The Press., 1903-06-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, June l3, 1903.


 desire to break up trusts, and a further demonstration of the complete inadequacy of the interstate commerce law is con- tained in the decision of Judge Lacombe of the United States circuit court, in which the court holds that Pres. Baer of the Philadelphia and Reading road was justified In refusing to produce in court the contract between his road and the sales agents for the anthracite mines. Without these contracts 1t will be impos- stble to legally prove, what everyone Knows to be afact, the existence of coal trust. Serious as are the direct results of the decision, the lesson which should be taken to heart is the proof of the futil- ity of the present interstate commerce get, which was never intended by It's framers to accomplish anything more shsQpthe satisfaction of public demand, and which was drawn with view to hay ing 1t prove inadequate when it was in- voked in the courts. Thousands of dol. lars have been spent by the government in useless suits, all of which have event. ually demonstrated this fact, and those who really in earnest in their desire to break up the trusts should confine their efforts to securing the enactment of ade- quate Legislation.
 The fret public trial as a result of the post office investigation has taken place before the United States commissioner in Baltimore, 1t being the preliminary hear ing of Upton and McGregor, who were arrested for receiving commissions on thousands of mail bags bought for the government. From the testimony of one Smith, from whom the bags were bought, 1t appears that Upton instructed him to charge 90 cents each for the bags which ha offered to sell at 50 cents. Then Up- ton demanded 40 cents commission, which he explained would be divided between himself, McGregor, Machen and Maohen's brother, this brother being the same man that Machen, according to his admission to @ congressional committee, carried on the rolls of the post office department for many months under an alias. It Is inti- mated at the post office department that there are many other counts against Ma chen which have not been made public, but which will appear in the trial for which he has been held by the grand jury. The exposure of the intimacy between H. H. Rand, "confidential clerk" to the post master general and Machen, and Rand's methods of exploiting mining and other speculative stocks on post office station cry, etc, has resulted in convincing the president that Rand is not fit person to be in the employ of the government, al- tls6ugh the postmaster general has not yet come to that conclusion. Mr. Roose- velt does not desire to interfere too great ly in the affairs of the postmaster general, and for that reason will not demand Rand's resignation immediately, relying on the good sense of Mir. Payne to show him that such resignation is inevitable, but If 1t does not, the president will doubt less reiterate the assurance he has made to your correspondent that Rand has got to go. The inspectors are now working on the case of George w. Beavers, pop ularly known as "the congressman's friend," and formerly superintendent of the division of salaries and allowances. There is every reason to believe that Beavers will be proven to have been as seriously implicated as Machen, and the inspectors are confident that they can prove the existence of salary and pro- motion ring, and can convict the men who have been receiving pay for appointments and promotions. The work Is proceeding slowly, and the old adage regarding the ''mills of the gods'' is again being proven, but there is no doubt as te exceeding tine- ness of the grist which passes through Fourth Assistant Bristow's mill.
 From recent advices received from Co- lombia 1t appears that there is prospect of another comic opera war in the little re. public, but this time it promises to be one from which the United States will reap some benefit. It seems that the inhabi- tants of the states of Panama and Cauca, the isthmian provinces, are unanimously in favor of the ratification of the canal treaty, but the rest of Colombia is seri. ously opposed to 1t, unless this country can be lnulcted of 8 sum considerably in excess of the &1O,OOO, ,OOO stipulated. In view of this situation the states named have determined, in the event of the re- Jsction of the treaty, to secede from the larger portion of Colombia and set up a little republic of their own. They will then apply to the United States for sim- liar treaty, which, if they make any show of success, will be promptly given them. With the annuity of $25O, 900 which the United States Is willing to pay for the canal zone, they will have almost income enough to run their little government, and will be happy and contented apart from the mother country. The physical conditions, including 8 chain of moun- tatne, which make communication be- tween these states and the rest of Co., lombia, except by water, very difficult,
 
 come of the tentative revolution.
 President Roosevelt is considerably em- barrassed by the constant demands made upon him by Jewish societies and others to protest to Russia against the treatment of the Jews in Kishenev. There are no grounds on which, from diplomatic he can base a protest, much as he would like to do so. Then, too, he appreciates that snoh protest would un- doubtedly call forth a sharp rejpinder, calling attention to lynchings and other Outrages which occur from time to time in this country. Under these circum- stances the appeals for national protest are exceptionally embarrassing.
 Secretary of Commerce and Labor Cor telyou has at last moved into his new headquarters, a handsome building just completed, and subdivided to suit the sec- .~A~ IL Al T.-1 |