The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1903-07-03
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D. c., June Goth

WASHINGTON, D. c., June Goth.
MIR. ED1ToR:-The greatest interest has
been manifested throughout the past week
by Washington democrats in the action
Of the Iowa convention and diverse opin.
ions are entertained with regard to the
platform adopted. Generally speaking,
however, eastern democrats believe that
the Iowans were wise in emitting the free
| silver planks from their platforms. This
view is entertained not only by those who
have lost faith in the 16 to 1 policy, but
by many who regard it as a correct but
non-essential issue at the present time
and who believe they see in the abandon
ment of the old platform a better chance
for party harmony. The enthusiasm with
which the name of Grover Cleveland has
been received and to some extent the pop.
ularity of Senator German are taken to
indicate that there are many democrats
who, while they were unwilling to espouse
the free silver cause, are anxious to see
adopted a democratic platform on which
they can stand. Mr.. Cleveland is not re-
garded here as a presidential possibility
and it is generally held that any man to
be a candidate must have supported the
platform of the past wv campaigns, but
it is believed that with such a candidate,
on a platform which ignores the silver
issue and declares for moderate tariff re-
vision and a cleansing of the executive
departments, there are excellent chances
of democratic success.
Scandals in Washington are multiply
ing as time goes on. The Postoffice scan
dial still holds the palm for extent of
corruption, but one has developed in the
administration of the affairs of the Indian
Territory which, were its location as acces-
sible to the representatives of the press,
would almost equal the postal affair. 1t
appears that for years the Indian Agents
appointed by the successive republican
administrations have been making false
returns as to the number of Indians in the
Territory in order that they might profit
personally by the surplus rations issued.
When the Dawes Commission undertook
to divide the Indian lands it used these
padded rolls as a basis for its work and
now that the allotments have been practi-
cally completed it is discovered that the
Territory has been divided into mere parts
than there are Indians. How the matter
can be adjusted without great additional
work and expense it is impossible to fore
see, but the President has appointed
Francis E. Luepp, a prominent Washing
ton newspaper correspondent, to make an
investigation of the situation and report
to him.
A scandal has developed in the Treas
urY Department, where it has been dis
covered that an immigration official has
been selling the private papers of the De-
partment, upwards of 1000 in number, to
private persons, especially the railroads
and steamship companies. The Depart
ment of Agriculture is the scene of still
another scandal in connection with the
distribution of free seeds in which the
Secretary of Agriculture is shown to have
appointed a political favorite to the posi-
ton of Inspector of the work of the seed
contractor, and Mr.. Wilson's protege to
have grossly neglected the duties for
which he was appointed, ever if he did
not share in the profits out of which the
Government was cheated. An investiga-
ton of the Bureau of American Ethnology
is also in progress as the result of the de-
falcation of al employe, a Spanish war
veteran who obtained a place on the
strength of his having been a soldier.
Speaking of the situation in Washington
as it obtains today, a member of Congress
said, cit is the old story. When a party
remains in power too long there is sure
to be wholesale corruption. 1t is not the
new man that steals from the Government,
but the old office holder who regards him.
self safe from prosecution because of his
political influence and who has come to
believe that no change of administration,
which would reveal his populations, is
likely to occur. History always repeats
itself in this respect and the abuses finally
become so serious that the people are
compelled to change the administration if
only to turn the rascals out. Take the
present situation in the Postofice Depart
ment. Roosevelt may be sincere in his
desire to prosecute those who have actu-
ally stolen from the Government, but
even he is loath to expose the rascality of
republican appointees and he is afraid to
get rid of Payne, who is a professional
politician and whose every effort is bent
to the saving of his colleague on the re-
publican national committee, Perry Heath,
and other republican friends, just as he
strained every nerve to save Hanna's
friend, Machen."
Two more indictments have been Sc
cured in the postal cases, n against ex-
Congressman briggs, of Brooklyn, the
other against J. V. Miller, of the same
place. Machen and the Groffs have also
been indicted again, as have also George
E. Lorenz and his wife. Ex-Postmaster
General Charles Emory Smith has made
public a lengthy statement in which he
attempts to outline what he chooses to re-
gard as evidence of collision on the part
of Seymour w. Tulloch and Inspector
Smith, the man who made the report in
in Bristow's reply. to the Tulloch
charges and which was so unfavo1able to