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The Commoner.
VOLUME G, NUMBER (8
NJSWS FROM TifJ? NATIONAL CAPITAL
Tho rjroalrlnr Tins nnm In Atari tn lift It memhfir "Rvhti wn Tmi-n Dnfnlmi. OO lotro ., rr . a . .. "
The president has nominated to be a member
of the Philippine commission and secretary of
y 'public instruction in the Philippine Islands, "VV.
Morgan Shuster of the District of Columbia.
Supreme Court Justice Harlan is being urged
by republican leaders to become the republican
nominee for governor of Kentucky. Ho has declined.
Senators Depew and Piatt "were in their seats
when congress assembled Monday, December 3.
Newspaper dispatches say that while Piatt
"leaned heavily on the arm of an assistant, his
fa.ee was good natured and smiling." Also Sena
tor Depew was "smiling and sprightly" and that
both senators were cordially greeted by their
associates.
The president is negotiating a new treaty
covering the clause of sovereignty over the Island
of Pines.
President Roosevelt has received a cane made
of black palm wood of Panama, and an ink-stand
made of the native wood from the Isthmus. These
were gifts from the employes of the government
on canal work. While there was some question
as to whether the president could accept these
gifts, it was solved to the effect that they were
not gifts but souvenirs.
Some senators complain that President Roose
velt upset traditions when he sent in nomina
tions before waiting to be formally told that the
senate was in session. '
On the first day of the session Senator Pen
rose of Pennsylvania offered a resolution calling
upon the president for information relating to
the discharge of the negro troops. Senator Foraker
immediately offered a substitute calling upon the
secretary of war to furnish, all correspondence and
data bearing upon the dismissal of the negro
troops with the record of each man and all de
tailed information with respect to the record
of the Twenty-fifth infantry, which is made up
of negro troops. It is the understanding tliat
Penrose introduced his resolution at the sugges
tion of the administration.. Foraker's resolution
was understood to be hostile, and this idea is
upheld by the fact that in various sections
of the country negroes - are organizing Foraker
clubs, such organizations to be used for the pur
pose of pushing Mr. Foraker's boom for the re
publican nomination in 1908.
Referring to his resolution Senator Foraker
said: I have no purpose of raising the race
question. The question involved is broader. It
would be unfortunate to have it narrowed by
drawing a color line. It concerns white as well
as colored soldiers. It is a question of constitu
tional power on the one hand and constitutional
and statutory rights on the other. Until we have
.a complete record I do not know just what ques
tions will arise, but we may have to consider
whether or not a man can be convicted of felony
by order, and whether, following such a conviction
sentence may be imposed and punishment inflict
ed by order. Discharges without honor may be
made where they are not based on an offense
wISSbS f e iand the commission of
low? w ied' ad whore no Punishment fol
pushment 1 wn V iS convlction sentence,
theVe wonlli ZUa havo always supposed that
mere would also have to be trial in n oivn
ass riiP
, Senator Raynor of Maryland has offered tn
the senate a resolution declaring that the n Shift
educational institutions of the state are not sJb
ject to the federal government and that there i
ElT2 J th With - reaS
diiPiS E resentjitive Slayden of Texas has intro
duced in the house a bill providing that necroes
are not to be made United States solders.
The Now York World's Washington corres
pondent says: "The controversy wTwh?
hhy0U1l!?8,t S0ldIer of thQ cIv war problbly lS
D Twenv fourn e?naS a uminor y in company
lsri rth Iowa volunteers, on August 22
180J, at the age of nine years and teVn?onthS:
Byan was born October 22, 1852, in Kane county.
111., but enlisted from Mount Vernon, la. After
uinixit, tAmij u. jcui- ue wus uunoraoiy dis
charged on a surgeon's certificate of disability.
The pension office has investigated Byan's papers
and finds his representations are correct. He will
receive a tidy sum as back pension.'
The Washington correspondent for the New
York World is authority for the statement that
President Roosevelt has determined that before
he retires' from office the $148,000 contributed to
his campaign by the- three insurance companies
shall be refunded. The World's correspondent
says that when the president suggested this plan
to Messrs. Cortelyou and Bliss they bluntly re
fused to have anything to do with the proposi
tion. They insisted that the money should not
bo returned. The president made Inquiry, and dis
covered that the republican national committee
has a balance on hand of $400,000, and he is
anxious tha out of this sum the committee's offi
cers shall repay the .$148,000 to the policyholders.
. A Washington dispatch to the New York
World says: "President Roosevelt today direct
ed the department .of state to call on Harry B
Miller, the American consul general at Yokohama!
Japan, to explain whether or not he Is correctly
quoted in an interview published in which he
predicts war between the United States and Japan
on account of Japanese children being excluded
from the white schools of San Francisco. Presi
dent Roosevelt is indignant over the publication
of this story, especially when credited to an offi
cial from the consular service whose, duty is to
promote good feeling between this country and
Japan instead of causing friction."
