The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1895-11-22
Washington Letter.
From our Regular Correspondent.

FROM our regular Correspondence.
WASHINGTON November 1S.-President
Cleveland has more than once been charged
sometimes by members of his own party, with
being deficient in diplomatic skill. His declina
ton TO accept the invitation extended by the
government of Great Britain to form an ALI
ance with that country for the purpose of pro-
tecting British and American interests in Tur-
KEY shows that he had diplomatic skill enough
to defeat a well planned scheme of British di-
plomacy. When that invitation was extended
it seemed a natural sort OF thing to do, but the
present situation in Turkey shows what q dam
gerous thing itreally was. As things now stand
there is every probability that Great Britain
will be involved in Il war with one or more
countries as result of the present compiled
lions in Turkey, and had President Cleveland
not seen through the scheme this country
would have been involved with her. As it is,
the United States by acting alone has secured
better protection for Americans i'll Turkey than
has been accorded to any other foreigners in
that country, and when the lighting begins
Uncle Sam will be merely an onlOoker, only in
tereSted in selling all the combatauts every
thing they can pay for.
How completely Mr.. Reed will dominate the
Republican majority in the House is shown in
the scramble for the other offices If that body.
Although Il number of candid; IS have been
in the field for sometime they have been able
to get very few members to commit themselves;
they are all waiting to find out Reeds choice
before announcing their own. by the way,
speaking of Reed and his method, there is
something for those Republicans who have
been yelling "WalI street domination at the
Democratic administration and Congress to
ponder over in the Republican announcement
that Mr.. Reed has been consulting Wall street
bankers to learn what their wishes were con-
cerlring financial legislation.
Captain II. w. Howgate, whose wholesale
embeZZlement of government money was Il
national sensation some fifteen years ago, hay
ing exhausted all legal quibbles or his money,
Will this week be taken To he Albany peniten-
tiary TO serve the eight year sentence imposed
upon him by jury that saw things somewhat
differently from the jury which ut an earlier
date declared him not guilty us charged in the
first indictments and confirmed hy Il decision
of the Court of Appeals against u new trial for
him. Notwithstanding Howgate's known guilt,
and his known whereabouts during all the
thirteen years after he was allowed to escape,
Justice was slow in everlasting him, and the
sentence imposed upon him light when com
pared with those given ordinary thieves. Had
not Secretary Morton ordered his arrest he
would still be ut liberty, although everybody
in Washington appeared to know that he was
living in New York.
The wisdom of the government in printing
its own postage stamps is shown by the annual
report OF Mr.. Claude VI. johnson, Chief of the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing, where the
work is done. Although the postage stamps
have been better printed Than ever before the
government paid less by between $4,000 and
$4,000 than it ever before paid for the same
amount OF work.
Wholesale abuse of the franking privilege
caused it to be wholly abolished for long
time. Although only existing in modified
form for the last few years, there is no doubt
of its having been abused. 1t is known that
send out documents that were not frankable
during the Congressional campaign of last year
and the last Presidential campaign. But IA case
has recently come to the knowledge Of Secre-
tary Morton which shows that individuals have
also been abusing it to their own profit. The
case will probably be referred TO the Attorney
General in order to decide whether any legal
wrong has been done. 1t came to the know
ledge OF Secretary Morton that Il secondhand
book dealer was selling government publica-
tions AMI giving Congressional franks to those
who wished to mail them. An employee of the
Department of Agriculture was sent to pur-
chase one of these publications and obtain one
of the franks. He easily did so. The frank
bears rubber stamp fac-simile Of the sigma
turc of Representative Tom L. Johnson, of
Ohio, and the book dealer claims that he came
legitimatey by them and acknowledges to
have used a considerable number of them
sending books through the mail for his cllstO-
mers 1t has been ascertained that it is COM
mon practice for the clerks of Senators and
Representatives to sell government publica-
tions to book dealers and to furnish Congress
sional franks for mailing them. c. A. S.