The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1901-08-30
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

language quoted-the reporter swears that
member of the Court of Inquiry by Hack
EFT with the full knowledge that he was
Sampson partisan. That is why Hackett
did not wish to ask him about the inter-
view. 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 commanded a ship. But
there is a day of reckoning ahead. 1t will
take place lefore 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 trans
fered to the halls of Congress, and if the
power of the administration over parti
san ma iority 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 right.
The War Department has given out
carefully prepared statement comparing
the imports and exports of the Philippine
Islands for the seven months ending Jan
uary 31st, 1901, with same period year
previous This statement is intended, of
course, to show that United States owner
ship and control of the islands is benefit
| ing our trade, but careful study of the
| figures presented brings out little to en-
courage that idea. When the number of
American soldiers and civilians on the
| islands is considered, the increase in the
| imports from the United States from
| $S90,010 to 81, 493, ASS seems absurdly
small, especially when the increase during
the same period in imports from Europe
was from $5,270, 766 to $S,974,1s3, In the
exports from the islands the United States
makes a still poorer showing, the later
| seven months showing only $1,4T,6 GIL
| against $2,037 $50 the same seven months
of the previous year. What adds to the
| aggravation of these figures is that ex
ports to Europe show an increase from
| $3,201 ,65a to $7,9s3,751. 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 United States commerce come
| in if Europe is to continue to control the
lions share of it? And there seems no
way to shut the European way out. The
| treaty of Paris pledges the United States
to give equal commercial 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 Plat will throw the in
| fluence of the State republican machine
| to another New York candidate or to some
| man outside the State, but there seems to
be Il thorough understanding among the
| republicans that the State machine will be
against Roosevelt and that Plat will not
entertain any proposition for a deal to
| give Roosevelt the machine support. He
l bna rti1 Iic1i ,f
itself would not prevent his entering into
a political deal with him. 1t is because
of the fiat failure of attempts to utilize
Roosevelt's recent Western trip to start
boom for him that the republican politi-
clans are certain that Plat will not dicker
with him. But most interesting of all is
the hint that Governor Odell will fight
Platt for the control of the New York re-
publican machine. Such fight would be
as welcome to the democrats of the State
and of the country as was the old-time
stalwart and anti-stalwart fight, in which
| Platt played a minor part under the lead
ership of Roscoe Conkling
| This seems to be bad year for Perry
| Heath's friends, whether they be manlpu-
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 crooked
ness. This time it is W. F. Hoey. who
like Nicely, halls from Muncie, Ind, and
who owes his appointment to be collector
of customs at Norgales, Ariz., to Perry
| Heath's pull with the administration, who
has been arrested for carrying on d whole
sale business for smuggling Cinnamon to
the United States from Mexico at from
| 5000 to $500 ahead. The joke in this case
is that Perry Heath specially recommend
ed 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 be-
fore 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 funGs
| and is still untried.
Chairman Murray Nandiver, of the
Democratic State Central Committee, has
issued a call for meeting of the county
IL 40.
for September 3rd at Democratic head
quarters in the Eutaw House, Baltimore.
The purpose of the meeting is to map out
the campaign in the counties and to con-
slider conditions. By the time named the
leaders will have settled upon certain de-
tails that are now unsettled and the policy
to be pursued will have been determined,
1t is also expected Mat at this meeting in
cfru will no ,riynn 70 tho ariouc