The National tribune., 1903-09-03

How will Congressman LittleGeld, Of
Maine, fare in the next House? Poll
ticians are asking this question, and echo
makes no answer, as yet This tall states
man has been out of harmony with his
fellow Republicans for long time-in
fact, almost since his advent into Con-
gressional life. He bucked his party on
the Philippine question, on the Porto III
can tariff, and disagreed with the most
of them on the unseating of Roberts, OF
Utah, and the Cuban reciprocity bill; IN
fact. Littlefeld seemed to be on the wrong
track most of the time, or at least, to use
his own expression, he got started right,
but found that the party had switched be-
fore he could turn, and left him on
sidetrack. Cannon rather likes Littlefield,
and he may tame the wild man from the
Pine Tree State If Uncle Joe should
succeed in bringing Littleheld into camp
and making him docile and subject to
party discipline, he would no doubt be
very useful to the coming Speaker.
A well-informed Republican from Maine
was asked one day how it was that
Maine continues to support Littlefeld, al
though he is not in harmony with his !;
party on many questions. "Oh, WE'LL
he replied. ''our people know he is
man of ability, and they prefer man
who will stir the waters and keep his
name and the name of his State before
the public. even if he is not always sup
porting the party. Besides. there are
great many men in Maine who agree with
Iittlefeld.
1t is stated that Secretary Hitchcock
has notified Federal ofiice-holders in the
Indian Territory who, it is alleged, are
using their positions in the Government
service as vantage ground from which
to do business in Indian lands, that they
must choose between their positions and
the land business. In other words. the
Federal officials whose names are being
printed as presidents, directors, and
stockholders in trust companies that deal
in Indian lands must get out Of the COM
panies or resign their offices.
Hon. Frank NJ. Eddy. ex-Congressman
from Minnesota, is now an avowed candl-
date for Governor at next years Repub-
lican Convention. Mr.. Eddy is so hope
lessly and phenomenally homely that he
makes virtue of it, and often perpetrates
effective witticisms at his own expense.
On one occasion an opponent on the stump
denounced Eddy as a "two-faced man.
His retort was crushingly convincing.
Said he: My fellOw-citizens, if l was the
fortunate owner of two faces, do you sup
pose that l would ever expose this one
to your astonished gaze?'
There is said to be some conflict of
jurisdiction between Governor Taft and
Rear-Admral Evans, commanding naval
forces in the Philippines. The question
at issue is whether naval officers attached
to the Asatic Station and detailed for
duty in the Philippine Islands are under
jurisdiction of the COMMANDMENT Chief
of the Asiatc Station or the Civil Govern
or of the Philippines. 1t is charged that
Admiral Evans has been in the habit of
detaching naval officers from duty in the
Philippines without consultation with Gov.
Taft He recently ordered Lieut.-Com-
mander James NJ. Helm, who since March,
1899, has been on duty at Cavite. to re
turn to the feet. Gov. Taft desired Lieut..
Helm to remain on duty at Cavite.
Postmaster Van Colt. of New York,
will suffer n personal loss of between
81, 100 and $1,000 as a result of the prac-
tees of George W. Beavers. formerly Su-
perintendent of the Division of Salaries
and Allowances of the Post Office Depart
ment BY a decision of Mr.. Tracewell,
COMPTROLLER of the Treasury, supplement-
ed by the action of the Auditor for the
Post Office Department, Mr.. Van Colt
will have to stand the loss of the entire
salary paid to H. C. Graft. beginning Oc-
tober, 1902, and ending when Graft went
cashier in that post office, to which he
had been originally appointed.
At the behest of Beavers, Mr.. Van Colt
certified to the appointment of Grail; and,
although Graft never was employed in the
New York Post Office, he permitted Bea-
yers to assign him to duty as a repair
clerk for the cancelling machines in use
in the larger post Offices throughout the
country Comptroller Tracewell has now
refused payment of the salary paid by
Van Colt for the quarter ending Jan. 1,
and the Auditor has declined to pass
Crafts salary for the subsequent quarter
and several weeks additional that Graft
was attached to the Department in Wash
ington. The only resource which Post
master Van Colt now has will be to Sc
cure the enactment by Congress of spe-
cial appropriation reimbursiDg him for the
amount lost.
In rendering his decision the Comp
trolIer supports the opinion of the Auditor,
who has always maintained that PoStmaS-
tiers and their bondsmen were responsible
for funds paid out illegally, even though
such payment was made by instruction OF
the PostmasterG General or some other Off
Ger Of the Post Office Department
According to H. H Kohlsaat, of Chi
cago, who mas Just PAID a WISH 10 Sresl
dent Roosevelt, the Administration will
limit its financial reforms to these two
propositions: First, the deposit Of Gus
tom house receipts in national banks or
the same basis that internal revenue re
ceipts are now deposited; and. second the
repeal OF the limitation of S3,000,O00 q
month retirement of bank-notes.
In the District of Columbia permits n.
automobile operators will be refused Il
boys under IS. The streets of Washing
ton are wide, but not wide enough to &c
comodate human life and limb and DO,
chauffuers at one and the same time.
Now that the operations of the War De
partment under the new general staff
system nave been shaped up and gotter
into running order, the officers of tn
Army who come i'll contact with it ar
beginning to see its value and improve
ment over the old arrangement. 1t is tn
general opinion of officers that the new
system will soon be advantageously fel
in increased efficiency in every line Of tn
Army. In the past all orders have beer
prepared in the office of the Adjutant-Gen
eral and sent out from that Office unde