The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1901-07-25
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent.


Washington, July "a, 1901.
Has New York new democratic
candidate for the Presidential nomlna-
ton 7 That question is being asked
in Washington since prominent New
York democrat dropped quiet hint
Col. Dan Lamont, who was Mr.. Cleve-
lands private secretary during his
first administration and Secretary of
War during his second, and who has
since been associated with ex-Secre-
tary Whitney in various big business
enterprises, might become democratic
candidate for governor of New York,
and if elected would become a candi-
date for the Presidential nomination.
Of course, there are some substantial
"ifs" to be considered in connection
with this matter, but the whole Presi-
dental question is one of ''ifs" at this
time. There are several reasons why
Dan Lamont would make a strong
candidate for any position he might
aspire to. First and foremost is his
personal popularity man who could
spend eight years in Washington as
prominently associated with admins
trations as he was with those of Cleve-
land without making an enemy, as
Dar Lamont did, must necessarily be
a remarkable sort of a man. The next
reason in importance is that he would
have the advice and active assistance
of William c. Whitney, who has shown
himself to be one of the shrewdest
political managers the country has or
ever had. This thing may be no more
than the idle talk of summer day,
but if Dan Lamont becomes a candi-
date for the democratic nomination
for governor of New York, he will get
it, and he would probably be elected,
and that would naturally make him a
Presidential possibility.
There is little that is new IN the ex-
posure of the methods followed IN the
distribution of the patronage of the
House, made this week by the Ma
tional Civil Service Reform League,
but it is none the less disgraceful to
the republican majority of that body
which allows the stealing, for that is
the proper name for receiving money
and giving no pretense of return for 1t.
Men are carried on the House pay
roll who never even come to Washing
ton, but have checks for their salaries
mailed to them, and others draw sal
aries for work which they have others
to do, paying them only a small frac-
tion of what they receive. The pat
ronage of the House is not under the
civil service law. 1t is controlled alb
solutely by the will of the majority,
and that majority should be held re-
sponsible for the willful waste of the
peoples money, and especially those
members who have held up the officers
of the House and demanded that sal
aries be provided tor their favorites
should be held up to the public con-
tempt they so richly deserve. The
weak spot in the long and detailed ex-
posure is the careful avoidance of put
ting in the names of looting Congress
men. This avoidance is so palpable
that it is clearly intentional. Names
are given in plenty, but they are those
OF the little rascals. A proper exposure
would have given the names of those
who made the rascality possible, but
perhaps the gentlemen who made the
investigation for the c. S. r. l.. were
a little bit afraid to attack the Con-
gressmen by name.
Probably if Commissioner Evans
had made rulings that would have in
volved the paying out of the $5,468,-
5o5.S9, unexpended balance of the
the $I44,ooo,ooo appropriated by
Congress for pensions, which he has
turned back into the Treasury, the
ring ofpension sharks would have been
less persistent in their demands for
new Commissioner of Pensions.
The administration has at last found
a place tor Col. John S. Mosby as
special agent of the General Land
Office. II isn't very big place, but
it is understood that the necessities OF
Col. Mosby had become SO pressing
that he received the appointment with
thanks.
Representative Hooker, of Miss,
who passed through Washington this
week, does not endorse the idea of
dropping silver, and he strongly de-
precates the fight that is being made
on Mr.. Bryan. He said: "Silver has
been part of the Worlds money since
.t. 4