The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-10

The suggestions are certainly OF interest.
The Difference Between Sandstone
and Gloves.
The proposed Federal building in Cleve-
land, Ohio, was intended by its architects
to be constructed Of granite A pecuiarly
patriotic, Republican, Cuyahoga quality
of sandstone is available from quarries
controlled by a corporation of which the
Hon JACOB ATLEE BEIDLER, Representa-
tive in Congress from the Twentieth Ohio
district, is a large stakeholder, director,
and, indeed, the president.
Mr.. BEIDLER's friend and neighbor,
Senator HANNA, is now said to be inter-
esting himself in an attempt to substitute
Ohio sandstone for granite in the Cleve-
land Federal building, to the artistic
arrangement of the original design and
at an increase of expense amounting to
about 100000, or 10 per cent. Of the au-
thorized cost Of the entire structure; but
TO the glory OF Ohio sandstone, and, Incl
dentally, to the profit of the Hon. JACOB
A. BEIDLER s company.
The question of the inferiority of the
more expensive sandstone for this par
ticular structure need not detain US; nor
again, the psychology of the alleged
preference of Mr.. HANNA, Mr.. FORAKER
and other statesmen for a building ma
terial which will impound large Govern
pt iY, nP LOT
it go to Maine or some other State. We
hasten to purely legal question which
is being widely discussed with consid-
cradle misapprehension of the law.
The effect of the revelations in the Sc
of the Hon. LUCIUs n. LITTAUER and the
Lyon glove contracts on the public mind
has been such that some of our con-
temporaries are attributing to Senator
HANNA a disposition to get his friend
BEIDLER into trouble by pushing him
into financial interest in a Government
contract in violation Of the statute which
applies to Mr.. L1TTAUER and his muskrat
gaunts and such. 1t is assumed that
because Mr.. BRIDLER and Mr. LITTAUER
are both members of Congress they are
equally prohibited by law from proftng
by contracts for the sale to the Govern
ment of the commodities in which they
respectively deal as private citizens.
This is not so. While the ethical as
poets OF the two transactions may be
similar, supposing that in each case the
opportunities of official station and po-
litical influence are made to contribute
to private profit, there is technical dis
tinction which operates in favor of the
sandstone statesman. The law about
Mr.. LITTAUER' s gloves Is this:
sHcr1oN Nsa-No member of or Delegate to
Congress shall directly indirectly. himself or by
any other person in trust for him. for his or
benent, or on his account undertake, execute. hold
or enjoy in whole in part. any contract agree
ment made or entered into in behalf Of tho United
States by any oflcer or person authorized TO make
contracts on behalf OF the United States. Every
person who violates this section shall be deemed
guilty of nisdemeanor. and shall be nned So 900.
All contracts or agreements made In violation of
this section shall be void"
The law about Mr.. BEIDLFR'S sand
stone is found in the next section, as
follows:
SECTION s740-Nothing contained in the pro-
cedng section shall extend or be construed TO eI-
tend 10 any contract agreement, made or entered
into, or accepted, by any incorporated company,
where such contract or agreement Is made for the
general benefit of such Incorporation or company"
1t therefore appears that the Hon.
JACOB ATLEE BEIDLER might own almost
all the stock of the incorporated concern
of which he Is the president, and yet
make contracts with the Government for
the sale of sandstone, in the name Of the
incorporated concern Of which he is the
president, without mourning technically
the least guilt of the misdemeanor de-
scribed In Section 3739. From this re-
markable fact we may draw two con-
clusions:
Uncle MARCUS ALoNzo HANNA knows
what he is about when he talks Cuya-
hoga sandstone;
The Hon LUCTUs N. LITTAUER did not
know what he was about when he talked
gloves without the simple and precau-
tionary, if evasive, preliminary of incor-
porating the eminent firm of LITTAUER
Brothers