Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-07-11
WASHINGTON LETTER.
[From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, July 8, 1901.


WASHINGTON, July s, 1901.
Even Senator tBilly'' Mason must be
convinced by this time that Comptroller
Dawes is not only the administration candi-
date for seat in the Senate, but is being
coached by that very shrewd politician,
Mr.. VIM. Mckinley. It was by Mr. Nc
Kinley's advice that Dawes rendered his
resignation as Comptroller, to take effect
Oct. /. The advice was given in order that
Mr.. Dawes might escape the criticism as
well as the defeat that met Mr.. Meikle-
john, for continuing to draw salaries as
Assistant Secretary of War, while he was
for months in Nebraska, prosecuting his
canvas for Senator If it be in the power
of the administration to put Dawes in the
seat now occupied by Senator Mason, it
will be done. That has been known to
many persons in Washington for months,
notwithstanding Senator Mason's claim
that he had Mr.. McKinley's positive prom
Use to keep his hands off the Illinois
Senatorship fight, and it is now plain to
everybody.
Mr.. Mckinley tried to satisfy the in
fluences which have been trying to get him
to help postpone free trade with Porto
Rico, by telling them before he left Wash
ington, to help look after Republican
interests in Ohio, that he had discovered"
that the Foraker law made it obligatory
upon him to issue the proclamation declar-
ing free trade as soon as he received an
official copy of the resolution adopted by
the legislature of Porto Rico, asking that it
be DONE He will probably get that some
time during the present week. There are
some queer stories in Washington concern
ing the employment of Gen. Maxine
Gomez, the former Cuban insurgent COM
mander, who was entertained at the White
House last week, by the administration, to
aid in carrying out certain plans in Cuba.
If true, it would be interesting to know
from what fund Gen. Gomez is paid.
Commissioner Evans ism doing any more
talking for publication about the attempt
to push him out of the Pension Bureau,
but since he had little talk with Mr..
Mckinley, just before that gentleman left
Washington to take little squint on the
ground at Republican prospectus in Ohio,
he has acted as though he was firm
believer in the adage, HE who laughs last
laughs best, and that he was doing the
last laughing. Letters received in Wash
ington show that many supposed the sus-
pension of hearings in appeal cases before
the Commissioner and Assistant Com
missioner Of Patents, during July and
August to mean that all business before
the Patent Office would be suspended
during that period. That YVES bad case
of misunderstanding. There are one hum
dred and forty examiners working every
week day on the Patent Office, and they
decide vast majority of the cases without
an appeal to the Commissioner. G. A.
Snow & Co., patent lawyers, than whom
there is no better authority on patent bust
ness, say that very few applications for
patents, probably not more than hundred,
will be delayed by the fact that the Com
missioner and Assistant Commissioner are
taking it easy this Summer and hearing no
appeals.
The Administration has announced its
purpose to back the Post Office Department
in crusade that is to be at once inaugu-
rated for the reform of the notorious abuses
of the law regulating the carrying of second
class mail matter. If it lives up to the
announcement it will deserve credit, as the
abuses have piled up IN the carrying of
second class mail until the government is
paying $60,000,e00 year for what it is
getting less than $4,000, 600, and experts
declare that fully one-half of the matter
carried as second class would, if the law
was rightly construed and enforced, be
made to pay third class postage. viii the
Post Office Department have the nerve to
rightly construe and to enforce the law so
as to shut out every publication-mo of
them of the fake order that make nomi-
nal charge for subscription and offer as
premiums articles worth more than the sub
scription price to obtain subscribers
does not comply with the strict letter of the
law? That is the question. Officials say
yes now, but what will they say after the
owners of the fakes who always stand
together and who have upon more than one
occasion shown that they could WELD an
enormous political pull, have sent their
''persuaders" to Washington is what will
count, and upon which it is not altogether
safe to count at this time. If the Post
Office Department makes an honest and
earnest attempt to reform these abuses
which are putting so much of the peoples
money into the pockets of men who have
not the slightest claim for public favor it
will deserve and will almost surely receive
the support of public opinion, without
regard to politics; but if the attempt is to
be nothing more than move to squeeze
Republican campaign contributions out of
the rich owners of fake publications, in
return for allowing them to retain the
privilege of second class mail, it will soon
be shown up and branded as it deserves.