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

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5, 1901.
The Hanna-Platt combine against
Teddy's Presidential aspirations, is the
newest thing in the political field. 1t
was intended to be strictly a secret affair,
but somebedy leaked. The story, as told
Washington, says that several trusted
ieutenants of Senators Hanna and Platt,
met in hotel, not Thousand miles from
Washington, and entered into a deal, pledg-
ing their respective principals to work
together in taking whatever steps that
might be made necessary by Teddy's
Western trip to head off any boom that
might be started for his nomination for
President Platt's men tried to get Hanna's
men to commit their chief to the support of
Governor Odell as Mr.. McKinley's sue
cessor, but that was further than the
Hannaites were willing to go. They agreed
that no other New York men would be put
forward by Hanna as a candidate for the
Presidential nomination, and that if Roose-
welt could not be kept out of the nominal
ton in any other way then by nominating
Odell, Hanna would throw his influence to
him. Meanwhile, Platt's men are to boom
Odell and insist that he will have the solid
support Of tie New York delegation to the
National Convention and that the name of
no other New York candidate will be pre-
scented. The game is not to openly fight
Teddy, but simply to ignore his candidacy
and undermine whatever strength he may
develop elsewhere, by making it apparent
that he is not seriously considered as a
candidate in his own State At the Platt
end of the deal they regard it as advanta-
geous for 0dell, but the Hanna men do not
take that view of it. They think that
they have made deal that will give them
the help Of the Platt machine to kill Teddy
at home, but do not believe that OdelI will
show enough strength outside of New
York, to give them any trouble when they
get ready to spring the name of Hanna's
candidate. They are all a little bit afraid
of the hurrah which the younger Republi-
cans associate with Teddy's NAME
Captain Parker, one OF Admiral Schley' S
counsel, who spent nearly all Of last week
searching the records of the Navy Depart
ment, and who will resume the work this
week, filed formal protest with Acting
Secretary Hackett against the espionage he
was subjected to while doing the work
MI. Hackett's explanation was that the
Naval regulations required an officer to be
present when person not connected with
the service was allowed to examine the
Capt. Parker did not think that the Naval
regulations required an officer to be on each
side of him, making note Of everything he
copied from the records, as was actually the
case. The truth of the matter is that the
CLIQUE which has been bounding Admiral
Schley ever since the beginning of the war
with Spain are thoroughly frightened they
know that the country will not stand for
such methods as they have been guilty Of
in their efforts to disgrace Admiral Schley,
and fear the exposure that will be brought
about by the evidence before the Court of
Inquiry, unless stubborn facts can be Jug
gled out OF that evidence. Capt. Parker
has discovered several important facts in
the official records which support Admiral
Schlev's contentious concerning his move
ments. while in command of the Flying
Squadron which was searching for the
Spanish fleet, and he expects to find more.
If Mr.. John K. Garrison, Auditor of
Porto Rico, who was formerly Deputy
COMPTROLLER Of Currency isn't more careful
in the interviews he gives out about Porto
Rican matters, during his present visit to
Washington, he may soon be hunting for a
new lob Think of such admissions as the
following, in an interview intended to show
the great and glorious things we have ac-
comDlished for Porto Rico: "The American
system Of government is proving more
costly than that Of the Spaniards." Thus
far the influx of American money has not
been so rapid or prolific as was generally
expected.
COMPTROLLER Tracewell, of the Treasury,
whose O. k. is required before any doubtful
reouisition on the Treasury can be paid,
evidently does not stand in fear of the
marty bosses, as he has just rendered a
decision which breaks up a little scheme of
Director Merriam, of the Census Bureau, to
put 81, 500 a year in the pocket Of a favor
tie. who already draws that amount through
a sinecure position in the Geological Sur
vey. Comptroller Tracewell has decided
that the Act of Congress prohibiting the
drawing of two Government salaries by one
person, meant exactly what it says Some
thing like year and half ago, Henry
Gannett, who is on the pay roll Of the
Geological Survey, for 81, $50 a year, was
appointed Geographer Of the Census, at a
salary of 81, 800 year, but has not been
allowed to draw the latter salary. Commits
sioner Merriam wrote to the Comptroller to
know why and received an exhaustive
opinion. the substance of which YVES that Mr.
Gannetf had not been allowed to draw
salary as a Census official, because his ap-
pointment was illegal