Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-05-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, May 10, 1897.

| Is there to be another sugar scandal? That is
| thei question that is being asked oftener and
oftener as the sugar schedule in the amended
tariff bill is becoming better understood. Wash
ington is full of ugly rumorS conserving that
sugar schedule and the manner in which it was
adopted, one being that copy of the schedule
was in the hands of broker several days before
the bill was reported to the Senate, and was
used for speculative purposes. Senator Jones, OF
Nevada. is reported to have stated that at the
last meeting of the Republican members of the
Senate Finance Committee, which he was in
vited to attend it was definitely understood that
the provision expressly continuing the Hawaiian
reciprosity treaty should remain in the bill. yet
when the bill was reported to the Senate next
day that clause was left out 1t is notorious that
the sugar trust has been working to get the
treaty with Hawaii abrogated. 1t is also known
that majority of Congress is opposed to the abro-
CATION of this treaty. Can it be wondered at
then, that it should be charged that the treaty
provision was left out of the bill SO that money
might be made specializing in the stock of the
sugar trust? Prominent Republicans have openly
denounced this sugar schedule as indispensable,
and as being Intentionally muddled and mixed
sugar trust would derive from it. The Dingley
bill as passed by the House gave the sugar trust
protection to the extent of one-quarter of cent
pound on sugar but Representative Swanson
of Virginia, Democratic member of the House
WAYS and Means Committee, who has carefully
analized the present schedule, positively asserts
that " the least possible protection to the sugar
trust in the schedule adopted by the Senate
Finance Committee is nearly half cent q
a pound Whether the present schedule be
allowed to stand or not, the sugar trust people
and those who stand in with them have prob
ably already utilized it to make q big pile of
money by specializing.
Mr.. Clsud NJ. johnson, the Gold Democrat, who
as a personally requested favor of ex-Secretary
Carlisle, is being allowed to remain at the head
of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, is
getting some rough raking over from Demo
Gratis. He is accused of recommending the rein
statement of Republicans whose dismissal he
had recommended to the Secretary OF the Treas
lf1ry for ff,o LOTT ats,fc
tratioD, and is said TO take especial pleasure in
Republican reinstatement that pushes regular
Democrat out.
The country is likely to get an idea very soon
of why. Mr.. Theodore Roosevelt, some time re-
ferred to as Scrapping Teddy was made As
sistant Secretary of the Navy, as Mr. Roosevelt
will this week begin an investigation of the New
York Navy Yard, with special reference to its
employment of labor. It has been limited that
boss Platt has had an und erstanding with Mr..
Roosevelt, and that the New York Navy Yard is
to be utilized in behalf Of the Republican ma
chine in greater New York, but it will not be be-
lieved by those who have faith in Mr.. Roose-
yelts professions Of reform, until there is proof
In sight.
Now that the arbitration treaty has been re-
jected, largely by the efforts and votes of Demo
cratic Senator'S lots of those who were at one
talking about what lucky escape the United
States had.
Recent news from Ohio has not been at all salts
factory to Boss Hanna, and his hopes of retain
ing the seat in the Senate that John Sherman
was compelled to give him. and he has gone to
Ohio to study the situation at close range, and
figure up how much cash he shall put into the
campaign. His Republican colleagues in the
Senate showed how transient they regarded him
by failing to make him chairman of any com
mittee and by giving him unimportant com.
mittee assignments. They could not very well
have made palmer their belief that the next
Ohio legislature would be Democratic and Mr.
HRnna's successor a Democrat. 1t was given
out by Mr.. Hanna that he was going home for a
rest by order Of his physician.
If indications are not very deceptive the in
huence OF the sugar trust Is quite potent in the
White House as la the Senate Mr.. Mckinley
has been unable to scand the pressure. and will
there are reasons to believe, save the New York
broker Chapman who refused to divulge the
names of Senators who specialized in sugar
through his firm from the ignomy Of serving the
term in jail 20 which he was sentenced by pardon
ing him. II he does, the pardon win indirectly
will probably be nol-prossed if Chapman is
pardoned.