, 1878-02-02
Our Washington Letter.

| AShiSGTOS, JAN Il, 1910.
! EDITOR STATESMAN Il 90 not believe that
ali the republicans in the house cared on gen
eral principles to vote against the investigation
resolutions passed the other day. There are
many Of them who would like 10 see an expos
ure Of what has been corrupt in the adIninistra.
ton of affairs in the last dozen years They all
voted against it, tn be sure, but some may have
had an honest idea that Investigations, as pro
posed In the resolutions, would do more harm
! than good. They were wrong, of course. but
there is excuse for them. Let lis hope that the
| democratic committees will shun the secret and
unfair kind of investigation held in the depart
ments here since Mr.. Hayes was inaugurated.
Give us open and fair ones, and thus agreeably
disappoint those honest republicans who voted
against Investigation in the fear that their own
party tactics would be pursued l write this in
the belief that there are, in fact, in the republi
can party many honest aud practical men who
hope for reform in the civil service Of the
government, and are willing to help it along,
no matter how deeply their former leaders may
be. What they desire, think, is that perfect
fairness should be shown. As good citizens
they are entitled to that, and as good citizens
We ought to concede rs much. Lst us have no
more secret Investigations.
However, the resolutions are passed, and We
are without doubt To have during this session
a great nu;nber Of Investigations INTO what has
been done in several if not all the departments.
Time and money go expended wfll be well ex-
pended, if, as to be hoped, the Investigations
are so conducted as to expose all who are gull
ty Again, let us have no more secret investi-
cations.
Though the bill of Secretary Sherman for
the issue of small bonds has valuable features
il also has perniciOus ones. 1t proposes, for
instance, that the bonds shall be receivable by
the United States only i'll the purchase Of other
bonds This adds another class OF money TO
our already disgracefully complex currency.
Gold, which is received for allIues, greenbacks
received for all but customs, silver received III
limited amounts for some purposes, and not for
others are enough diverse kinds of money.
Secretary Sherman will have to modify his bill
considerably before it will be adopted.
The feature of yesterdays session was the
financial speech of Senator Voorhees,. 1t at
tracted senate full ANDY WIS admitted by every
body to be 4 mastery presentation Of the sub
ject. His denunciation of the financial leSiSla-
tion Of the past dozen Years, and his exposure
of the Inconsistencies Of Secretary Sherman
were exceeding ly forcible.
Chairman Wood, of the ways and means
committee, has plan for simpl1yinsthe tariff.
lie is man familiar with the subject during
his whole life-perilaps more SO than any other
man now in public lie For this reason, aside
from his position as chairman of the committee
charged with such affairs, his tariff bill is en-
titled To consideration.
The works of the Hayden Survey are max
ing us familiar with heretofore unknown reg
ions, rich in minerals and of great agricultural
and grazing value. 1t extends from Arizona to
Montana, embracing the territories Of Utah,
Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Dakota This
SURVEY has issued a series of annual reports,