Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-08-14

ny o'u-tHhe iuedS VI honesty hhu WOrdi-
ity-Root Exonorates Congressman Lttauer
From Participation in Glove Contract-An-
other Lot Of Postal Frauds Unearthed BY
Jury-Tariff Reform Sometimes Means Pro-
tsction-The Negro Race Question.
From our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON, Aug. 6, 1908.
Secretary Root has completed his
investigation of the Litiauer-Lyon
glove contract and, as was expected,
practically exonerates Congressman
Littauer, the Presidents intimate
friend and most trusted political ad.
visor" Mr.. Llttauer claims that it
was not until after Lyon had secured
the contract that he became interested
in it and then only because he felt
obliged, as manufacturer of the
gloves, to charge Lyon as much for
them as Lyon had bid, the profit being
purely incidental and unexpected by
himself and Lyon. In this explana-
ton Littauer is practically upheld by
Root. The one point which Littauer
fails to explain is why be appeared at
the War Department on several &C..
casions and used his influence as q
member of Congress to secure the con.
tract for Lyon. especially as Lyon was
not constituent OF his. With a rec
ommendation that, as stated above.
practically exonerates Littauer. Secre-
tary Root has referred the whole mat
ter to the Attorney General, for his
advice.
Since last weeks letter the postal
officials have made another generous
haul, securing indictment against
August w. Machen and seven of his
confederates who had, according to
the evidence presented to the grand
jury, divided among them funds of
which the government has been de.
frauded, amounting to upwards of $751;
600. By his Vaccinations Machen
had secured a rake OFF, on every reg.
istered letter case on every carriers
satchel, and on every mail box that
had been painted. Among those in
dicted with Machen were William
Gordon Crawford, manager OF the Pos.
tai Device and Lock Company, "Ciiff"
Long and several Others. Long was
protege OF Senator Hanns's and had on
several occasions represented Abner
Mckinley, attempting to sell goods, OF
which he claimed Mckinley was the
owner. to the Department and threat
ening with dismissal, as . result of
McKinley's influence at the White
House, those who refused to purchase
the inferior grades of goods he offered.
The grand jury is still in session and is
known TO be working on Postoffice
cases and some mere startling indict.
ments are promised at an early date.
MANY of the people of Texas" said
Representative S. B. Cooper to your
correspondent this week, care not
tariff reformers of the Cleveland stripe;
that is to say, they want some Incl
dental protection. In other words,
they are more on the line of the late
Samuel J. Randall's contention than
on that principle of the Wilson bill,
a. reported from the Ways and Means
Committee. In southwest Texas the
sheep and cattle interests are impor-
tant, and those engaged in them are
naturally opposed to the free-raw.ma.
terial theory of the tariff. The same
is the case in my district, where the
rice and lumber industries are thriv-
ing. This large infusion of protec-
zionist ideas of the Democratic variety
tends to give popularity to such can
didates for the presidential nominal
ton IS do not wish to push tariff re-
beyond safe point. Mr..
German is not only popular ON this
account, but also because of his atti.
tude on what is known as the Force
bill, and that not only in Texas but |
throughout the south. / have some
doubt of the accuracy of the interview
from New York upon bis |
arrival there from Europe. He is not |
given to saying things which reflect |
upon those in the party who differ
from him on public questions"
Representative Bankhead of Ala.
bama, who 10 in Washington on some
matters of interest to his constituents,
observed 10 regard to the race ques-
ton in that State: at is settled.
Our new constitutional provisions as
to suffrage give the negroes who can
read and write, or who own three hun
dred dollars worth of property the
right to vote. The one,dment pre-
vents some whites, q Few, from voting.
Time was afforded to all to prepare
themselves for the suffrage, and since
January the permanent voting list has
gone into operation. 1t was consid.
cred necessary to have q constitutional
check on suffrage because we had tried |
other checks and found them, for one |
reason or another, inefficient in the |
long run. 1t would not do to use vio-
lence on people any more than to SUBJ
nit to the dominance Of vicious ele. |
meuts and the paralysis of industry.
It also would not do to make false |
returns in elections. The demoraliza.
ton caused, no matter what the pro-
vocation and incentive, would have
proven % bad as submission to the |
rule of vice and ignorance. So the |
law OF suffrage was put on q perma-
nent basis and defended by the whites
on the grounds Of the preservation OF
society and the efficiency OF local gov
eminent. 1t will work as we'll in the
future as it is working now. The
southerner thinks that political leads
to social equality. and that he will
n ever submit to. As for the attitude
of the negroes this remark ia true.
All the blacks born in slavery times
are quiet, peaceable and industrious.
Some of them are helpless pensioners
ON the bounty of their former masters.
On my place there ia an old couple
who do no work because they are not
able. They get food and clothing from
the "big house" and are invited when
they 60 there from their cabins to sit
down and make themselves comfort
able. These old people were fully