Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-02-23
HIS AIM is HIGHER.
ROOSEVELT WANTS TO BE FIRST
ON THE TICKET.

Senator's Vigorous Defense-Flnance Bill
Gives Control Of National Finances to the
Moneyed Sharks Absolutely, Says Senator
Jones-Rsprssentativc Ball Calls the Repub-
can Bluff.
From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 1900.
The story that Gov. Roosevelt is in
the field rs Il candidate for the Repub-
lican Presidential nomination has
found sufficient number of believers
among the Mckinleyites to make it
more important than it seemed to be
when it reached Washington several
days ago. 1t is now said that there is
Roosevelt machine and that it is
plentifully supplied with money and is
already dickeriDg with the men who
usually control delegations from the
southern States to Republican nation.
al conventions; that Roosevelt's posi-
tive refusal to be candidate for Vice
President and his declaration against
the Nicaragua Canal treaty and in
favor of absolute American control of
the canal was part OF his scheme to
attract the support OF the anti-Mc-
Kinley Republicans. A considerable
number OF Republicans in both Senate
and House would be glad to see Mr..
Mckinley defeated for the nomina-
ton, by Roosevelt, or anybody else,
but they have no idea of sacrificing
all their official pie by announcing
that fact, unless it can be shown that
Roosevelt, or somebody else, has sup
port enough to win the nomination.
Some think that Roosevelt is merely
making bluff in order TO force the
administration to throw its influence
in favor of his denomination for Gov.
ernor.
Representative Bell, of Colorado,
showed in short speech that the
claims repeatedly made by Republi-
cans, that the banks made no profits
by the deposits OF government money,
was ridiculous. He had written to
State Treasurers and ascertained that
they received from II to 4 per cent
on daily balances from the banks in
which State funds we're deposited, but
the government didn't receive Q cent
of interest on the millions deposited
by Secretary Cages orders in national
banks. Mr.. Bell characterized those
deposits as = crime against the people.
Senator Talaiferro, of Florida, this
week made public vigorous denial OF
the charge made in = New York
paper, on the authority of a detective,
that he had during the Spanish war
been a party to conspiracy TO de-
fraud the government through the
purchase of lot of bacon by COM
pany of which the Senator was an Of.
ficer. In addition TO pronouncing
the charge "a tissue of malicious
falsehoods from beginning TO end"
Mr.. Taliaferro says it was prompted
by the luminosity of ex-senator Call.
Senator Jones, Of Nevada, whose
speech against the Republican gold
standard bill was among the best
heard, after stating that the measure
was vicious from beginning to end.
and that it provided for permanent
increase of the bonded debt. said ::
"This bill places in the national
banks the control of the bonded debt
Of the country. Whenever the banks
see fit they can reduce the gold re-
serve below the limit and force an is-
susnce of bonds; and this process can
go on indefinitely. All this is in the
interest Of the creditor, in the interest
of the bond-holders, and grievously
against the interests OF the people.
Political independence is much to be
desired, but / would rather live under
an absolute despotism and have finan-
cial independence than to have politi-
cal independence and be financially
dependent. Political independence
without financial independence is only
independence in name"
There seems to be something at
tractive in the word subsidy" for the
average Republican in Congress. The
House committee on Interstate and
Foreign Commerce has decided by u
vote of 8 to b, in favor OF the bill al
thOrizing the laying Of Pacific cable
by q private corporation and the pay
ment of q subsidy by the government
for a period Of twenty wears.
Republican hints of their intention
to do something that will remove the
trust question from this years cam
paign induced Representative Ball, of
Texas, to call the bluff. He did so by
Offering resolution authorizing the
Speaker of the House to appoint a spe-
cial committee, only five members of
which shall belong to one political
party, to which shall be referred all
bills and resolutions relating to trusts.
including those already introduced
and now quietly sleeping in various
committees. Mr.. Balls resolution il
now i'll the hands OF the Committee
on Rules, and the question Of whether
there shall be any trust legislation is
up to that Committee, which is domi-
mated by Speaker Henderson.
Believing that if the 18th milan canal
is to be world canal, instead Of the
distinctively American canal it ought
to he, the world ought to chip in its
share of the cost of constructing it,
Representative Jefferson Levy, of New
York, has introduced q bill, authoriz-
ing negotiations with the maritime
nations asking them to contribute to
the construction of the canal 10 pro-
portion to the extent OF their shipping
tonnage.
The Senate has passed its substitute
for the House Gold Standard bill, and
now the Conference committee will
proceed to decide what sort OF bill Is
to be finally passed by both branches
Of Congress. 1t is difficult to say
which is the worst, the Senate or til g
House bill, but the chances are that
the bill that will be patched up in
conference will be quite as bad as
either. Dem.