Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-08-29
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON Auo. 26 100


Rear Admiral Schley no longer has the
slightest doubt that the whole official
power of the Navy Department is being
used against him. His letter protesting
against Hackett's action in constituting his
request that copy of an obiectional news
paper interview with Rear Admiral Howl
son be forwarded to that officer, in order
to give him an opportunity to say whether
he was correctly reported, into challenge
of Howison's right to sit on the Court was
manly and straightforward, and must have
made Hackett feel as small as most I'M
prejudiced persons think he is, but it did
not change his ruling. There seems very
little doubt that HowisOn did use the Ian
guage quoted-the reporter swears that he
did-and that he was selected as member
Of the Court of Inquiry by Hackett with
the full knowledge that he was Sampson
partisan. That is why Hackett did not
wish to ask him about the interview. These
men are playing with fire and are smirching
the good name of the American Navy as
whole as it was never smirched before, and
all for the dastardly and cowardly purpose
of running as brave man as ever COM
manded ship. But there is a day of
reckoning ahead. 1t will take place before
the Court of Inquiry, if there be fair play
and if the officers who sit on that Court
have the moral courage to do their duty,
regardless of the wishes of the clique that
is now running the Navy Department if
not the fight will be transferred to the
halls of Congress, and if the power of the
administration over partisan majority be
strong enough to prevent justice there, the
case will be then taken before the highest
court we know in this Countrywide people
and then it will be settled rightly.
The War. Department has given out a
carefully prepared statement comparing
the imports and exports of the Philippine
Islands for the seven months ending Jan.
81, 1901, with the same period year pre-
vious. This statement is intended, of
course, to show that q. S. ownership and
control of the islands is beneftting our
trade, but careful study of the figures
presented brings out little to encourage
that idea When the number of American
soldiers and civilians ON the islands is con-
sidered, the increase in the imports from
the U. S. from $500, 010 to s., 493, 48s seems
absurdly small, especially when the in
crease during the same period in imports
from Europe was from S., 270, 766 to S.
974, 1873. In the exports from the islands
the U. S. makes still poorer showing, the
later seven months showing only ST., 477,-
Gil against $2,037, $50 the same seven
months of the previous year. What adds
to the aggravation of these figures is that
exports to Europe show an increase from
So, POI ,653 to 81, 9e3, Isl. Even admitting
that the commerce of the Philippines will
in the course of time become as great as
the most sanguine predict, where will the
benefit to U. S. commerce come in, if
Europe is to continue to control the lions
share of it And there seems no way to
shut the European out. The treaty of
Paris pledges the U. S. to give equal COM
mercial privileges to all nations in the
Philippines. Those who think that the
Philippines will not cut an important
figure in our future politics, should lose no
time in taking another hard think on the
subject.
In inside upper Republican circles the
tip has been passed around within the last
day or two that Boss Platt had changed his
mind about backing Gov. Odell for the
Republican presidential nomination. The
only reason given is that there has been
another misunderstanding between the
two men about local politics. 1t is not
stated whether Platt will throw the in
fuence Of the state Republican machine
to another New York candidate or to some
man outside of the state, but there seems
to be thorough understanding among the
Republicans that the state machine will be
against Roosevelt and that Platt will not
entertain any proposition for deal 20 give
Roosevelt the machine support. He heartily
dislikes Roosevelt, but that of itself would
not prevent his entering into political
deal with him. 1t is because of the flat
failure of attempts to utilize Roosevelt's
recent Western trip to start boom for him,
that the Republican politicians are certain
that Platt will not dicker with him. But,
most interesting Of all, is the hint that
Governor Odell will fight Platt for the con-
troll Of the New York Republican machine
Such fight would be as welcome to the
Democrats OF the state and of the country
as was the Oldtime stalwart and anti-stal-
wart fight, in which Plat played minor
part under the leadership of Roscoe Conk-
ling.
This seems to be bad year for Perry
Heath's friends, whether they be manipu-
lating the funds Of National Banks or
utilizing federal office to get rich quick.
Another man that he placed on Uncle Sans
pay roll is in trouble for crookedness. This
time it is w. F. Hoey, who like Nelly,
halls from Muncie, Ind, and who owes his
appointment to be collector Of customs at
Eorgales, Ariz., to Perry Heath's pull with
the administration, who has been arrested
for carrying on wholesale business for
smuggling Cinnamon to the U. S. from
Mexico at from 5000 to $500 head. The
Joke in this case is that Perry Heath
specially recommended Hoey to Secretary
Gage as man whose sterling integrity
especially fitted him to take position from
which another man had just been removed,
about year and half ago, on account Of
irregularities in his Office. According to
reports on file in the Treasury Department
Hoey hardly waited until he got warm in
the Office before he started his scheme to
get rich by smuggling Cinnamon across the
border from Mexico. 1t remains to be
seen whether Perry Heath's pull can do as
much for this crook as it has done for Nicely
who robbed the Cuban postal funds and is
still untried.