR CULLOM ON REPUB
LICAN TARIFF POLICY.
He, Like His Party. Is In No Hurry to
Find a Solution of the Question
The Real Object of Appointing a
Commission. . ,
Senator Cullom Is at last constrained
lo admit that it Is not practicable to
reform the tariff by treaty If by re
form we mean reduction. He nan only
just discovered what has been obvious
to some people all along, that If you
tan not induce a bare majority of a Re
publican Senate lo concur in the pas
sage of a bill reducing duties you can
hardly expect a two-thirds majority
lo supixirt a treaty reducing duties.
So the Senator who says that "for
years" he has "believed the true solu
tion of the tariff question would be
found in the adoption of reciprocity
treaties" now believes that soni: other
solution must be found.
His remarks contain Internal c I
dence that he is in no hurry to find
any solution evidence, indeed, that in
his opinion there is no question to
solve, or that if there is the people
are quite content to let it go unsolved.
"There is no general demand for tariff
revision," he says, "although every
now and then some complaint is heard
because" the rate on some particular
article1 is too high."
Therefore he does not expect any
tariff legislation by the Congress
which will convene next December,
but he does expect that Congress to
create "a commission to inquire into
the tariff question, find out exactly
what is wanted and make1 a report to
Congress." After the commission has
fooled away a couple1 of years the
Congress to be elected in Htol may do
something about the tariff.
Why shnuld such a commission be
apjHiintcd if there is no general de
mand for tariff reduction? The very
suggestion amounts to an admission
that there is such a demand and that
beneficiaries of the enormous Dingley
rates know it and are trying to find
out how not to do it and at the same
time make such pretense of doing it as
will pacify the victims. The commis
sion, as we all Know, is a luvoiue uj
vice for this purpose.
Many Republicans who are In a po
sition to know, including W. D. Wash
burn of Minnesota and t!ov. Cummins
of Iowa, are of opinion that there is a
general demand for tariff revision in
the West even in their own parly.
They are more likely to be rightly
informed than Mr. Cullom is, for the
Illinois Senator is not exac tly the sort
of man that people; who demand tariff
reduction would naturally take into
their confidence.
Very likely the incoming Congress
will provide itself with a shabby ex
cuse for doing nothing by creating a
commission to help it do nothing. Very
likely, too. the Congress to be elected
in 1904 will do something, but if so it
will not be a Republican Congress.
Now or Nevtr.
Tt Is stated qiijtp positively that
when the President heard that the for
eign relations committee had agreed
upon an amendment providing that a
treaty with Cuba should not become
effective without the concurrence of
the house in its revenue provisions
his impulse was to convene congress
for action' in October, but was di.s
Buaded by Senators and Representa
tives who were sure their constitu
ents could not spare tliPin when the
November elections were so near at
hand.
On the other hand, it is- reported that
Republican Senators are considerably
at sea as to the wisdejm of calling a
special session for the purpose stated.
According to this authority the prin
cipal objecticin seems to be that if an
extra session should be called for that
purpose nothing could prevent a re
opening of the whole tariff question
and a debate in the course of which
Cuba would be forgotten.
Whatever the probabilities may be,
there is certainly much to be said
in favor of an extra session. If we
are to have reciprocity with Cuba we
should have it without further delay.
The principal reason why we should
have it at all is because of the im
plied promise of concessions in favor
of Cuban products contained in the
Piatt amendments.
If concessions are to be made they
should be made at once. 1 hey are
needed now not only as a matter of
good faith but for the bent of the Cu
bans and for our own benefit in viw
of our exceptional relations with
Cuba.
If the urgency of the case is such
as to justify an extra session it should
be called immediately. It might as
well not be called at all as in October,
for it will then be too late to bring
this year's crops within the operation
of the terms of the treaty.
What the Evil Is.
Many newspaper writers and
others who have occasion to refer to
the locking up of federal money in
public vaults describe the various
measures which have been devised
by interested parties to place the
money in circulation as "remedies in
tended to cure the evils of the sub
treasury system."
"Give a dog a bad name and then
hang him." is a saying that is much
older than the subtreasury system."
As a matter of fact, the evil com
plained of is not properly chargeable
to the sub-treasury system. It is due
nholly to the fact that Congress is
collecting more money than it needs,
even for the shamefully extravagant
appropriations which it now makes
with the regularity of clockwork.
This Is an evil in itself of no small
nagnitude. A kindred evil would be
he use of this money by act of Con
gress in feeding the fires of specula
Son in Wall street. The subtreasury
system was intended to cure both of
tnese evils the evil of 'excessive
taxation and the evil of gambling
with the public funds.
The alleged necessities of the tariff
protected trusts and the plungers in
Wall street, have given many old
words and phrases new meanings.
Nnnecessary taxation is not only un
just taxation; it is productive of
many other wroncF. not the least of
which is misrepresentation of the
d:;ii(itall'- tn.v.suty a f '.'f t.t wM-!!
ime of l, intlnir-i, Muitln Van J 1 1 i r . .
correctly il.-ri I ,.'d a1 a sound de-
titration T Indep'-nd mm e.
Wants His Tariff Taxes Rebated
J. I'ierpont Morgun has bought i:t
Europe works of art which coxt him
$7.000.ouo. He has stored I his im
mensely valuable property where h
bought It because Im1 objecfn to pay
ing the tariff on the goods If they with
brought to this count ty.
