Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-07-09

From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, June 90 1908
The greatest interest has been mani
Tested throughout the past week by WASH
ington Democrats in the action of the Iowa
Convention, and diverse opinions arel
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 platform. This view is enter
tanned not only by those who have lost
faith in the 16 to policy, but by many
who regard it as correct but non-essential
issue at the present time, and who believe
they see in the abandonment Of the old
p atform better chance for party harmony.
The enthusiasm with which the name OF
Grover Cleveland has been received, and to
some extent the popularity Of Senator Cor
man are taken TO indicate that there are
many Democrats who, while they were un-
willing to espouse the free silver cause, are
anxious to see adopted Democratic plat
form on which they can stand. Mr.. Cleye-
land is not regarded here as a Presidential
possibility, and it is generally held that
any man to be a candidate must have sup
ported the platform Of the past two cam
paigns, but it is believed that with such a
candidate, on a platform which ignores the
silver issue and declares for moderate tariff
revision and cleansing of the executive
departments there are excellent chances for
Democratic success.
Scandals in Washington are multiplying
as time goes on. The post Office scandal
still holds thepalm for extent of corruption
but one has developed in the administra-
ton Of the affairs Of the Indian Territory
which, were its location as accessible 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
rablons issued. When the Dawes Com
mission undertook TO divide the Indian
lands, it used these padded rolls as q basis
for its work, and now that the allotments
have been practically completed, it is dis
covered that the terri DRY has been divided
into more parts than there are Indians.
How the matter can be adjusted without
great additional work and expense, il is
impossible to foresee, but the President has
appointed Francis E. Luepp, prominent
Washington newspaper correspondent to
make an investigation OF the situation, and
report to him.
A scandal has developed in the Treasury
Department. where it has been discovered
that an immigration official has been sell
ing the private papers Of the Department,
upwards of 1000 in number, to private
persons, especially the railroads and steam
ship companies. The Department. of Agri-
culture 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 politica
avorite to the position of inspector of the
work of the seed contractor, and Mr. Will
sons protege to have grossly neglected the
duties for which he was appointed, even if
he did not share in the profits out of which
| the Government was cheated. An investi-
cation Of the Bureau of American Enthno-
| logy is also in progress as the result Of the
defalcation of an employ, Spanish war
veteran who obtained place on the
strength Of his having been a soldier
| Speaking Of the situation in Washington
as it obtains to-day, a member of Congress
| said, ut 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 himself
safe from prosecution because of his politi-
cal influence, and who has come to believe
that no change of administration, which
would reveal his populations, is likely to
occur. His story 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 situa-
tion in the Post Office Department. Roose-
welt may be sincere in his desire to prose
cute those who have actually stolen from
| the Government, but even he is loath to
expose the rascality of Republican APP
pointees, 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 Republican National
Committee, Perry Heath, and other Re-
| publican friends, just as he strained every
nerve to save Hanna's friend, Machen"
Two more indictments have been secured
in the postal cases, one against ex-Congress-
man briggs of Brooklyn, the other against
| J.V. Miller of the same place. Machan and
the Groffs have also been indicted again as
| have also George E. Lorenz and his wife.
Ext Postmaster General Charles Emory
Smith has made public lengthy statement
in which he attempts to outline what he
chooses to regard as evidence of COLLISION on
the part of Seymour W.Tulloch and Inspect
or Smith, the man who made the report in
closed in Bristow's reply to the Tulloch
charges and which was SO unfavorable to Mr..
Smiths administration. Mr.. Smith bases
his charge of collision on the fact that in
several instances Smith and Tulloch use the
same language. This is all explained at
the Post Office Department, however, where
it is learned that both the Tulloch charges
and the Smith report were based on the
| letter of controller of the Trearury Tracewell
and the similar terms referred to were those
originally used by him when he objected to
the payment Of certain vouchers.
1t has been stated in various quarters that
Postmaster General Payne intended to
resign but this Mr. Payne denies. He has
been quite i'll but is much better now and
was present at the last cabinet meeting be-
| fore the president left Washington. Mr.
Roosevelt left for Oyster Bay where he will
| spend the remainder of the summer on Sat-
urday. Most Of the embassies and legations
4