Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-04-17
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON. April IA. 1909.

WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, April IA, 1902
While the past week in Congress has
been productive of no important legislation
1t has been replete with evidences of the
discord in the Republican party and, in
their efforts to secure the passage Of the
Cuban reciprocity bill in the House, the
Republican leaders have committed them
selves to propositions which will be care
fully noted by their constituents and
which they will find decidedly embarrassing
during the next campaign. After adopt
ing the most drastic measures to prevent
the revision Of the tariff along the lines
proposed by Representative Babcock.
earlier in the session, and effectually resist
ing reduction which would have curtailed
the profits OF the Steel Trust and other
great corporations, they have completely
reversed their arguments, receded from
their position that the DiDgley schedules
are sacred" have cited Blaine and Nc
Kinley in favor of the reduction of two
tariff schedules, but--in both instances
schedules which benefited only the farm
ers, sugar, and tobacco-and have secuted
the idea OF making even a similar reduc-
ton on refined sugar, the differe initial on
which benefits only the Sugar Trust at the
expanse OF the consumer During his
opening speech on the Cuban bill, Chair
man Payne was forced to admit that the
consumer paid the duty on sugar and the
frankness Of the admission startled those
younger Republican members who have
been trained to believe that all duties are
paid by the foreigners. The arguments of
Messrs. Payne, Grosyenor and Long will
all make excellent campaign literature for
the Democrats, who favor general revision
of the tariff
While Il e House has been quarreling over
the Cuban bill the Senate demonstrated a
serious lack of harmony on the question of
Chinese exclusion and the result 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 our
foreign possessions will be injuring those
friends of the administration who hope to
exploit the Philippines for their own bene-
fit, and who owe magnificent profits to be
gained from the use of almost free land,
and the cheapest class of labor in the world
and the influence 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 majestic. According to the
report of Major Gardiner civil Governor of
Tabayas, those Filipinos who were once
friendly to this country have grown to hate
it because of the despotic treatment afford
ed them by the American soldiers and, in
the view of the Governor, continued
military occupation will result in leaving
this country without friend in the ISL
ands, 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 reci-
procity 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
5chotield, that the President and the Secre-
tary 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 subordnates in
Executive Departments.
The bill offered by Representative Adams
providing for the reorganization of the con-
sular service has been favorably reported by
the Committee ON Foreign Relations.
Speaking to me of the bill recently, Mr..
Adams said: my bill provides for COM
mission to reorgaaize the consular service,
at present administered under a most
haphazard system. For the first hundred
years Of its existence our country had to
pay so much attention to its internal needs
that the development Of foreign relations
was left largely to itself and grew up with
out the supervision it should have had.
Even at its inception Washington called
attention to its needs, but half century
elaIs ed before there was any interest in the
service by Congress or the country at large.
The pay depended a great deal upon fees
attached 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 for that
reduction. The entire fee system should be
abolished, and adequate salaries provided,
and not only should they be adequate, but
equitable. In many instances at the pres
ent time, the consul at point of little i'm
portance draws larger salary than one
where the work is onorous and the duties
require high grade of intelligence. And
further, the whole system should be or
ganized on merit basis, instead of on the
basis of political preferment as at present,
and there should be provision made fer
promotion and general recognition of good
work done. Almost every other govern
ment in the word has regular system of
consul " training as a part of the civil
vice of the country and the honors and
emouments 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 con-
trary, no amount of valued service will
assure tenure longer than four years,
especially if there is change Of admins
tration. Just at the time man is getting
acquainted with the conditions, he is apt to