The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-07-26
WASHINGTON.
rom our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, July "a

the libeled individual can appeal to
the courts and by proving the libel
have the libeler punished. But the
United States government has no
such redress. When an apparently
concerted attempt to injure the credit
Of the government and bring on
another financial panic, such as is now
being made by those republican news
papers which are printing sensational,
and in many instances entirely false,
accounts OF the governments financial
affairs, the government can only ap-
peal to the common sense and fairness
of the people. There is nothing either
alarming or unexpected in the present
condition of the governments finances.
AS was expected the expenditures
during the first half of July were large
ly in excess of the receipts. The rea.
son is obvious. Of the $40, 900
which have been paid out this month
SII,ooo,ooo has gone to pay pensions,
about $7,ooo,o 900 to pay interest on
bonds, including those of the Pacific
railroads, and more than $4,000, 900
has been paid out under the appropri.
ations made by the last Congress,
which became available on the first Of
July. Some republican papers, in
their anxiety to bring on another
financial panic, or at least stop the
revival OF business now sweeping over
the country, have gone so far as to
say that the revenues of the govern
ment were falling off. Partisanship
is no excuse for such a willful mis-
statement as that. On the contrary,
the revenues are increasing, those for
the first half of July being much
larger tnan the receipts for the same
period last year. The U. S. Treasury
Is all right, and likely to remain SO as
long as it is in charge of democrats.
Secretary Smith has gone to
Georgia to make some financial
speeches, in which he will tell his
hearers why he lost faith in the efficacy
of the tree coinage of silver and be-
came an advocate of sound money.
He has accepted invitations to deliver
three speeches, but, as his mail was
for some days before his departure
from Washington filled with invita-
tons to deliver speeches in other
parts of the State, it is probable that
he will make more than that while he
is about it.
Secretary Lamont very seldom con.
sents to being interviewed for publica-
tion-he is an old newspaper man,
which accounts for his stunning no.
toriety-but he made an exception in
order to deny the silly story about his
western trip having been in the inter-
est of third term for President
Cleveland. He said "I was not
hunting ghosts, though am told some
were about. My trip was purely
business one, and / had neither in.
clination nor opportunity to NEEDLE
IN politics. About the only people |
saw and talked with were the military
and railroad people. The railroad
men whom | met told me that the
outlook was very favorable for great
prosperity. They are about the only
ones 1 had an opportunity to talk with
on the subject, and l presume that
they are about the best judges"
BY the way, speaking Of this third
term business, which some republican
editors seem disposed to make a
standing nightmare out of, there is
nothing in it. While an occasional
democrat of prominence has express
ed willingness to support President
Cleveland for third term, no person
al friend of his has ever encouraged
such an idea, and it can be stated on
excellent authority that he has never
made a suggestion to any member Of
his cabinet that could be construed !
even in the most indirect manner, to
mean that he desired another nomina-
tion. A gentleman who is known to
enjoy the Presidents confidence said
on this subject: at is too silly to
be seriously discussed. l am satisf-
ed that Mr.. Cleveland would long ago
have said that he would under no
circumstances accept another nomina
ton had he not thought it TO be en-
tirely unnecessary to DO so. You may
depend upon it that he will stop it
quick enough should it at any time
between this and the holding of the
democratic National Convention be-
come evident that a serious attempt
was being made to nominate him
again. He is proud, as he has
tight to be, of the three nominations
given him by the democratic party,
but if he has any ambition for fourth
nomination his closest associates have
never discovered the slightest evi
dence of it, You cannot find a
single man whose relations with him
are close who believes that he would
allow his name to go before another
national convention