Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-07-31
rom our regular corrcspondent)

Reinstatement of "Scab," in the Goy,rn.
msnt Printing Office.
From our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON, July 90, 1903.
What promises to be an exceedingly
interesting fracas and possibly ser
lous one appears to be brewing for the
next session OF Congress. 1t will be
remembered that in the closing hours
OF the last session Speaker-to-be Can.
non INDUCED in harsh criticism on
the rules for doing business in the
Senate and charged that body with
hlghwaymen methods, saying he had
been held up and robbed" No SOON
er had the Senate assembled in .pecial
session than some OF the leading Sem
ators took occasion to severely crit.
else Mr.. Cannon and predicted that
he would live TO regret his "ill chosen
criticism" Since then, Mr.. Cannon
has referred to the subject on many
occasions and apparently with in.
creasing bitterness. There. has long
been more or less covert antagonis m
between the two houses of Congress
and there are many indications that it
will break out with no uncomfortable
rancor on both sides at the approach.
ing session.
1t now appears that the subject OF
financial legislation will be the occa-
sion OF the first break. As has been
stated in these letters, the Senate, be.
fore adjournment, appointed a sub
committee of the Committee on Fl.
nance to draft financial measure to
be considered Immediately on the re-
converting OF Congress. While the
exact provisions of the measure are
not known, it is known that the Sem
ate committee has always opposed an
asset currency while the House has
favored that expedient. In fact that
was the gist of the Fowler bill. Dur
ing recent visit TO Washington, Mr..
Cannon made it known that he would
oppose all financial legislation at the
next session and it is believed his
course in so doing would be largely
dictated by his determination no, to
yield anything to the leadership OF the
Senate. Since then, however, tie
President has caused to be given OFT
an authorized statement which was
made by Senator Lodge in which the
latter says that the President sincerely
hopes that time will be found for the
consideration Of some financial meas
ure at the extraordinary session which
will be called to convene ON Monday,
November 9, and he further expresses
the hope that law which will provide
a remedy for existing defects in the
financial system will be enacted. Fol-
lowing the issue of this statement the
President indicated to Mr.. Cannon his
desire to confer with him at Oyster
Bay and accordingly the Speaker.to.
BIZ has responded and has had long
conference with the President on the
subject. What the outcome of that
discussion was has not yet been
learned. 1t is also believed that Mr..
Cannon has been summoned to ap-
pear before the Senate subcommittee
and explain his objections to the bill
that committee Is preparing.
Charles Hedges, the intimate friend |
and business associate of H. H. Rand,
confidential clerk to the Postmaster
General, was yesterday summarily dis.
missed from his So 600 position as Su.
perintendent of the City Delivery be-
cause evidence has been secured of his
having fslsified his pay accounts. The
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General
issued q statement showing several
instances In which Hedges had made
oath that lie was in certain towns at
tending to government business and
had drawn q per diem of 81, allowed
him only when travelling on govern
ment business, when, a. a matter of
fact, he was attending to private bust
ness, examining mining property in
which he was interested, etc. There
are other and even graver charges
against Hedges which it is alleged are
being investigated. They involve his
having, In connection with H. H.
Rand, lobbied the Parish claim bill
through Congress. a statutory offense
carrying an extreme penalty of S. 600
fine and one years imprisonment. 1t
is generally believed that the only
reason that this charge has not been
pushed more vigorously is because
Rand, who in addition to being an in
innate friend OF .Machen and Hedges,
10 confidential clerk to Postmaster
General Payne, is involved in the mat
ter and it will probably be impossible
to expose Hedges without exposing
Rand. Since the last regular letter
George w. Beavers, former superin-
tendent OF the division OF salaries and
allowances, has been indicted but has
not been arrested; that his arrest has
not been effected is due to the fact that
he left Brooklyn and took refuge in
New York where. if he is arrested, it
will be necessary to grant prelimi-
nary hearing which would amount al
most to q trial, before commissioner.
The Government is reluctant to grant
this hearing as, it is claimed, it would
reveal evidence already collected
against other suspects. 1t is also ru-
mored that there is considerable reluc.
lance to trusting the case to the New
York courts.
An extremely interesting situation
has been precipitated by the Presi-
dents action in the case of w. A. Mil
Ter, Assistant Foreman in the book
binding department of the Public
Printers Office. 1t appears that Mil
Ter incurred the displeasure of the local
bookbinders' union and was expelled
Public Printer Palmer, when notified
os this fact, promptly discharged Mil.
Ter, but he appealed to the Civil Ser
vice Commission and to the President
and, the former finding that there was
ne warrant for his discharge on the |
ground named, the President ordered !!
his reinstatement. The Public Print.
er's Office has long been a"union Of
flee" and the bookbinders Immediately
held meeting and drew up petition,
which they forwarded to the President
representing that the grounds on
which Miller was expelled from the