Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1903-07-29
came back empty-handed.

theleSs are sticking their hands
down in the pockets of the people
Just at this time. Nearly every
man who is high enough up on the
pay rolls of the Government seems
TO be seized with an insane desire
to 20 out on junketing trip this
SUMMER at the expense of the peo-
pie. The Secretary Of the Navy.
lot long ago, took out big bunch
of congressman and took a whiz
around the West Indies on a gov
eminent vessel and the people paid
the bill. The Presidents family
then took his private yacht, -
which is government vessel. and
proceeded To their summer home
at Oyster Bay. The vessel is al
ways ready Tor use for pleasure
parties for the Roosevelt children,
going to boat races or taking Miss
Alice to the city when she feels
that she needs a paper of pins.
Not long ago the members of Con-
gress who were on the Naval Az
fairs Committee in the last House,
took Government vessel and
started out on a iunket with the
ostensible purpose of inspecting
the different Notifications along the
coast of the country, and the naval
needs of the country. What right
these members have TO make the
people pay for any such trip is
more than any man can tell. There
Is no official naval committee in
existence, so far as the House of
Representatives Is concerned. How
do these men know they will be
placed on the Committee on Naval
Affairs when the next House is or
ganized They do not know it.
and vet they are Squandering the
people money for the oStensible
purpose of posting themselves on
the needs of the people i'm the way
of naval expenditures. The chances
are they will see more high balls
than they will cannon balls. and
more kings" and queens" than
they will naval necessities. Post
master General Payne. who has
been made sick. " presumably by
the smelling of the stencil i'm his
department is the latest To take 4
Government vessel. and with his
family get out on the deep blue
sea where he can smell the perfume
of the brine instead of official cor
ruption. And the people pay the
bill. Well. why shouldn't they
They are responsible for the mil
lions accumulated in the Treasury.
They voted a tariff tax on them
selves that would pile up surplus
of cash in the Treasury. and this
Is the only way to get it back into
the channels of trade. unless they
take notion to quit taxing them
selves for the benefit of trusts.
tariff barons and junketerS. Until
they do they may expect that a
republican administration. guiltlesS
of sympathy with the people. will
continue to have u good time with
their money and blow il in" like
a drunken sailor.
Aside from the boodling and rot
tenneSS that is coming out of the
departments in this city, the gov
ernment Of the District of Column
bia is being shown up just now,
and IL Is about the most ramShackle
and tlimsy affair. 80 be called the
government of a great city, that
any man ever heard of. \ young
clerk, whose salary was 81, 400 a
year, was allowed TO steal about
$4,000 in the past five years for
reason that his books were never
checked. His employers saw this
young man plunaing at the races.
buying an interest i'm all sorts OF
business, riding around in q ''red
devil automobile, and PLAYING the
"high roller" generally, and yet
they never checked his hooks.
There is hardly day aops nv that
something crooked, something rot
ten. or something loose does not
turn up Ia the District of Column
bia building: There seems te be a
lust of loot, q riot of rapacity and
a tiduoiary fandango in the capital
of the nation, Long lease OF power
has made the republicans money
mad, and they are simply takinu
what they want and asking no odds,
When the people tire of it they
know they can stop it. 1t is up
to them.
Tho Droci1anf ho., ,-o,.,. .e,,,1 Ill