The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-10-17
FROM THE CAPITAL.
Our Correspondent Talks in
General About Wash
ington.
w WASHINGTON.
tConmunicated).

ItCtHU IulluS S III VEdlu w SoN
eminent reserves in natl o II |
banks, has Just been perpetrated
by Secretary OF the Treasury Shaw
in his orders to the collectors Of
customs in regard to the importa-
ton Of Welsh coal. Secretary
Moody recently stated in WiScon-
sin that the duty of 81 cents per
ton on anthracite coal was ''smug-
gled into the Dingley tariff law
in u Sneaking and cowardly man
ner" and ought to be repealed at
the short session of Congress.
Secretary Shaw, however, does
not seem to deem it necessary to
await congressional action. BY
his own ipSe dixit he has practi-
cally repealed the law. He has
issued orders which are interpret
ed 10y Collector of the Port Stran-
ahan of New York to mean that
Welsh coal. much of which is
known to contain less than 81 per
cent fixed carbon, the limit fixed
bv the Dingley tariff bill, is to be
admitted free of duty. In view
Of the scality of coal this action
is likely to meet with applause
FROM the unthinking, and to make
votes, the end for which Secretary
Shaw strives. but To those familiar
with the situation the Secfetary's
action seems worthy of the sever
est condemnation The coal strike
has emphasized the fact that there
is practically a duty on Anthracite
coal, a fact unknown to the Pres
ileut when he made his recent
western trip. There is general
demand for the repeal of that
duty but Secretary Shaw, acting
probably at he beheSt of the an
thracite mine operators, has with
out the slightest authority, deter
mined TO suspend the duty. This
will result in the public's forget
ting its existence and wien the
strike is ended the enforcement of
he duty will be restored and the
consumer will have to pay nearly
a dollar more per ton, including
the dealers profits on the duty,
than he would if the duty were
removed. The precedent estab-
liShed by he Secretary'S action is
traught with inc lcuiable danger.
If ii Secretary Of the Treasury
can suspend a tariff law lie can
institute one and in the hands of
a dishonest man there is 40 pre-
dieting what end the abuse might
lead.
Nlr. Frank Campbell, chairman
of the New York Democratic Com
mittee has made public state
ment in winch he says that the
coal strike will insure Democratic
victory in his State in the coming
election He says the people will
hold the Republican party respon-
Sible for the scarcity of coal.
Governor Stone first abstained
from sending the militia in suf1i.
cient strength to prevent disorder
and then when the President had
made proposition to the union
which would in all probability
have been accepted, Gov. Stone
sent the whole military strength
of the State to the scene so that
the strikers could not accept the
Presidents proposition without
appearing to yield to the show of
strength. He further
says that Governor Odell has it
in his power to disrupt the coal
trust in New York State by pro
cess of law, the trust clearly VIC
lating the Sherman law. The eff
forts of Governor Odell and Sen
ators Pratt, Quay and Penrose to
secure an adjustment of the diff
ferenceS between the strikers and
the operators would seem to give
color to Mr.. Campbell's prediction.
Apropos of the coal strike, a
gentleman at Democratic head
quarters has called the attention
of your correspondent to the ac-
ton of mine operator John Mar.
kle, who ordered the militia to
drive miners who were PLAYING
football off his property. .'Mr.
Markle had a perfect right to do
it," said the gentlemen referred
to. she was simply exercising
the provocative of every property
owner. Of course, it may be DOS.
sibIe for the mine operators and
their associates, under the law,
to acquire possession of all the
property in the United States and
then order the rest of us off the
country, or even for the great
capitalists to acquire possession
of all the habitable land in the
world and order the rest of us off
the earth. That is one of the
beauties of existing laws but as
long as those laws are in exist.
ence the militia officer who re.
fused to obey Mr. Markle's order
was clearly in the wrong.
Renewed evidence of the de.
mand In Rennhlican ranl,s fnn