Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-08-28
tFrom our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON. Aug 90 zoos


the less intense indignation, is general
In the Navy Department because of
recent events at Oyster Bay. Naval
officers declare that the exposure of
the entire North Atlantic squadron to
the perils OF trip up the narrow Long
Island Sound, followed by an attempt
to maneuver the squadron off Oyster
Bay, while three naval vessels were
devoted to the special accommodation
OF the President and his friends and
family, was humiliating and unwar-
ranted use to which to put the navy.
They declare that every commanding
officers heart was in his mouth" as
he risked the almost inevitable acct
dent and subsequent court-martisl in
guiding his vessel over shoals and
rocks in the Sound and that he felt
hum ilia,ed at having to take this risk,
not for the benefit OF his country, nor
the greater efficiency Of the navy, but
that the President might have the
qualification OF initiating the German
Emperor at whose beck and call are
the vessels Of the German navy.
As it happened, two vessels were
more or less seriously damaged and
although the Secretary of War and Adj
miral Dewey, like accomplished cour.
tiers. belittled the damage, the cost of
repairs will not be uncomfortable. The
cost OF the trip together with the pow
der burned in firing presidential sa-
lutes is conservatively estimated at
100000, covering the expense for pow
der and coal alone. To the officers on
the Sylph was confided the care of the
Roosevelt children and their nurse
maid. and, to their serious embarrass.
ment, they are likely to be known to
brother officers for all time, as the
"dry nurses to the Roosevelt young
sters." It is telegraphed from Oyster
Bay that "Mr. Roosevelt was happy
and excited all day long," but there
may be some people who will regard
the Presidents happiness somewhat
dearly bought at 500, 900, which will
have been expended by the time the
injured vessels are placed in repair.
Reports from Providence and Oyster
Bay depict a situation far from crafty.
ing to the Republican leaders. The
members of the Senate Committee on
Finance are determined to adhere to
their original plan, a measure whereby
the Secretary of the Treasury will be
authorized to accept certain securities
other than government bonds from
the banks as collateral for government
deposits. This legislation is earnestly
desired by ]. P. Morgan & Co., who are
anxious to secure what would virtually
amount to the government imprimatur
on certain of the bonds in which it is
their business to deal. The western
members Of Congress, including Speak.
er-to-be Cannon, cannot be converted
to this form of legislation. The Presi-
dent has become SO disguised with the
tenacity with which Senator Aldrich
and his colleagues adhere to this type
of legislation, regardless of the views
OF the western members, that he
threatens to throw the entire matter
overheard and issue call for . special
session to convene November 8, with
out mentioning the subject of financial
legislation.
In view of the fact that the Repub.
licans have long boasted of their abil-
ity to harmonic all interests, the sit
uation is most distressing to the Re-
publican leaders. Moreover, prominent
Democrats, like Senator Daniels of
Virginia, are taking occasion to elab.
crate the fallacies of the Aldrich pol.
icy which is all for the bankers and
the Wall street interests and not at all
for the people, whose money 10 being
accumulated in the treasury by unne.
cessarily high taxes to an extent that
threatens to cripple business. 1t is
easy OF demonstration that the proper
course to be pursued is not the inven-
ton OF some means whereby this
money. unjustly collected, may be
tranferred to the banks 30 that they
may lend 1t to the people at high rates
OF interest, but reduction of the
taxes 90 that there may be no further
accumulation in the treasury, there
already being a surplus large enough
for all possible emergencies. To &C.
complish this, Of course, would necessi.
tate reduction of the tariff schedules
and that is what the Aldrich crowd
breads above all else.
Postmaster General Payne had hard
ly ceased his " hot air" talk about the
Postoffice scandals when the report
that there we're grave scandals in the
Government Printing Office became
public and it was backed with euffi-
cient evidence to lead the President to
request Secretary Cortelyou to insti-
tute careful investigation, which is
now in progress. Within the last
week, moreover, the Indian Rights
Association of Philadelphia has made
public a report of one of its special
agents in which are shown to exist the
most glazing frauds in the Indian Ter.
ritory and which give promise of show.
ing that the Dawes Commission is rot
ten from top to bottom. Nothing can
be learned at the Interior Department
except that the agent referred to is
persona non gratia, that the Indian
Rights Association is "a nuisance"
and that it is presumed an investiga-
ton will have to be made. As mat.
ter of fact, Secretary of the Interior
Hitchcock instituted an Investigation
last May and even went to the scene
himself, but on his arrival there he
discovered conditions which led him
to report that there was "nothine
which called for an investigation" ex.
cept some minor defects which hi
had remedied. Fortunately, President
Roosevelt was not altogether satisfied
with Mr.. Hitchcock's report and hi
sent a personal representative, Mr.
Francis Z. Luepp, to the scene and hi,
report would doubtless make interest
ing reading although it is unlikely
that it will ever reach the public. I
is evident that the populations ant
corruption practiced by government
officials in Indian Territory have beer
on q scale which will make the It'll,