Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 March 1907 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

Political and General Gossip of the National Capital. Special Correspondence to The Democrat. It looks now as though the Monroe Doctrine of blessed memory was going to leave the United States with a oouple more South American foundlings on its doorstep. Advices to the State Department indicate that marines have been landed at Ceibu ant Trujillo in Honduras, either to protect American property, or as is more likely, to prevent any foreign government taking a similar step. The war between Honduras and Nicaragua is of no great interest to the outside world. It has something to do with a boundary line and that is about all that anyone has gathered of it. But there have been threats of looting, prompted doubtless by interested governments abroad, and this government, in its role of elder brother to the republics of the south, is expected to play policeman. It was reported that a promise had been given by the Nicaraguan government to turn over the first important city captured in Honduras to loot and pillage by the soldiery. This was so utterly at variance with the modern praotioe of civilized nations that Minister Corea of Nicaragua hastened to the State De-

partment to contradict it as soon as it was started. The ekpianation of the story was simple. It might have oome either from the one foreign government that is always looking for an excuse to land forces on Sooth American soil to see how far we will go in making good the Monroe Doctrine, or it might have been circulated by any two or three continental powers having large commercial interests in Honduras, and wanting to see the place well policed by the United States without the expense of doing it themselves. There is really no thought of serious following the Honduras-Nicaragua embroglic. It is generally understood that as soon as one side or the other wins anything like a decisive victory, the good offices of this country and Mexico will be offered, and that one or the other of them will be accepted. It is thought that this country will manage to have Mexico selected as the arbitrator as it will relieve the monotony of America intervention somewhat, and will be equally if not more acceptable to the waring states and to the rest of South America. It will be good training for Mexico, and she is not likely to be accused of ulterior motives by any outside parties. t t t

Anybody who has spleen to vent on the railroad world is hereby invited to walk up and vent it on Mr. Harriman. He appears to be having a hard time, and the world notoriously likes to kick a man when he is down. To be sure Mr. Harriman, if he is down, has many million dollars and several profitable railroads in his pocket. But the general idea seems to be that he is due for the fiercest prosecution the government can frame up. Senator Cullom on coming from the White House the other day, said that if there was a law capable of doing it, Mr. Harriman ought to be put behind the bars for a term of years. Gov. Deneen unquestionably came to the White House at the invitation of the President to see what could be done by the state of Illinois in the way of a state prosecution of Harriman for his looting of the Alton. There are two special attorneys for the Interstate Commerce Commission now working on the case of the Southern Pacific and the Union Pacific and they will make a report to the Interstate Commerce Commission by whom it will be transmitted to the Department of Justice, for action if possible under the Sherman AntiTrust law. Indeed it is said that there is a fair chance of convicting Harriman under the Sherman Act, the case of his two railroads being almost the duplicate of the Northern Securities case. t t t The railroads as a whole are still very nervous of action by the Administration. The fact that Secretary Cortelyou has refused to accept any more railroad bonds as security for bank circulation is thought to be a possible forerunner of action Remanding the withdraw, al of bonds already so deposited, The mere fact that Mr. Cortelyou has said he has no such intention is not received with the assurance such a positive statement would seem to warrant.

A number of the railroads have taken a course that is a little puzzling. The Erie for instance has issued peremptory orders to discontinue work on about $8,000,000 worth of improvements. This will mean cancellation of orders and throwing thousands of men out of work. One of the big southern lines has taken the same step, though its work is not quite so extensive. Many of the other roads have suspended work on extensions and are doing only the most pressing work of maintainance. The roads taking this action allege that it is almost impossible in the present state of public feeling to get money to carry on their work. This doubtless is true in a measure, but there is little doubt also that the situation is not so desperate as the roads make out. It looks more like an organized attempt to start a national depression and accomplish by this sort of a threat what the flurry in the stock market did not accomplish, namely a break in the President’s polioy of railroad legislation intended to produce really honest railroads. t t t Much practical work is being done by the Forest Service in aid of tree planting in the middle west. The servioe has been anxious all alodg to disseminate as much information as possible about tree planting and to encourage the work. Many important works on tree culture, treating in detail of the different varieties have been issued. But it was found that a man was Beldom interested in more than one or two varieties of tree adapted to his

particular locality. The Service therefore has adopted the plan of issuing leaflets on individual varieties of trees, each containing jnst as much as the average inquirer would want to know. These leaflets are printed with a view to their nse in certain localities and farmers and others interested in the culture of the best trees for their own particular sections can be famished much valuable information in a very small compass by applying or writing to the “Forest Service,” Washington, D. C„ and merely stating their locality and asking for the literature bearing on that region. Much money is being sayed on printing and postage and more is left to be devoted to other lines of forest research .