The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-08-02
Washington Letter.

Washington. July p. 1S93--Secre>
tary Carlisle told the Louisiana senators
and Representative Meyer, who called TO
see him to protest against the right OF
the comDtroller to decide whether the
money appropriated by congress to pay
smear bounties should be withheld, that
be had no authority over the comp
troller. not ever the power Of removal
which is vested in the president alone
The Louisianians argued that the comp
troller had no legal authority to qu, stlon
the constitutionality of an act OF con
gresS; that he was merely charged with /
the construction Of the laws as he found
them, and that if he had the power /
claimed he would be paramount TO con |
gress Secretary Carlisle said 1t was /
true that the comptroller might by the /
arbitrary exercise of his authority greatly |
emharrass the government, but he could |
see no present remedy. Congress mad /
conferred this great authority upon the !
comptroller, and the secretary OF the /
treasury had no right to question ms
acts. The president, of course, could
remove a comptroller, but he could not
direct or review his acts. There seems
little doubt that Comptroller Bowler has
the law on his side, although the night
to construe the cOnstitutiOnahty OF acts
OF congress apprOpriating money has not
| been exercised by a comptroller for
wears. He says he Is only doing his
| DUTY, in view of the decision OF the
| court of appeals of the District OF Col
umbia, that the sugar law was uncon-
| stitutiOnal, in asking that arguments be
presented showing the cOnstltuuonallty
of the act of the last congress approprla>
| ting money for sugar bOuntes before he
approves the payment of any money
under that act. August 9TH has been
set for the hearing of the arguments,
! and, as more than $4,000, ,0O0is at stake
an imposing array of legal talent Is eN-
| pected to take part.
| The secret is out. Mr.. Benjamin
| Harrison need not pretend that he Is not
an out and out candidate for that nomI-
| nation any longer. There are people
in Washington who have seen letters
from Col. Joha c. New directing how
certai wires should be pulled in order
to increase Mr.. HarrisOn's chances.
Besides, it has leaked out that near
relative of "Lige' HalfOrd, who used to
be Mr.. HarrisOn's private secretary, Is
quietly running a Harrison literary
bureau in Washington. 1t Is ridiculous
to say that these things are being done
without the knowledge or consent of Mr..
Harrison. Col. New managed his last
canvass and Is as near to being IN his
confidence as he ever allows anybody to
get. Men who are known to be working
for Harrison are not the sort to be vast
ing their time without an explicit under
standing. Among these men are eX,.
Senator SpOOner, of Wisconsin, "LOng'
3
New Jersey, and Senator EikinS, of
West Virginia. Mr.. Harrison wants
that nomination and he is going to do
his level best to get it.
In response to requests from the Uni
ted States consul at Panama and the
New York officers of the Panama rail
road Secretary Herbert has ordered a
ship to Panama. There are two sources
from which trouble Is feared. There is
a labor strike now on hand, and Ecuador
is said to be about to invade Colombia.
We have a treaty with Colombia which
gives the United States the right to
maintain free communication over the
Panama railroad whenever Colombia
fails to do so. OF course secretary Her
bert's instructions have not been made
public, but it is almost certain that they
e include the keeping of the Panama rail
r road open, as well as protecting Ameri-
! can interests in general.
Ex- Senator Wade Hampton, of South
3 Carolina, now railroad commissioner
says he was misrepresented by the
f Southern paper which quoted him as
stating that he had personal knowledge
of President Cleveland's intention to be
a candidate for a third term. Speaking
y of this matter General Hampton said
# 81 believe l did say that if the differen
+ parties took to splitting up and a hall
dozen candidates took the field lot OF
the conservative gold bug Democrats
a would want to run President Cleveland
It for .hird term and that a big per cent.
r. among the Republicans would heartily
;, join them. As matter of fact,
haven't the slightest reason for believing
u from anything President Cleveland eve
- said or did that he Is or will be a candi
- date for a third term. On the othe
4 hand, | have no idea that he is thinkins
- about 1t or would consent to run 70
another nomination. This Who'll,
e third term furry, which has lately taker
1t on new life, Is based upon misrepresen
X tatiOns, which in most cases have beer
# Intentionally made by enemies of Presi
dent Cleveland, and which have beer
spread and added to by editors who fine
/ that a more cOngenial subject than "A dis
:, cusSiOn of the live issues of the day
IS While all things are possible there is no
I, the slightest possibility that Presiden
Cleveland's name will 60 before the mex
Democratic national convention, eithe
e with or without his consent. NJ