Gloucester County Democrat., 1902-12-25
3 = :: e e e /:

and require such other and further re-
ports and returns as may be necessary or |
helpful in the rigid enforcement hereof, |
and all provisions applicable hereunder of |
the tariff and internal revenue and other |
laws of the United States, declaring and |
defining offenses and imposing penalties |
and punishments, shall be given full ef- |
feet in enforcing this legislation and fully /
accomplishing its objects and in confiscat- |
ing property and Furnishing offenders.
If those two bills were passed the
trusts would soon be on their last legs. |
Whether he will be able to get them
reported out of the committee remains |
to be seen.
Funds For Prosecuting.
On Wednesday, the 18th day of De-
cember, that eminent jurist from Geor-
publicans by offering an amendment
to the legislative, executive and judi
cial appropriation bill to appropriate !
the sum of 100000 for the use of the
attorney general of the United States |
in prosecuting the trusts. There was
mounting in hot haste" and much
rushing to and fro" and laying togeth-
er of heads ON the Republican side, and
finally Colonel William Peters Hep
burn of Iowa, chairman of the COM
mittee ON interstate and foreign COM
merce, endeayored to take the wind
out of Bartletts sails and to seize
the honor for the Republicans by
raising" the Georgian at his own
game by amending Bartletts prop
10 hn q mi
lion instead of two hundred thousand;
but while Bartlett accepted the Hep
burn amendment, the honor of taking
the initiative remained with Judge
Bartlett and consequently with the
Democrats. So the trust matter stands
at the present writing. With De Ar
mond's two bills enacted into laws and
with the funds to enforce them and
other laws on the subject, provided by
Judge Bartlett's amendment, it would
soon be ascertained whether trusts can
be busted or not The Democrats are
doing their duty and keeping their
promises.
Amazing.
1 have repeatedly stated in congress
and out of congress that in my judg-
ment a good business man can take
the government of the United States
and run it as well as it is now run for
one-half of the amount annually appro
priated by congress. The loose way
in which things financial are done by
the government is fully illustrated by
the following excerpt from the Wash
ington Post:
In having his bill to fix the salaries of
the isthmian canal commissioners re-
ferred to the committee on interoceanic
canals yesterday Senator Morgan made
some interesting statements about the
salaries now being paid. He told the SEN
ate he had been trying for long time to
secure statement from the government
of the salaries paid to the present COM
missioners but thus far had failed. He
added that the best information he could
obtain was that those commissioners were
still on the government pay rolls for 1000
a month each.
Senator Morgan, commenting on the re-
markable situation, declared there was no
provision in the bill to purchase the Pam
ANA canal as to salaries of the commits
sioners. The compensation to be paid
, voc loft tq the discretion of the president
''If the salaries are cut down, as provided
In the bill 1 have introduced" said the
senator, '4he sum being fixed at s., 900 a
year, there will be less scrambling for the
places" He said he favored adding to
that compensation the actual travelling ex-
penses.
The isthmian canal commissioners had
received during their terms of office. and
as far as he was able to ascertain they
were still holding office. the sum of $780,
500. '"They spent, according to the testi-
mony of Colonel Ernst" said Mr.. Nor
gan. two weeks in the isthmus of Pan
anna in the month of January, during the
healthful season. After that they spent
six weeks in Nicaragua. They also spent
some time in Paris. They had reported
expenses of $1.07500O, which had been al
lowed and appropriated in connection
with their work, $679,000 of which is for ex-
penses, referred to in the report of the
secretary of state, including the pay of
employees and laborers in Central and
South America"
Senator Hale inquired whether it were
not possible to secure the figures and Mr..
Morgan replied that he had been unable
to secure any detailed figures. He pre-
sented a telegram from Secretary Hay
stating that it would occupy the entire
available force of the state department for
quite period in preparing a detailed
statement.
81 have been trying for months" said
Mr.. Morgan, "to get this information.
The common report is that the commits
sioners are getting $1,000 month, or $12,-
900 year, for their services
docs the senator mean," asked Mr..
Hale, that nobody knows and nobody
can find out how much these gentlemen
have received?"
IT can only learn the lump sum that
has been paid for employees and laborers,
amounting to $697, 1884, 63. The members of
the commission have been serving twen-
ty-nine months all told, of which only
two months were actually spent on the
isthmus.''
Mr.. Hale said it was a remarkable
statement and something ought to be
done to bring out the facts.
Venezuela.
We persisted in sowing the wind in
the Philippines, and now we have a
fine prospect of reaping the whirlwind
in South America in the neighborhood
of Venezuela. When we grabbed the
Philippines, we gave the Monroe doc
trine its coup de grace for it has all
along been perfectly apparent to all
who had good sense that we cannot at
the same time play the freebooter in
the eastern hemisphere and the dog in
the manger in the western, and that is
precisely what we are attempting when
we colonize in Asia and refuse the
same privilege to Europe here. What's
happening in Venezuela is only the be-
ginning of what we will have to face SO
long as we cling to the Philippines. The
rapidity with which the nations of Eu-
rope are delivering ultimatums to poor,
revolution cursed Venezuela demon
strates that the assault upon her is a
preconcerted arrangement to test the |
Monroe doctrine If we hold on to the
Philippines and also endeavor to main |
tain the Monroe doctrine, we will be
compelled one day to fight all Europe |
combined, which is not cheerful pros
pect surely. This Venezuelan matter |
may blow over. have no doubt it WILL |
It's only feeler, a sort of reconnois- |
sance in force to find out how far they |
can go without an actual war with us. |
1t looks as though we had bitten off |
more in Asia than we can chew.
The Department of Commerce.
1t seems to be the consensus of con-
gressional opinion that among the bills |
which will be passed at this session Of |
congress is the one creating the depart |
ment of commerce. Sentiment has been |
yroxvipp in itc favor for soma tiro |