The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-06
POLITICAL GOSSIP.

| BY way of replynto Mr. ottendorfer's
attack on Mr.. Bryan'sf war record the
Hartford Times" says;
"Roosevelt's prominence in the Span
ish war was a piece of official favorit-
ism from beginning to end. He made an
alliance, while holding the Office of AS
sistant Secretary OF the Navy in the
/ spring of 1888, with the Presidents ply
stefan, DR.. Leonard Wood. of the army,
! and history will have an4interesting story
| to tell of the success of these two tai
| ented young glory-grabbers in obtain
ing what they so eagerly went after.
1.-THE grant of the privilege of organ
izing the Rough Riders was a gift on
! the part of the President such as the
| European Kings used to distribute 20
| their favorites in teudal days. When
| the Rough Riders were organized 1t was
necessary to have orders to take them
| to Cuba in preference TO other regiments.
| And the orders were given. The moment
they landed at Siboney these enterpris
| ing fame-seekers started pell-mell across
country, through the bushes, in a wild
effort to get their baptism of fire and
their names in the papers, while the ele-
phantine Shafter took to his tent and lay
| down grooming with the stomach ache.
in a really democratic army. like that
of Germany where every officer is pro-
NOTED strictly for merit, and where OPP
portunity and responsibility come to all
alike such a thing as glory-grabbing is
impossible"
The American Steel and Wire Trust is
a good example of all its kind. 1t was
organized in January of last year, with
an immense capital estimated as high as
$50, 000, 600 1t is not a struggling infant
concern therefore, but it is protected
from foreign competition in the home
market by stiff tariff duties. How it
operated last year is thus told: Seven
hundred tons of its daily product were
exported. 1t furnished England with 60
per cent of all its imports Of wire, yet,
protected at home against competition,
it raised the price of wire nails from
S2.05 per key in January, 1888, to Sab in
December of that year. When 1t was SELL
ing nails at wholesale to American pur-
chasers at s3.55 per key, it was selling
them in Europe at 81 per keg." 1t is en-
abled to discriminate against American
puroh asers and extort two prices from
them, of course, by the policy of RE
publican protection" and by that only.
Its extortion is the return it makes to
the people of this country for such pro-
lection. Its return to the Republican
party leaders is the cash 1t contributes
to keep them in power.
Some of the stalwart supporters of Nc
Kinleyism, emboldened by the policy OF
the Republican party. are hurting words of
mud at the Declaration of Independence.
The Rev. Mr. Henson, of Chicago, is on
record as declaring that "as to that hal
lowed document which declares that all
governments derive their Just powers from
the consent of the governed, If that is to
be literally construed there never was
greater falsehood paimed of by the devil
on a credulous world"
Mr.. William Dudley Foulke, of Indiana.
has proclaimed that ...the, statement found
in .he Declaration OF Independence that
all raen are created equal is not true. The
statement that all governments derive
their just powers from the consent of the
governed is not true, and never has been"
Mr.. Plat, of Connecticut, asserted In the
United States Senate that governments
derive their just powers from the consent
of some Of the governed. !"
go 7-lz
Even the best efforts of the Administra-
tion exerted at the last session of Congress
to enact a financial law satisfactory to the
national bankers seem not to have alto
gethCr appeased that class. One of the
speakers at the late convention of the
American Bankers Association, at Rich
mond, said that 1t is an open secret that
the country is no nearer the gold standard
than 1t was before the passage of the act
of March IA, 1900; that private debts. ex-
cept under special contract are payable in
silver; that the silver currency has been
increased about s45, 000, coo In recent years,
and that there is in evidence volume OF
$50. O00. Geo silver dollars which must be
kept on a parity with gold, while there is
absolutely no authority to maintain a gold
reserve for such purpose.
George A. Macbeth, the glass manufac-
turer, who told the tariff committee
which framed the Mckinley tariff, that
his industry needed no such protection,
has authorized statement denunciatory
of trusts, and in which he says they
could not exist but under the protection
of the Government. Mr.. Macbeth ex-
plains that he cannot share in the abuse
of fair and honest" aggregation of
capital, and especially that particular
form of it known as a corporation, which |
is IAN absolutely necessary form of or
ganization for carrying on business" and
adds:
But will and can agree with the utter
condemnation of what some of them do
what they are intended for doing-but
what is only made possible for them to do
by the Government being in partnership
with them and a most powerful partner
too, without share in the profits as a
Government. The Government booms the
stock keeps of any competitors, humps
things up occasionally for the stockhold-
ers by introducing a bill il Congress for
building ships and what not; and late
ly coterie has the gall to propose that
the Government pay for building other
ships than its own. Well may farmers
say. Fay us for raising wheat! q"
In Boston Republican circles it is ex-
pected that Senators Hoar and Lodge win
succeed in inducing President Mckinley TO
appoint George Won L. Meyer to be Am,
bassador TO Italy. Mr.. Meyer is rich