The tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1900-1902, 1901-08-22

Secretary Gage Is considering an
interesting question raised BY. Mr..
Degetau, the Porto Riean commits.
%sioner, who claimed IN an elaborate
argument that the Presidents proc
lamation declaring free trade he.
tween Porto Rico and the United
States dsd not suspend the duty OF
s cents 4 pound on coffee shipped
into Porto Rico imposed by the
Foraker Act the ruling OF the treas.
ury departm ent to the contrary not
withstpuding. lie said that since
that ruling low grade Brazilian eof-
fee has been shipped to Porto Rico
and reshipped assporto Rican cot
fee, and that if this practise is not
stopped its effectlmiH be to ruin the
high reputation OF Porto Rico coffee
and lower its price al over Tie
world.
The excitement concerning the
revolution on tbcIsthmus % Pana
ma is still confined to the columns
of the yellow journals. At the De-
partment Of State and the Navy De-
partment, the tive departments of
the government most directly inter-
ested in the preservation of Amer
lean interests over there. the si,ua-
ton is not regarded as serious, and
the two warships which have been
ordered respectively to the Atlantic
and Pacific sides of the isthmus arc
sent rather because they might be
needed than because there is any
immediate need Of their presence.
Secretary Hays u%nannouneed return
to Washington this week was a,
once announced by the yeliows, as
meaning that the situation on the
isthmus had made his presence in
Washington necessary. Nothing
but wild guesses. The secretary
announced as 500 as he reached
Washington, that important public
business had nothing whatever to
do with his return to duty.
Senators Cullom aud Mason and
Comptroller Dawes have united in
endorsing Mr.. William Barrett
Ridgeley, Of Illinois, to succeed
Comptroller Dawes, whose resigna.
ltion will take effect October l.. And
as i, is understood that President
Mckinley has promised tina, the
| place should 90 10 Illinois ii look,
as though Mr.. Ridgeley chance.
for becoming eompsreller vssre rer,
good He IS Senator Cullom',
son-in-law.
The fifteenth annual report Of the
L.. S. Commissioner Of Labor
shows that hours have been shorten,
ed and pay INCREASED in nearly a.
branches Of labor, thaak }<raxing shst
the man tEbind .ha n,ateIe- is shar.
ing i, the prosperity OF the country.
notwithstanding the bowls Of a few
demagoguss to ihe CONTRARY.
Tie July report Of the Bureau o.
Statistics shows that our exports o.
breadstuffs, provisions, cotton, anC
mineral oils exceeded by $4,000,
600 those for the same month ot las.
year also that the gain in exportr
for the irstseven months,of the cur.
rent year over the same period las.
year was s44,tSr'5Sa. As long a.
that sort Of thing keeps up Their,
need be no fear OF any falling of il
our prosperity.
Postmaster General Smith lcn
Washington last week for a yaca.
ton of several weeka which he vii
spend with his family in New Hamp
shire, He has been working hart
this summer. and bis work has beer
counting too, in various ways, foI
the general improvement, OF the pos.
tal service.
Some comment is heard among
politicians on the Virginia Demo.
cratic state convention having been
a little kinder toward Mr., Bryan
personally than other recent Demo.
cratic conventions; but ii was no
kinder 10 the Kansas City platform,
which it ignored, Just as the Ohio
and Maryland Democrats did.