The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-04-18
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON. ID. C. April 18th,

party and, in their efforts to secure the
passage of the Cuban reciprocity bill in
the House, the republican leaders have
committed themselves to propositions
which will be carefully noted by their
constituents and which they will find de-
cidedly embarrassing during the next
campaign. After adopting the most
drastic measures to prevent the revision
of the tariff along the lines proposed by
Representative Babcock, earlier in the
session, and effectually resisting reduc-
ton which would have curtailed the profits
of the steel trust and other great corpora
tions, they have completely reversed their
arguments, receded from their position
that the Dingley schedules are sacred"
have cited Blaine and Mckinley in favor
of the reduction OF two tariff schedules,
but, in beth instances, schedules which
benefited only the farmers, sugar and to-
bacco, and have secuted the idea of making
even similar reduction on refined sugar.
the differential on which benefits only the
Sugar Trust at the expense of the con-
sumer. During his opening speech on the
Cuban bill, Chairman Payne was forced
to admit that the consumer paid the duty
on sugar, and the frankness of the adm:s-
sion startled those younger republican
members who have been trained to believe
that all duties are paid by the foreigners.
The arguments of Messrs. Payne, Gros-
r al
campaign literature for the democrats,
who favor a general revision of the tariff.
While the House has been qlarrcling
over the Cuban bill the Senate has demon
strated serious lack of harmony on the
question of Chinese exclusion and the re-
suit, which will be made known by the
vote next Wednesday is now matter of
doubt. A number of Eastern republicans,
whose constituents have nothing to fear
from Chinese competition, have opposed
the bill and the confidence with which
Senator Penrose called up his measure is
now sadly waning To exclude the
Chinese from cur foreign possessions will
be injuring those friends of the admins
tration VINO hope to exploit the Philip
pines for their own benefit and who see
magnificent profits to be gained from the
use of almost free land and the cheapest
class of labor in the world and the inf1u-
ence of those friends is making itself
felt in the Senate.
Recent disclosures in the Philippines
Committee of the Senate have been grave
source of apprehension to the administra-
ton. Reports Of tyrannical and brutal
methods of dealing with the natives are
multiplying and, as a logical sequence to
republican imperialism, there comes by
cable the news of the arrest of two Manila
editors for lese mdgeste. According to the
report of Major Gardiner, civil governor
of Tabayas, those Filipinos who were once
| friendly to this country have grown tc
| hate it because of the despotic treatment
afforded them by the American soldiers
and, in the view of the governor, con
tinued military occupation will result in
leaving this country without a friend in
the islands, with the exception of those
who have been appointed to government
offices at munifcent salaries
The determination of the republican
steering committee of the Senate to ignore
| the wishes of the President and take up
the Philippine civil bill before the Cuban
| reciprocity measure is another evidence
of the disruption which is taking place in
| the party, and the action of the committee
| is heartily resented by the President The
| announcement, under oath, by General
| Schofield, that the President and the Sec
rotary of War are not on speaking terms
with the General Commanding the Army,
| Miles, is typical of the methods adopted
| by Mr.. Roosevelt and the members of his
cabinet in their dealings with their sub
ordinates in Executive Departments.
The bill offered by Representative
Adams providing for the reorganization
| of the consular service has been favorably
reported by the Committee on Foreign
| Relations. Speaking to me of the bill re.
Gently, Mr. Adams said: MY bill provides
for commission to reorganize the con
sular service, at present administered I'M
| der most haphazard system. For the
first hundred years of its existence our
country had to pay so much attention tc
its internal needs that the development OF
| foreign relations was left largely to itself
and grew up without the supervision il
should have had. Even at its inception
| Washington called attention to it's needs
but half century passed before thel
was any further interest in the service by
| Congress or the country at large. The
pay depended great deal upon fees at
tached to the offices, but the shipping bill
of 1888 did away with the whole schedule
of fees for American vessels and nothing
has since been given to compensate fol
that reduction. The entire fee system
should be abolished and adequate salaries
| provided, and not only should they bt
adequate but equitable. In many in
stances, at the present time, the consul al
a point of little importance draws larger
salary than one where the work is onerous
and the duties require high grade of in.
telligence. And further, the whole sys
tenn should be organized on merit basis
instead of on the basis of political prefer
ment as at present, and there should Ie
provision made for promotion and gen
eral recognition of good work done. AL
most every other government in the worlt
has regular system of consular training
as a part of the civil service of the coun
try and the honors and emoluments offered
are sufficient to attract the best young
men of the country to enter on lifelong
career with the assurance of high position
as the reward of diligence and aptitude
In America, on the contrary, no amount
of valued service will assure a tenure
longer than four years, especially if there
| is a change of administration. Just at the
time a man is getting acquainted with the
conditions he is apt to be removed to re-
| turn r., bic hop,o v-bara ha hoe baap loft