The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-05-16
FROM THE NATIONS CAPITAL.
From Our O,cn Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, D. c.. May IA, 1900.

Administration officials are taken all
aback by Judge Lochren's decision that
the Constitution does extend, ex pro-
prio vigore, to Porto Rico and the new
possessions. The President and At
torney General expected, OF least,
feared, such decision in the future,
but they have been straining every
nerve to prevent itr being handed
down until after the election. Although
they protested that the passage of the
Porto Rican bill was necessary to ena-
bic test case to be brought before
legislating for the Philippines, they
are now taking every step possible to
prevent case reaching tho Supreme
Court before it adjourns for the sum-
mer, which it will do in two or three
weeks. Attorney General Griggs has
sought to minimize the effect of tho
decision by declaring that it is merely
"dictum." Judge Lochren's an-
nounceDs,,t," said he, "has no weight
whatever, as it does not relate to the
case under discussion. The question
at issue in the case was whether
state Of war existed and whether q
military tribunal had the right to try
for the crime Of murder. We did not
even argue the question of the extern
sion of the Constitution, but dismissed
it as irrelevant and immaterial." It
will be remembered, however, that the
decision Of the Supreme Court rendered
in the Dred Scott case that the Mis-
souri, Compromise was unconstitu-
tiOnal, was also "dictum" not neces-
sary to the case at issue. Judge Loch-
rem, by the way, though appointed to
office by Cleveland, is an expansionist,
indorses the policy of President Nc
Kinley and voted for him in 1895.
Mistakes - the Porto Rican act
continue to crop up. The latest is that
the law, as construed by the Treasury
Department, puts an additional penalty
on Europeans who desire to trade with
the island via United States ports. If
European sends goods direct to Porto
Rico from the old world, he pays the
Dingley rates; if he sends them to
New York for shipment to Porto Rico,
he must pay the Dingley rates and Is
per cent. additional. That is to say,
the Republican party in its wisdom has
directly Disseminated against this
country as port of call between Eu-
rope and Porto Rico, and has done it's
best to discourage Steamship lines
from the United States to POI to Rico
and to encourage direct lines from
Europe to Porto Rico. OF course, THE
is all very we'll for the trusts that wish
to control the Porto Rican market, for
their protection is increased IS per
cent. oyer tho already monumental
Dingley rates. Whether they had part
in drawing the verbiage OF the bill with
the idea of getting this additional duty
or whetherit was an unexpected stroke
of fortune for them, cannot be said.
In either case, 1t is hard on the Porto
R.cans.
Nobody here takes much stock in the
boom Of Mr.. TOwne, of minneapolis, for
Vice President on the ticket with
Bryan. The Democratic convention
will not be cut and dried affair, in
which the delegates merely ratify the
selections of their leaders, but real
convention. Mr.. Towne is looked upon
as an able man, but the fact that he
could not carry his own district, if
nothing else, initiates against him.
When Senator Jones, Chairman of the
Democratic National Committee, was
asked about the Towne boom, he said:
''I read something about it in tho head
lines of the newspapers this morning,
but the matter was of such little i'm
p0rtnnce to me that did not read
what you newspaper men call the story.
1 looked for other things in the paper
of more importance and of general in
terest." Further than this Senator
Jones would not express himself for
publication. The Hon. B. F.. Caldwell,
of Illinois, who has q considerable
Vice Presidential boom of his own to
interest him, said; 81 don't suppose
thereis anything serious in the talk
about Towne. The real sense of the
proposition now seems to be Dewey for
second place. believe the man who
picks the Admiral for Bryan's running
mate will show Himself to be q pro-
phet."
Ifaction on the Nicaraguan Canal is
secured ut this session it will be over
the protest Of Senator Hanna and tho
national administration. This was
made abundantly plain at the last
meeting OF the Senate Committee on
inter.0eeanic canals, when Mr. Hanna
and Mr. Sewell, of New jersey, both
of whom had been posing as friends of