The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-04-26
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, April 81, 1905.

VINO agree with those views and those
who oppose them. There are timid
democrats who say that an expression
against the free coinage Of silver was
not polite, in view of the knowledge
that many democrats favor it. Per
baps 1t wasn't, but Mr.. Cleveland has
never been a polite man. There is
one of the reasons why he has never
got along with the trimmers in the
democratic party. His tariff reform
message of 1887 was not polite
document, but it resulted in uniting
the democratic party and in making
tariff reformer Synonymous with de.
mocrat, and is to day regarded by
every democrat as one of the best
things he ever did. Democrats ad
mire courage, and no democrat will
think less of Mr.. Cleveland for having
the courage to stand up for what he
believes to be right, regardless Of
whether it be popular or unpopular
with the party at large. He invites a
contest within the ranks of the party,
and is confident that when all the
arguments which can be presented on
both sides have been heard that an
overwhelming majority of the party
will endorse his views. He may be
wrong. Other democrats have been
wrong but when he asks that the
democrats come together and discuss
this question in all Its bearings before
committing the party he is not un-
reasonable. A campaign of education
is never one sided. Let every demo-
crat hear what both sides have to say
in coming discussions of the silver
question, weigh the arguments as
he would the evidence if he we're sit
ting on a jury, and then decide which
will be best for the country. Up to
this time most Of the talking has been
done by one side.
Secretary Morton is always interest
ed in everything connected with the
food supply of the people hence it is
not surprising that he should be de-
voting his time and the power of the
Department Of Agriculture to heading
off the extortion of the beef trust. If
he had his way, and President Cleve.
land and the other members Of the
cabinet agree with him, the tariff of
20 per cent. ad valorum on
foreign cattle would at once be
abolished, but only Congress can do
that. AS the next best thing Secre-
tary Morton has amended the rules
of his department so as to admit
Mexican cattle, after they have been
inspected by our officials. Speaking
Of the result of this move Or. Salmon,
chief of the Bureau of Animal Indus
try of the Department of Agriculture,
said: 1t is guesswork to make an
estimate of how many cattle will be
brought from Mexico. There is no
census Of cattle in North Mexico. We
have no figures to 60 by. Nor have
we any accurate news as to what
proportion Of the cattle there are
ready for slaughter. But what is
known might encourage belief that
the number of cattle brought in from
Mexico during the last month will be
heavy. Once before we let down the
bars to the incoming of Mexican cat
tie and within month $4,000 were
brought in. Probably the number will
reach Ioo,o 900 this time" From the
very marked variations in the retail
price of beef In different cities Secre-
tary Morton is inclined to believe that
the retailer is squeezing the consumer
harder than he himself is being squeez-
ed by the trust. He is now making
an investigation of the whole business.
He said: My belief is that beef
ring exists among the big slaughterers.
The difficulty now before us is how to
prevent its continuance. If anything
is done the papers will have to do it.
The Sherman antitrust law will
neither punish nor protect. We've
gone all through it with microscope,
and it is clear that it was made to be
evaded and gone around. There is
nothing left but the whip Of public
opinion and that must be Vigorously |
welded by the papers,"
Hon. Dorman B. Eaton, Of Ohio,
who claims to have drafted the civil |
service law, and who was the first
Civil Service Commissioner, is in
Washington. He paid the President
a high compliment when he said :
) For the courage President Cleveland
has shown IN executing this reform,
for his faithful adherence to the law,
he is deserving OF the highest praise.
l am republican, but on this ques-
tion, as in his brave stand for sound |
system of currency, Mr.. Cleveland has |
shown himself such true patriot that !
all questions OF partisanship are lost
sight Of, and he deserves just as much
credit from republicans as he does
from his own fellows"
Attorney General Olney has filed
brief with the Supreme Court, against
any rehearing of the income tax cases
which does not include rehearing on
that portion of the tax declared to be
unconstitutional by the late decision.