The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1901-11-08

OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D. c.. November 4th.

out at the Treasury that Mr.. George N.
Whitehead, now Collector of Customs for
Porto Rico, will be appointed to the Ap-
praisership of New York in the place of
Mr.. Wilbur F. Wakeman, the present in
cumbent. AS indicated in these letters
some weeks past, Senator Platt came to
Washington for the express purpose of
getting Mr. Wakeman's official scalp. On
| investigation Colonel Roosevelt found
that Mr.. Wakeman had sinned only by a
| failure in subserviency to the New York
boss, and he advised the Senator that he
this time Secretary Gage endorsed Mr..
| Whitehead for the place and Senator
Plat joined issues with the Secretary of
the Treasury and wrote to the President,
endorsing him also. Still the President
stuck to his colors, but Plat came to
| Washington again and so did Odell and
both represented that the discipline of the
New York machine was at stake, and that
| it was essential to the best interests of the
organization that Wakeman be made an
| example of. The matter terminated by
the President giving in as above stated.
Another test of the Presidents loyalty
to his former principles is involved in the
| case of Commissioner Rodenburg, of the
Civil Service Commission. 1t will be re-
called that Mr.. Rodenburg was appointed
| to the Commission after the adjournment
of the last Congress, which will necessi
| tate the presentation of his name to the
Senate for confirmation at the coming
session. Mr.. Rodenburg was not Civil
Service reformer when he was appointed
by the late President, and his appointment
| was concession to the spoi.smen of the
republican party, who desired friend at
| court. The appointment was deplored by
| many republicans at the time, who be-
lieved that however much the President
might see fit to restrict the authority of
the Commission, the Commission itself
| ought to be kept free from anyone not in
entire sympathy with the purpose for
which it was created. Since his appoint
ment, Mr.. Rodenburg has not demon
| the Commission has permitted some wide
deviations from the spirit of the law, and
in favor of the spoi1smen. Mr.. Rodenburg
has powerful republican faction back of
him and it will require the utmost courage
| for the President to signify desire for
his resignation.
Although the address of Secretary Will
son, delivered at Dysart, Iowa, on Satur-
| day, has been neralded as coming pretty
straight from the White House, it is very
weak production. 1t goes back to the
old-fashioned Republican doctrine, that
the United States ought to practically
build a wall about its shores and conduct
| its international affairs along lines that
| the Chinese Boxers would adopt if they
| could. The Secretary holds up as sort
of economic millennium the time when,
economically or otherwise, the United
States will produce everything it uses in
its own territory and appears to forget
completely that only a few months ago
the late President made the sage remark
| that 1--WE must not expect to sell every
thing and buy nothing"
1t is thought here that Mr. Washburn,
| of Minneapolis, is rather coming to the
| support of Representative Babcock, of
Wisconsin, in his fight against the steel
trust. In a recent interview, Mr. Wash
burn says that steel rails can be made and
sold in this country at $3.50 per ton, and
| that that figure would give larger per
| centage of profit than the millers can
| make on their flour; but they are sold at
$2S per ton, and that the trust paws a
handsome profit on capital stock that is
more than half water, and, in order to en-
| able the trust to do this, Congress main
| tains the duty of $3.50 per tor. D. In con-
clusion he says, "If this is not robbery, l
would like to find stronger word to
characterize it."
There are rumors at1oat that the demo-
Gratis will invite Admiral Schley to head
| their next Presidential ticket, but they are
| regarded as mere rumors by all of the
democrats have met in Washington. As
| matter of fact, no one knows what Ad-
| miral Schley's politics are, nor if he is in
sympathy with any of the traditions of
| the party beyond what may be inferred
from the fact that he is Marylander 1t
is even intimatcd that the rumors have
been started to hurt Schley, as it is we'll
known that the Insignificant little presi-
| dental bee that got into Admiral Dewey's
bonnet I'M ured him. The indications are
that Admiral Schley has too much good
political ambition.
A prominent Democratic Senator re-
Gently called my attention to the fact that
the old law which prohibits anyone from
sailing, as an American ship, any vessel
| which was not built in the United States
is still in vogue. He claims that were this
law repealed most of the alleged necessity
for Ship Subsidy bill would disappear
and that American Commerce will resume
its normal proportions, proportions
which have absolutely atrophied under a
law enacted in a vain attempt to divert
| urearned profits to few Maine ship
| builders
When Rear Admiral Crowninshie!d re-
| tires from the head of the Bureau of Nay
| igation he will also retire from his Rear
Admiralty and become once more simple
| Captain. His appointment to the Euro
pean station will necessitate his promo
| ton to the rank of Admiral by the Presi-
| dent and the confirmation of his appoint
! ment by the Senate. 1t is by no means
impossible that he will encounter too
many friends of Admiral Schley in the
Senate to permit of confirmation, in
which case, he will be compelled to take
ship in the squadron of some other off
Ger to whom he would be subordinate or
to apply for his retirement.
| A Washington correspondent tells of
the meeting between the President and