The tariff on paintings and marhl
statuary Is 20 jmt cent. On books th
tariff Is 25 per cent. On furniture, ait
works, curios, antique, rellcx. bronvi
and luany thing Included In Mr. Moi
gait's valuables the tariff is mm high a.t
from 35 to '.0 per ecnt. The total
amount of duties on this $7.0O0.oou In
voice Is about $3.tMo,i)0j. an average
of 43 per cent.
The tariff on loihing. carpet.-,. wiol
and woolen products, glass and earth
enware, cotton goods, tin plate, ii i.i
and steel prod nets and food aill'l't
ranges from ." to more than tod pel
cent. On $7.ooo,mhi worth of the lr
essaiie.s of life the total Illiiouil of
duties would be not less that' $5."0d.
ooo and might exceed Hi- l"m ''.i .
pri e if t he properly.
Is there any reason why tin- .sum f
$3,imio,hio in duties eiwned by a men
worth $00,o(Mi.l) 10 should be reb.i'.1!
while the people are compelled to pay
a muc h greater sum in dtille., on t Ii .
name value of the necessatleK of III"
imported in the same ships under Hi J
same tariff laws?
Improving Consular Service.
It is Impressive ly anrioiiiKcd that
President Roosevell and Secretaiy
l!ay have det. i mined to improve th
consular service by dropping euti.-iiil.
who are im oinpeteul or worse. Iter"
tolorc the mode of finding out about
consuls has been to commission sour
man with a pull who wants to travel
at the public expense as inspector of
consulates. II U pe-rfeclly ntidetHood
that Ihe inspector is not to inspf t .t'.
all, but only to call on
the
i till
have
a good
line
and report every
thing serene. It is intimated that tint
practice is lo be aba intoned, mid tlit.
"a mon- e -rtain method of getting a',
the truth of allegations Involving Hi
consuls will be pursued in the futiii-;
without regard to evt.ense." Th'-r
has been none too ni ii regard to ex
pense in the past, but let us hope tint
a more; certain n.ethod of impiovl.v'
the service will he pursued.
Getting Used to Extravagance.
When footings were made at t'i
expiration of the lifiy-lilih Coiign-,
the conservatism of the country wn
shocked and alarmed because the n:,
propria! ions made reached the en .--uious
sum of $l.ooo,oui).000. Tie
total gave the- name by which tin'
Congress is si ill known and it was
predicted at the time that publie sen.
tirnent would serve as ar. injunction
against a repetition of the extrava
gance. Vet the fifty seventh C'o'i-gre-ss
made the fifty-fifth look cheap
and close-fisted. The lowest estimate
of what the former expended In ap
propriations is $l.r,00.0M).0')'). Despite
this Incomprehensible disbursement
of public moneys the people ar; no'
making a tithe of the fuss they did
when half the amount was treated a
a gross abuse of the jower of taxa
tion. Free Coal and Miners' Wages.
The parly of prntection has always
claimed that if the duty was tak.-u
off coal the waue-s of the nii:ier-i
would be rcelii'-ed to the pauper .scai?
of Europe-. Hut laic eve nts prove t!i :
fallacy of this argument, for since 1 Im
duty has be e n removed an cnormom
toi.iiage is b' ing import e-d - , l. i'i')
ions being on hoani .ship.-i lyin n
Hoston haibor oif Iay a we e k or !
.tiir() yet the coal operators hav
agreed to pay higher wages to tfe
miners. Th- Republicans will hae
te Invent, some either fallacy or He
people will be demanding that beer
ami c lothes and othe r nee e-ssai ies e.f
life be also put on the free list.
The Industry it Will Stimulate.
Immediately after the acquisition
by the ste?el trust of two i miorl an t.
independent plants the price of stc-i
wire products Is advanced 2 a ton.
This may be a mere coincidence; an I
it may by the working out of a p!n
for the accumulation of a big w
futjil tej fight future; competition. No
matter what may be the cau-.o r r
the raise, this extra 1 a ton will bj
an invitatiem to capital to erect r:;w
mills. Competing plants will ! built
just as long as Ihe-ie is a tempting
profit In the business and as long a
the trust continues Its present policy
of buying out independent plants a,
a high price.
A Transparent Sham.
Congress has put up the bat in thi
shape of a customs tariff agaiti.et tic;
importation of the productions of
foreign cheap labor ifbelf. The con
tention that the tariff protec ts Arn"ri
can labor from tlje degrading com
petition of alin cheap labor i a
transparent sharn and pretense. It
protects the employer of labor, not
the employed, ami al! eur defective
immigration laws have been frame J
not for the protection of our own
workmen from foreign laleor. but to
enable the employers of labor to g'?t
it from abroad.
A Profligate Congress.
It has been a reckless as well a
an inefficient Congress and the pe.p! j
must pay th? cost. In the midst of
peace the government is run at
greater cost than in time of war. V'i
may be able te stand it while tral
is flourishing and labor finds employ
ment, but let depression and hard
times come again, as they surely will
come, ami mis stupendous exirava
gance at Washington will bring about
a nir.ch that will breed a political
revolution.
Roosevelt as a Humorist.
Some people say that President
Roosevelt has no more s -nse of humor
than had his illustrious Dutch anccj
tor. Woute-r Von Twiller. whose vir
tue.s are extolled in Knickerbocker :'
veritable history of New York. Hi-t
what can these people ay in presence
of the President's k"n st:ok of h;.
nior in congratulating the fifty-seventh
Congress on i'..- rezuarlii j'. 3
achievfciu;riTs?
4
