The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-04-06
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER
WASHINGTON. ID. c., April End.

WASHINGTON. d. c., April End.
MR. EDIToR:-Are legal opinions made
to order by United States officials? 1t is
charged that Charles E. Magoon, law Off
Ger of the division on insular affairs Of the
War Department, first wrote an opinion
that the United States Constitution was,
by force Of the Paris treaty, extended over
Porto Rico and the Philippines, which he
was compelled to suppress and then to
write another taking exactly the opposite
stand. THIS last opinion has been made
the foundation for the whole republican
imperialistic program, and the Senate has
just ordered three thousand additional
copies of it to be printed. Representative
Richardson, the democratic leader of the
House, desiring to get at the truth, has
offered a resolution calling for copies of
all of the opinions written by Mr. Magoon.
The administration program is to jam
the Porto Rican bill, tariff and all. through
both Senate and House this week. 1t is
certain that the Senate will pass it to NOR
row, and probable that the House will do
likewise later, notwithstanding the talk of
republican members that they would vote
for free trade if given another opportunity.
The Senate and all Washin gton are still
laughing, and are likely to be for days to
come, at the humorous speech of Senator
Pettus, in which he held Senator Beveridge,
a would-be Demosthenes, up to ridicule
for his speech declaring his OPPOSITION to
the Porto Rico bill and his intention to
vote for it. The Senate and galleries were
in continuous roar of laughter from the
beginning to the end of the remarks of
Senator Pettus. After rubbing it in on
Beverage for charging all those who
didn't agree with him with enmity iowa DIS
the government. Mr. Pettus said: The
government in his mind is:
Me and my wife
My son John and his wife
Us four
And no more
Mr.. Pettus told this Biblical story at the
close of his speech: The Master once had
to select man to lead the children of
Israel out of Egypt and through the
wilderness to Canaan. He did not select
an orator No, He selected one of those
wise men, and his name was Moses And
he was suffering man, too. But Moses
told his Master to His face that he could
not do it, because he could not speak to
the people. And what was the replys
There is Aaron, he speaks we'll And
they took Aaron along, not in command,
that was not allowed; but they took him
along as kind of deputy. And when
Moses on his Masters order, went up into
the mountains for the tables, the orator
left in charge had golden calf framed
and he put all the people to worshipping
the golden calf-more people worship the
golden calf row than did in those days
But while Aaron and his people were all
down worshipping the golden calf the
man of God appeared, and he pulled out
his sword and demanded to know who is
on the Lords side?' Then the orator
jumped up from his knees, drew his sword
and got on Moses side and went to kill
ing the Israelites along with Moses All
these orators will do the same thing-the
last one of them"
Representative Rhea, of Kentucky, made
rattling good speech at a mass meeting
of Washington democrats, in which ne re-
ferred to Chairman Payne, the republican
House leader, as 1.-The statesman with the
one-night- stand state of mind and to
Representative Grosvenor as the ''garru-
lous gabbler, from Ohio, who acts as a
mouth-piece for the White House Sphinx"
After picturing various phases of admin
istration wabbling, which he likened to
the track of a snake, Mr.. Rhea said: oh
manhood, where is thy shame? Oh, Nc
kinley, where is thy blush? Oh, McKin-
ley, you are the saddest spectacle that ever
ratified helplessly around in the seat filled
by Washington, Jefferson and Jackson,
and which will be filled by Bryan. You
are the pitiful creature of the trusts, the
combines and the monopolies, which have
made you, maintained you, and still feed
you"
1t is suspected that a desire to increase
the republican campaign fund for this
year is behind the announcement that the
Cabinet is considering the feasibility of
recommending to Congress a reduction of
the war taxes, which are piling up a sur
plus in the Treasury in spite of the fact
that the receipts from the Dingey tariff
are many millions below the advance esti-
mate of the republicans. Without the
war taxes there would have been deficit
of more than $50,OOO,OOO instead of a sur
plus considerably in excess of that amount.
1t is said that the brewers are being
sounded as to their willingness to con-
tribute a proportionate amount to the
Hanna corruption fund if the administra-
ton will recommend reduction of the
beer tax to Congress.
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