Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 June 1907 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

Political and aeneraJ Gossip of the National Capital. Special Correspondence to The Democrat. - Nothing has happened for a long time to more stir up the opponents of the Administration both south and weßt than the decision of Judge Swaihe of Florida last week that Japanese settlers oould be naturalized in this country. Their right to this privilege has been the chief stumbling block to the settlement of the present Japanese controversy, and while there is no specific law against it, there is no specific provision for it and the matter is left to the decision of any court of original jurisdiction that wants to take a chance on it. More than that there is no provision for an appeal from the ruling of the court unless it might be through the roundabout method of ohallengiDg the Jap’s vote at the first election and subsequently carrying the case to the Supreme Court. The naturalization law is curiously indefinite on the subject. It provides for the naturalization of any alien who is free, white, or of African birth or of Africaij, descent. It leaves it to be inferred whether the Japenese are included in the rather loose term of ‘white.”

The action or Judge Swaine, who is merely an appointee to the bench in Florida aud a native of Delaware, has aroused bitter commeut. It will be remembered that he was impeached by the House and let off by the Senate, It is declared in many quarters that his escape was due to political influence and that his decision in the Japanese case at the present critical time is a payment for this aid. Of course the decision of his court is not binding on a court of equal jurisdiction in any other part of the country, but it helps to complicate matters and doubtless will be used by the pro-Japanese element to point out that the Japenese question is legally settled and that there is no reason why a Jap should not be naturalized in any part of the country. One thing is certain, and that is that no court on the Pacific Coast is likely to follow Judge Swaine’s lead, and Japanese who want to be naturalized had better go to Florida. t-t t There is a lively row on just now in the office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury, the office where the plans are prepared for government buildings all over the country. This is a big office and employs over 100 draughtsmen and all of them high grade men and who have always worked together in reasonable harmony. Bat something over a month ago, the Civil Service commissin when there was a vacancy, certified three names of men to fill it. One was selected and to the disgust of the other dranghtsmen when he arrived to go to work he was found to be a negro. There are a good many negroes employed in the departments but they are mostly messengers and laborers and when they are clerks, they usually work more or less to themselves where they do not necessarily come into contact with the white employes. Bnt with the dranghtsmen it is different. They may have to work on the same sheet of drawings and at the same board with the other draughtsman. Two of the employes of the Architect’s office resigned immediately on the first appointment. The others grumbled but did nothing. Last week there was another negro appointment, and this week matters came to a head. At the olose of the days work the men go to the lavatory to wash up, and the new negro, Woodson by name, pushed into the crowded room and selecting the smallest man at one of the basins, deliberatly shoved him away and took his place. Ryder, the white man, whs not only small, but mild mannered and generally considered an easy mark. But in about five seconds, the air was full of soap, water and fists, and the new negro was mixed up with the plumbing under the stationary wash stand. His fellow negro reached for hiß hip pocket and started into the fight, but the othe£ draughtsmen threw him into a corner and formed a ring to see fair play. Woodson promptly got up and came back for more punishment, got it promptly and got up more slowly. Then the men were separated, Ryder fairly weeping because he had not bean allowed to finish the job. Thare is an official investigatson of the affair going, on in the Treasury now and it seems likely to result oitber in the elimination of the negro appointees or the resignation of the whole of the white draughting force. ttt Bids have been received for the

two 20,00 Q too battle ships that were authorized by the last congress. These ships have beeD generally referred to as-‘‘slo,ooo,-000” battleships, but the prospect is now that they will cost a great deal less. There was a maximum limit of $6,000,000 for each ship with $4,000,000 added for guns and armor. But the lowest bid received was for $3,987,000 from the Newport News Ship Building Company with the next lowest of $4,480,000 from the Fore River Company. Th ese two firms probably will get the contracts. One of the features of the bid that is likely to be accepted is that it provides for two systems of engines. Ordinary marine engines of the reciprocating type are provided for ordinary druising and there is a reserve turbine that can be used to speed the ship up to a high point. The tronble with all the big marine turbines yet built is that they are very wasteful at low speeds and unreliable in a heavy seaway. It is thought that the combination may be the thing the marine architects have been looking for for a long time.^ ttt

The Department of Agriculture has just started a new investigation into the production of absinthe in this country. Usually the Department of Agriculture goes after the industries it wants to help. But in the present case, the object of the investigation will be to see how largely wormwood, from which absinthe is made, is cultivated in this country and if necessary get a law passed that will restrict its use. The experience of France with the green liquor has been disastrous and there are being prohibitive laws passed there. The United States is likely to follow suit and it is hoped that this will be done before the drug has gained such a foothold here as it has already done abroad.