The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1903-11-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.

with the Republican party. Sen
ator Dietrich, of Nebraska, is APP
pealing to the President, the At
torney General and his Republi
can colleagues of the Senate tC
save him from conviction on IN
dictments for bribery and conspir'
acy which have just been returned
against him by the Federal Crane
Jury. The Senator is accused OF
accepting $1,000 in money and
property in consideration for his
endorsing the appointment of ia
cob Fisher to be postmaster OF
Hastings, Nebraska. Although
the jury, selected from all over the
State, voted 10 to 1 in favor Of re-
turning the indictment, the Sena
tor declares that it is the result of
political conspiracy, and is try
ing to remove from office W. S.
Summers, the United States Dis
trict Attorney who prepared the
Charges. 1t appears that the Sen
ator had erected building at Hast
ingsa and irduccd the Postoffice
Department to transfer the local
office to it from building owned
by the Grand Army. The Sena-
tor received less rent for the Office
than he had asked, and the Grand
Army men in Hastings regretted
the loss incurred by their having
bought postoffice fixtures which
were now of no use to them. A
new postmaster was to be appoint
ed, and whichever of the appli
cants received Senator Dietrich's
endorsement was certain to receive
the appointment. Fisher prom
ised that if he got the position he
would buy the fixtures from the
Grand Army men and also pay the
Senator the difference between
what he got and what he asked as
rent for the office. Fisher is now
the postmaster and is under indict-
with the Senator. For several
he paid Dietrich the money
to make up the rent, until the Sen
ator realized that he was violating
The law and returned the money to
he postmaster. This may prove
IN eXtenuating circumstance in the ,
case, but the buying of the fixtures
still remains as an illegal consider
ltion. The penalty for the accept
NO considerations in making pub
ic appointments is two years i'm
1risonment or $4,000 fine. The
senator says he will waive his con
immunity from arrest
md return to Nebraska to stand
rial ltremains to be seen wheth
r he can convince the jury that
he Indictment was the result of
political conspiracy" :
Aided by Democratic votes the
Iuban reciprocity bill passed the
louise of Representatives. BY an
rbitrary disregard for the rights
I the minority the Republicans
reyented the Submitting of any A
mendnents, and the Democrats
7ere forced to accept the bill for
yant of something better. 1t will
0 doubt pass the Senate, for with
Democratic assistance the necessa- II
y two-thirds majority for the a.
realty has been obtained already is
a that body. The bill may be
assed in time to adjourn the ex- s.
ra session before Thanksgiving. G.
representative Mcclellan, Demo, Il
ratio mayor elect of Greater New g
ork, made an eloquent speech in
ne House in favor of the bill He ;,
aid in part, "Now, at last, after q
ears of waiting, after the specta- o
lie of an insolent lobby practically is
ominating Congress, we propose
partially fulfill our pledge to
'uba by giving her this two-penny
of relief, that is warrant
4 not to offend the susceptibilities
the most sensitive trust in exist
nee. We have made a solemn
romise to Cuba. If a Republi,
an majority, in its might, is only