Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-08-16

WASHINGTON, D. O., Aug. 2, 1889.
Ex-Secretary Whitney announces
that the story that he is about to back /
a new weekly paper in Washing
ton, having for its purpose his /
as the next Democratic /
candidate for President, is without
foundation. To this he adds the de
NAL of any willingness to accept a
nomination to this or any other office.
OF course there will be ample time
for Mr.. Whitney to change his mind.
So far as founding a Washington
weekly for the purpose Of influencing
roli:ice is concerned, Mr.. Whitney is
TIC good a business man to make such
an Improbable investment The
Washington papers are now, and have
been for several years, without weight
or influence in national affairs. The
best of them, the Star, is merely a
local newsgatherer, Add to this the
fact that Mr.. Hudson, who was named
as editor Of the new sheet, is a weak
sort of society reporter, who brilliant
Iy managed to ruin the Sunday Capt.
tai, and Mr.. Whitney's denial of the
newspaper scheme is easily believed,
So far as his avowal that he would
not accept Office is concerned, MIR,
Whitney will excuse those who know
him for having mutual reservations
on the subject. Mr.. Whitney's de-
sire for the Presidency has been no
ticed for two years, and his avail
ability as a candidate recognized.
Mr.. Whitney is, beside the late Mr.
Manning, the one really able man IN
Mr.. Cleveland's cabinet He made
the fewest mistakes and the most sue
cesses. It is we'll known that the
great wealth of Mr. Whitney's family
would be edited in the cause, even to
the extent of a couple of million dol
lars.
In seeking for things to reform Mr.
John Wanamaker has unluckily str
red up an enemy that brooks no in
reference and submits to no defeat
Yesterday he crossed the last bridge
in his opening fight with the Western
Union Telegraph Company by order
ing the payment of the government
telegraph bills suspended, pending
the settlement of the discussion. DR..
Norwin Green, president of the great
telegraph monopoly, calmly annOunc-
es that he will fight the Postmaster
General in the courts. He states that
IN ordering the rate cut, as to all dis
tances, from one cent to one mill per
word, the Postmaster General has eZ-
ceeded the authority given him by law
to fix the rate the government shall
pay for the transmittal of messages.
DR.. Greene alleges that this is uncon-
stitutional, being the taking of priv
ate property and services without just
and fair compensation. The defense
is thus on broad and seemingly equit-
able grounds if, as Dr. Green says,
messages could not be sent at the rate
proposed withoutloss to the company.
The average length Of a government
message is about twenty words, and
of course it must be delivered by a
messenger, and must take precedence
/ of all other business. The new rate
would make the toll two cents.
The cOnclave of the Knights Temp
lar will be badly handicapped fnan-
/ cially, unless some new device is IN
/ vented by the committee for raising
/ money. 1t was expected that the
hotel keepers, iverymen, butchers,
grocers and saloon keepers Of Wash
/ ingtOn would give in the aggregate
about $4,000. Cities where the con
| claves have been held have never Civ
en- less than S35, GOO to $4,000. But
after a hard canvass the committee
has secured only 81, 800 from the bus
mess men of the capital. The mer-
/ chants and others to be benefited 20
right on with their preparations for
making big haul In October. but
Will give nothing. The reason for
/ this is in the fact that the cOnclave is
decided upon, and is beyond danger
Of failure. and they do not propose to
! give up their money unless they are
compelled