Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 March 1905 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

Political and Oeneral Qossip of the National Capitol. Special Correspondence to The Democrat: All hope of ratifying the Dominican protocol has been abandoned by the President and the republican leaders but the Senate has not yet adjourned sine die, remaining in session on the ground that there are certain judicial nominations which must be confirmed before final adjournment can be taken. On Thursday Senator Morgan, of Alabama, sprung a sensation on the Senate by attempting to show that William N. Cromwell, the lawyer who engineered the sale of the Panama Canal property to the United States, and who is suspected by some democrats of having incited the Panama revolution, had been the deus ex machine of the San Domingo situation. t t t Senator Morgan exhibited to the Senate letters from a Mr. and Mrs. Reeder, formerly of Alabama,

in which they charged that Cromwell had defeated a treaty between Santo Domingo and the United States, which had been prepared by Mr Reeder, and that he had caused to be substituted the protocol now under consideration by the senate. When the “proposed’ 1 Reeder treaty was read in the senate it was found to afford every advantage to the republic of Santo Domingo and to “the Reeder syndicate” but none to this country, and it occasioned considerable ridicule at the hands of the republicans, but there are many democrats who believe that there may be some foundation for Mr. Morgan’s charges, at least sufficient to warrant a very thorough investigation. Senator Morgan has introduced in the senate a resolution instructing the committee on Foreign relations to conduct such investigation, by sub-committee or otherwise, but at present there seems little likelihood of its adoption. Meanwhile Mr. Cromwell has himself emphatically denied that he has now, or ever had, any connection whatsoever with Santo Domingo or that he would profit any respect from the ratification of the protocol. t t t

There is a mystery in Washington affecting the proposed modification of the tariff schedules by Congress at its next session The mystery attaches to the promoters of a report that the republican leaders are contemplating placing a small duty on coffee with a view to avoiding the necessity of revising the tariff so that it will afford less protection and produce more revenue. It is obvious that some method of increasing the federal revenues must be found, as the federal expenses have materially increased and the administration will be compelled to draw heavily this year, as it did last, on the accumulated suplus, but it is not true that there has been any thought of placing a duty on coffee, or tea, as is reported. This report has been industriously circulated in Washington for some days, but for a time no one of the more reliable newspapers could be induced to father it. Finally it was confided to a firm of newspaper writers whose business consists of circulationg reports for pay, and then one of the leading newspapers of the country displayed it prominently in its columns. The questions naturally arise: Who ia

to profit by the circulation of this report? To whom is it of sufficient importance to warrant their paying professional newspaper writers to circulate it? Is it a stock jobbing deal? Does it emanate from German diplomatic circles, and is it put forth with a view to estranging Brazil from the United States for the benefit of the German trade? These are some of the questions which are being asked and to which no satisfactory answer is as yet forthcoming. Iff There is no doubt that President Roosevelt will urge the next congress to revise the tariff, but there is considerable doubt as to whether or not the congress will heed his recommendations. There are strong indications that the senate will be ready to respond to the executive urging—in fact that body has already taken the first step by authorizing its finance committee to sit during recess, hold hearings and subpoena witnesses —but the senate can do nothing with regard to the tariff until the house takes the iniative and that the Speaker and the little corterie which with him control the lower chamber persistently refuse to do. . The initiation of a revenue measure is the one prerogative granted to the House by the constitution in which the senate does not share and the members are very chary of doing anything which might appear like a yielding to the senate on that point, so that it is entirely possible that the senate’s action looking to a compliance with the president’s views, may have a deterrent effect upon the House. t t t The president has, it is maintained by prominent members of congress, exceeded his authority by accepting the services of certain prominent architects who volunteer to act as an advisory board to indicate where public buildings shall be placed and the character of their construction. In .the General Deficiency appropriation bill, recently passed there is a provision prohibiting any official of the government from accepting the voluntary services of any one not now employed by the government and forbidding anyone so employed from volunteering to do work for which he was not employed. The penalty for violation

of this statue is fine, or imprisonment, or both and removal from office. Of course it was mere inadvertence which led the President to take the step he did in violation of the law, but it is entirely probable that he will have to retrace his steps and disband the committee whose services he has accepted. It is urged that the law was a very necessary one and in the present instance it is set forth that the architects selected for the advisory board cau well afford to contribute their services Without remuneration for the reason that they represent an architects’trust and that no plans for public buildings would be approved by them unless such plans had been prepared in the office of a member of a trust. Congress is sorely opposed to this trust and would doubtless makes its will felt when called upon to appropriate funds to carry into effect the recommendations of the advisory board.