Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1897-08-19
WASHINGTON LETTER.
FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.

WASHINGTON, AUGUST 9TH, 1897.
Although there is quorum Of the
Cabinet in Washington, there is an air
of vacation dulness around all the gov
eminent departments. Secretary Sher'
man is at his office every day, but since
he has had to deny so many newspaper
interviews, he will only talk in mono.
sylables to those who are allowed to get
in to see him. Attorney General Nc
Kenna is wrestling with tariff prob
lem referred to him by Secretary Gage,
who is also in town, for an opinion,
and he has listened to arguments on
one side by Secretary Carlisle and
Ex.Assistant Secretary Hamlin, the
first representing the Maine and Bos'
ton R. R. and the latter Boston bust
ness organizations. Secretary Wilson,
is as usual, hammering away on routine
matters and not inclined to court pub.
licity in any way.
According to al official document
signed and made public by Assistant
Secretary Roosevelt, an exhaustive re
port made by Commander Davis, has
shown that those who charged that
everything was not conducted just as it
should be at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
were merely dreamers of troubled
dreams, or words to that effect. Mr..
Roosevelt even goes furcher, as may be
seen from the following extract from
his official comments upon Commander
Dayis' report: "But it is evident that
the real reason for the attacks upon
Mr.. Bowles (the Constructor in charge
of the Brooklyn Navy Yard is to be
found, not in the fact that he has done
badly but that he has done well"
Everything pertaining to war con-
tinues to grow more and more expen-
sive. The Ordinance Bureau of the
War Department recently opened seal.
ed proposals for the construction Of FIVE
disappearing gun carriages, more or
less, upon which to mount the heavy
guns intended to be used for COAT de.
lenses; and the lowest bid received was
$28, $50 each for the carriages. Such
prices would make an ordinance officer
Of the period Of the first Napoleon open
his eyes in wonder, and yet the cost of
guns to be mounted upon these car.
riages will be much more than the car
riages. and the cost of firing them will
exceed 81 900 shot. Perhaps after all
it is cost rather than all improvement
in human nature that has operated to
lessen the number of wars between ma
tons in a position to make war upon
up.to.date methods.
The efforts now being made by I'm
migration Commissioner Powderly to
prevent the coming to the United
States of those anarchists who have
been or will be expelled from European
countries, under the stringent regula-
tons put in force in consequence Of the
assassination Of the Spanish Prime MN
lister, will be watched with eager inter.
est by those who know the weakness OF
our laws in defining an anarchist, and
who remember the failure of deter
mined effort to prevent the coming OF
a notorious English anarchist several
years ago. The man simply proved
that he had ample means and was we'll
educated, and the Government not b.
ing able to prove that he came to the
United States for any unlawful purpose
he had to be admitted. His trip was
made a failure by the state authorities
which prevented his making speeches