The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1891-09-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
from our Regular Correspondent,


would be public pap-suckers now wait
ing to pounce upon him, for few
minutes, he may be able to help clear
away the suspicion under which the
United States Treasury department
now rests. of having attempted to ham
per the investigation which it has pre-
tended to be so anxious to have made,
of the affairs of the wrecked Keystone
National Bank. of Philadelphia. 1t Is
regarded naturally as a suspicious cir
cumstance that just as the expert ac-
countants at work on the books of that
bank were getting into the part of their
work which promised important re-
suits. that 1t should be discovered at
the Treasury that the fund from which
they were paid was exhausted and that
they must be dismissed and the investi.
cation stopped There's money en-
ough to pay thousand and one un-
necessary expenses for this and that,
but not enough to pay for the investi-
cation of wrecked bank with which
a prominent member of the admins
tration had been much mixed up. Isn't
that suspicious of itself?
Treasury officials pretend to be rack
ing their brains to discover a way to
pay these men. meanwhile the men
have stopped work. Perhaps when
they resume, if they ever do, some Of
the books may be missing. The Phil
adelphia people have taken the matter
up, and if their committees stinging
letter to the Treasury department does
not cause Mr.. Harrison to take some
action he is either thicker skinned
than he has been supposed to be. or is
afraid for his friend, Mr.. Wanamak-
er AT any rate the letter, portion of
which follows. will make MIR. Harri-
son do some thinking: ut is Of vital
Importance alike to the credit Of the
national banking system and to the
cause of justice, that the investigation
shall be pursued to the end and direct
ly under the auspices of the United
States government. If it be true, as
stated, that the experts employed by
the government have been dismissed
for the reason that there are now no
funds available for the payment Of
their expenses, then this committee
will advance any reasonable amount
required to meet such expenses. "
Everything may be perfectly straight
about the action Of the Treasury Off
cials in this matter, but it certainly does
not look so. Everybody will concede
I that the financial system of nation
should be, like Caesars wife, above
suspicion. There is now large and
respectable body Of our citizens bitter
/ ly opposed to the entire National
banking system. because of its princi-
! Piles, but even they have never charg-
ed that there was crookedness in the
administration Of the system, and woe
! be unto that administration upon which
crookedness is proven.
A gentleman who is very close to
Representative Mills said of the report
that Mr.. Milswas hedging on the silver
question: "Those who believe such
4 story do not know the man. He
never straddled question in his lite.
l could talk to you for an hour about
his position. but instead l will refer
you to the first speech he makes in
Ohio, which will be on the 10 inst. |
happen to know that he will on that
occasion fully define his position on
every question now before the public,
and" with wink, ''that is more than
some of his competitors for the Speak
ership dare to do"
The democratic missionary party, or
rather a portion Of it left here yester-
day for Chicago, where they will be
joined by the remainder. Their first
stop will be at St. Paul on the 18th
inst. They are due at Spokane Falls,
Washington, on the 24th inst. Tariff
talk will be given everywhere.
Your correspondent was shown to-
day what purported to be letter from
an Ohio republican to a member OF
the same party in Washington, which,
if the writer knew what he was talking
about, contained a most important
piece Of political news. Following is a
copy of paragraph in the letter re-
terred to-: "Don't get worried about
the newspaper accounts of the Sher-
mani Foraker feud /; there is no feud
between them, but on the contrary the
most perfect and cordial understand
ing. 1t has been thought best to have
them appear to be fighting each other
in order to bring out full vote through
the efforts of their respective followers
many of whom are not in the secret,
If we succeed in electing a majority OF
the legislature, which, between us. is
far from a certainty, John Sherman
will be reelected to the Senate as a
''vindication' SO to syeak. He will, as
may seem best at the time, either de,
cline or before the adjournment Of the
legislature resign, giving as reason
| his desire to retire from the cares and