A statement issued by the comptroller of the
currency shows that at the close of business
November 30, 1906, the total circulation of bank
notes was $593,380,549, which is an increase for
the year of $60,051,291, an increase for the
month of $10,208,564. The circulation based on
United States bonds amounted to $546,981,447 an
increase for the year of $49,665,143, an increase
for the month of $10,048,278. The circulation se
cured by lawful money aggregates $46,399,102, an
increase" for the year of $10,686,148, and an in
crease for the month of $160,286. The amount
of bonds on deposit to secure circulation notes
$150 4?85648'75'830' and t0 S6CUre PUbliC deposits'
On the fourth day of the session the senate
adopted the Penrose resolution asking the presi
dent for information regarding the discharge of
the negro troops. It also adopted the Foraker
resolution, directing the secretary of war to give
similar information. Senator Culberson of Texas
amended each resolution by asking specifically
for the order of a major commanding the troops,
which order directed that certain of the troops
demanded by the Texas authorities be not sur
rendered. .The Culberson amendment was adopt
ed. A heated discussion, took place in the senate
while these resolutions were pending. Senator
Foraker denied that the negro troops were guilty
of murder and produced copies of the testimony
which he said was "unsatisfactory, incomplete
and of a flimsy character." Senator Foraker said
that the race question was not involved; that
the right of the president to dismiss a man from
the army was involved and if he could dismiss one
man he could dismiss a company, a regiment, or
In fact the whole army.
An Associated Press dispatch under date of
Washington, December 6, follows: "The govern
ment today resumed the purchase of silver, ac
cepting bids for two thousand ounces at 68.669
cents per fine ounce. This is more than 3 cents
an ounce lower than the offerings which were
made at the time purchases were suspended near
ly four weeks ago. This fact .and the large and
increasing public demand for subsidiary coins
which could not be met without additional pur
chases are the controlling reasons given by the
treasury officials for the resumption It is stated
by the treasury officials that purchases will con
tinue for an indefinite time, tho amount to de
pend largely upon the prices asked."
In' his annual report Secretary of the Navy
Bonaparte, advises an increase in the number of
fighting snips.
In its annronriatlnn Mn inn
after, in printing documents autloXdt ,"He
ordered by congress or either hrwi ,v. y law
government printing office shal FftStoT?
of orthography established by WoC,
generally accepted dictionary of t , ""
Justice Harlan -has definitely declined tn t,
come a candidate for governor of Kentucky
In his annual report Secretary Shaw ur
SSC? re?rm' fav0rinS emergency notes S
anteed by the government. M
;? ls TeR0Tt that President Roosevelt favors
putting in tho treaty with Japan a provision Z
viding .for excluding the coolie Japanese.
Nepo leaders in Washington are very much
Interested in the Japanese question. They say
that if it should be demonstrated that citizens of
other nations must be treated alike in this coun
try the same rule ought to apply to American cit
izens in their own laud. In that event the negro
would want to know with what reason the school
authorities in the District of Columbia prohibit
negroes from attending school with white chil
dren. They say that if Mr. Roosevelt wins his
Japanese case in San Francisco a negro case will
be instituted in the District of Columbia.
Senator Cullom has introduced "by request" a
bill declaring against simplified spelling.
A desperate effort will be made at this ses
sion to pass the ship subsidy bill. Advocates of
the measure are willing to compromise along
the lines of the president's message by paying
subsidy to ships running between this country
and South America, This will be an entering
wedge.
Senator Kittredge of South Dakota is quoted
as saying that if an investigation such as he pro
poses is ' undertaken, it will be shown that the
lumber combine surpasses all the trusts in
monopoly.
Bellamy Storer, formerly ambassador to
Austria, sent to President Roosevelt, to mem
bers of the cabinet and to members of the senate
committee on foreign relations a pamphlet con
taining copies of letters which passed between
Mr. Roosevelt and Mr. and Mrs. Storer. Mr.
Storer claimed that Mr. Roosevelt was striving to
have Archbishop Ireland promoted to cardinal,
and that Mr. and Mrs. Storer were the president's
instruments to that end. Storer claimed that
when the scheme became known in diplomatic
circles Mr. Roosevelt wrote to Storer and his wife
letters indicating that he was very much opposed
to any interference with church affairs and in
those letters the president severely criticised Mr.
and Mrs. Storer. Tho Chicago Tribune gave
Storer's pamphlet to the public and it created a
sensation. On the following day the president
wrote a letter to Secretary Root, which letter
was made public. In this letter Mr. Roosevelt
denies the material allegations made by Storer,
and says that while he has a deep affection for
Archbishop Ireland he took no part in the effort
tq make him a cardinal, but on the contrary was
In earnest when he rebuked Mr. and Mrs. Storer
for their efforts in that line.
INFORMATION WANTED
R. G. Blair, Joplin, Mo., desires to learn the
whereabouts of Hugh N. Blair. Hugh N. Blair was
last seen in November, 1901, around and about
Magaha and Oroville, Butte co'unty, California.
He was then, forty years old; weight about 185
pounds, five feet ten inches high,- black hair, sandy
mustache, light blue eyes and a prominent scar
over left eye.
If any Commoner reader can giye any infor
mation on this point he will confer a favor by
addressing R. G. Blair, Joplin, Mo.
The domraittee on appropriations in the house
Former Senator Burton is writing a book,
and a lot of eminent gentlemen in top hats and
Prince Albert coats who walk the streets of
Washington with solemn mein when the senate
is about to convene, are preparing to affect in
difference when the truth begins to leak out
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