Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 May 1906 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

Political and General Gossip ot the National Capital. From our Special Correspondent: Once more the Big Stick is in evidence. The Secretaries of War and State have both taken it upon themselves to announce to Panama that they will tolerate no revolutions nor election disturbances which “might hinder the work on the canal.” It might “be took jocose, as we say in Laredo,” were Panama to reply that she thought she would have time to engineer several revolutions and elections before the United States started building the canal. But of course the work of canal digging is “constructively” proceeding even though the actual construction is not being done. This is something after the fashion in which Congress can vote itself real mileage on the strength of a constructive recess. Anyhow Governor Magoon has been notified that the United States is ready to step in at any Btage of the proceedings and spank Panama into line if she does not behave and hold her coming election peacably. The situation is interesting. It will at least show whether a peacable election can be held in South America. Some people hold that it cannot. But there is no real evidence against it except the lack of a precedent. Possibly with the United States standing by as policeman, the vote will be deposited in absolute quiet. -It recalls a little incident in Washington some years back when the Associated Press received a dispatch one afternoon saying that a revolution had broken out in Argentinea. One of these energetic young men of the A. P. was sent up to the Legation to know if the Minister could add anything to the rather meager dispatch. The minister read the missive looked puzzled and said politely.' “It is to me all news. I know of no revolution, 1 have heard nothing.” Then his brow cleared as he glanced at the calendar over his desk. “Ah, yes” he said, “I know. It is not ze revolution. It is ze annual election. Zey always fight at ze election.

t t t More of more or lesa harmless buncombe is being exploited over the rate bill. The Spooner amendment has been offered to cut down legal delays and Senator McCumber has come to the front with an amendment to put both fines and imprisonment into the bill for the \ punishment of rebating. Both of j these provisions are very salutary, j that is they would be good things if they ever could be made to work. Both provisions are said to have the endorsement of the : President, which they doubtless j would have. But there is a tine! photo-lithographic picture hang- i ing now in the national Hrt gallery j of a trust magnate undergoing a jail sentence and the chances are ! that the Spooner Amendment will not get into the final bill and if it does that it will not work. This amendment is to the effect that where the rate designated by the Interstate Commerce Commission is brought before the courts, the railroads shall pay into the courts the difference between the rate complained of and the rate actually charged with six per cent interest for the detention of the money, and in case the de-

cisiou goes against the railroad, the whole amount shall be paid to the shipper so that he will not be a sufferer by the prolonging of the litigation. This of course would be an incentive to the companies to get through with any legitimate appeal as soon as possible. There is a further provision that if the difference in rate is paid back to the shipper, it shall go to the actual shipper of the goods. It is a common practice in farming for the price of grain paid by an elevator company to'be based on the freight rate to some central point. In a case like this, where there was a repayment by a railroad, the difference in freight charges would go to the farmer so that be would be the gainer, and not the elevator company that was holding the grain.* t t t The proposal for a jail sentence on rebaters is very fierce and drastic on the face of it. There is provision for a tine amounting to three times the amount of the rebates paid and a jail sentence of not less than one nor more than five years. Evidence of the collection of rebates is to extend back six years from the time of instituting the action, provided of course that the law is not retroactive and- does not apply to offences perpetrated before the enactment of law. However, there is little prospect of either provision ever finding its way into

the completed bill and if it does, there will be a way found to dodge it. Sending a sure enough rebater to jail would be too bad, for rebaters are the real people. 111 The Secretary of War is preparing a modification of the Philippine Tariff Bill. It will be recollected that the Payne bill from which so much was hoped, was pigeonholed by the committee which refused to make any report on it to the Senate either adverse or otherwise. .Now the Secretary of war is framing a compromise measure which may stand some chance of a hearing. It will re duce the tariff of Philippine rice, sugar and tobacco coming into this country to 50 per cent instead of 25 per cent of the Dingley rates while on other products of the islands there shall be no duty. This is more of an educational measure than it is one of real relief for the islands. If it passes it will do some good of course. But it will be chiefly valuable in showing that the fifty per cent reduction will have no worse effect on the protected industries of this country than did the 25 per cent reduction now in force which it will be remembered was fought vigorously at its inception by the protected interests. This country has not suffered by the removal of the duty on Hawaiian Sugar nor of that on Porto Rican sugar and tobacco nor by the 20 per cent reduction on sugar aud tobacco from Cuba. But it probably will take some time to educate congress up to the idea of entire free trade with the Philippines.