Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 November 1907 — WASHINGTON GOSSIP [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WASHINGTON GOSSIP

President Roosevelt returned to W&A lngton after having made several stop* oh his way from the Louisiana canebrakes, where he had been hunting for two weeks From the sportsman’* point of view, his hunt was not very successful. Up to the last day of hi* outing he had killed one deer, but on that—day brought down a good-sized black bear trailed by the dogs. At Nashville, Tenn., where the President stopped over several hours, after having made a brief visit to Vicksburg, ho delivered three addresses and too) part In two parades. Gov. Pattersot and the Mayor of Nashville were om hand with other prominent citizens ta receive him, and a company of Confect erate veterans marched as a special escort In his speeches, referring to the prevailing panic In Wall street, he took occasion to say emphatically that bfs policies" would be persevered lu, and he summed them up in one brief sentence, saying that “they represent the effort to punish successful dishonesty.” He doubted if they had any effect In bringing about the present trouble, but if they did, he said it would not alter in the slightest degree his course. A temporary commercial, depression ,he would consider small cost If It were necessary to arouse civic manhood Id our nation. After his address the President and his party visited the Hermitage, the home occupied by President Andrew Jackson. Upon his return to the White House the President said he was delighted with his trip, and was especially gratified over the fact that he got a bear as the result of his hunt During his journey ? he had visited eleven States, and his main purpose was to give the weight of his office to the movement for a ship canal in the Mississippi.

What’s the matter with the navy? This question Secretary Metcalf has set himself to answer. The trouble In the navy apparently applies both to personal and fighting machines. Serious defects, long pointed out by some reform officers, are now made plain and so many more have been shown that there has resulted a wide difference of opinion as to the practicability of attempting the cruise from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Now the general board is divided In its opinion as to the type and numbers of the battleships that should be built The board of construction is divided as to how they should be built. Officers of the bureau of navigation and other dlvlsious are divided as to how to improve the personnel. Metcalf Is at sea and where the bureaus differ between themselves they are coming to the point of standing together against the secretary. It Is said it has remained for the projected Pacific trip to bring the division to a focus and possibly a crisis.

A new step has been taken by the administration in its war upon Illegal trusts by Invoking Section 6 of the Sherman anti-trust law to Justify the seizure of about $7,000 worth of tobacco goods In Virginia belonging to corporations allied to the American Tobacco Company, otherwise known aa the Tobacco Trust. Up to this time Section 6, which specificaly authorizes the seizure aud condemnation of any property owned under contract or In combination prohibited by the ShermaD law, had remained a dead letter. The seizure in question was a complete surprise to the tobacco company, which is already under prosecution by the Federal government. It is supposed that this seizure will precipitate an action which, under the law of seizure, would bring to light Information otherwise not obtainable, which the government might use against the trusts.

Attorney General Bonaparte has rendered an opinion to the effect that the action of a State in furnishing fiilanclal assistance or giving promise of employment to secure Immigration is a violation of the immigration laws, under which the State is In precisely the same standing as an Individual. The occasion of this opinion was the case of one Geroniino Garcia, who came to New Orleans from Cuba, his passage money having been paid by the Louisiana State Board of Agriculture and Immigration. lie had also been given issurnnee that employment as a farm laborer .would be secured for him, and he had promised to retuni to the State Ihe money ndva’nced for his passage.

The Isthmian Canal Commission has laid before the Secretary of tbo Navy the suggestion, that the looks of the Panama canal be wider than now planned, owing to the larger size of merchant vessels and warships now coming Into vogqc. It is thought possible that this question may revive th* discussion of n sca-levej waterway.

The New York Court of Appeals has affirmed the decision of the lower courts which held that the theater which excluded Critic Metcalf of Life because of his nnti-llebrew criticisms of the management, was within its legal rights. The higher cottrt says that Metenlf’s writing showed “race bitterness and hatred" and that thenters are lu no sense under Btnre control. Tba world’s largest hospital la la Faria -