Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1901-11-29
WASHINGTON LETTER.
from our Regular CORRESPONDENTS

convention which was to settle all thu
Presidents doubts, to outline policy
and serve as guide to the republicans
In Congress in their handling of the
reciprocity question has come and gone
ana all that it has done is to leave be-
hind 1t the mangled remains of Presi
dent McKlnley's broad minded policy
ana young man in the White HOUSE
sadly disappointed and mortified at
Inc sordid narrow mindedness which
made it impossible for the leading re
publican business men of the country
TO take any broader view of national
policy than that which was bounded
by their own petty interests.
There is no promise of any following
up of the policy that Mr.. Mckinley
outlined at Buffalo by the next Con
gress. The high protection interests
have control of handsome majority
OF the votes and, with the usual dis
cipline of the republican machine.
members who come from the West sur
charged with tariff reform ideas are
promptly and emphatically undeceived
as to the complexion of their views and
those of their constituents. The only
cloud on the protectionist' s horizon is
sugar. The Sugar Trust wants free
raw sugar and understand that Mr..
Havemeyer has announced that Cuban
sugar will be admitted free. This and
similar rumors will not down and they
almost cause Mysteries among some of
the Eastern protected interests.
There Is not perfect harmony on
the republican side however. The
Reform Club of New York has been
unkind enough to submit to the Presi-
dent document in which it is shown
that the Hanna Frye ship subsidy bill,
if it had passed the last Congress,
would have converted practically two
fifths of the entire subsidy into the COT
fers of the International Navigation
Company and most of the balance
would have been paid to three other
companies. Not only is this an argu
ment against the ship subsidy bill as 1t
was submitted to the last Congress but
it has shaken the faith OF the President
and of good many of the members
of Congress in the absolute disinter-
of the promoters of the bill.
The bill has proven dead load from
it's inception. Never has it been pos
sible by the most specious arguments
10 arouse any enthusiasm in regard to
it among the people and the represen-
tatives who will have to go to the PEG.
pie for reelection are protesting
against the party lash which is being
used to make them vote for the obnoxi-
Gus measure.
The latest Cabinet rumor is that
Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock is
very angry with the President for hav-
ing turned him down in the Missouri
contest and yielded to the wishes of
Committeeman Kerens and that he
proposes to resign in short time.
There are numerous hints dropped by
of Congress as to how this or
that secretary "enjoys" MI. Roose
velt's treatment but with the exception
Of Gage nothing is positively known.
There is likely to be an interesting
contest among the democrats for the
in the Committee on Rules
caused by the election of Mr.. Bailey,
Of Texas, to the Senate. Mr.. De Armand
If Missouri, can have the place for the
ask ing as he would receive the undi
7ided support of the democrats, but it
IS thought that he will decline as he
expects that the next House will be
democratic and be desires to be speak
r..
the Secretary of the Interior has to-
lay given to the public his annual re-
'ort- 1t is volume of some two hun
lred and sixty-seven pages and COL
aims much interesting matter, some of |
t food for very serious thought. Some
# the pension figures are appalling.
The total number of pensioners on the
oils June 305h, was 1,041, 1921, an in
rease for the year of 1905, which in
rease the Secretary declares to be
high water mark" The total amount
for pensions during the year
vas $13S. 531 ,4S3 81
The Rev. DR.. Shick invited a Boer
minister to occupy the pulpit of Grace
reformed Church Sunday morning
nd some people are unkind enough to
ay that despite his independence and
ravery the President did not care to
face the ISSUE" but whatever may
ave been Mr.. Roosevelt's reasons for
'aving the city he is certainly entitled
D rest. He has worked indefatigua-
ly on his message and has received an
IMMENSE number of visitors every dav,
ven his guests at dinner being, as a
1le, men who could talk business as
slated to National measure over the
igars and coffee.