Middletown transcript., 1903-05-30
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON. Nav 23d. /!

WILL President Roosevelt be endorsed
w by the Ohio State convention for the
nomination in 1904? is the question
Washington politicians are discussing
with unusual interest. Senator Foraker
has announced that he will introduce in
the convention resolution to that effect
and Senator Hanna has announced that
he will oppose it. Mr.. Hanna says that
it is too early to adopt a resolution con-
cerning the next national convention and
) that mere expression Of approval of the
present administration would be the pro-
per method of indorsing the President
The recommendation of his nomination
for President he maintains can be pro-
perly deferred to next year and he adds
that such would be the Presidents plea
sure. Present indications are, however.
that regardless of the wishes of Mr..
Hanna and those he attributes to the Pre-
sideEt the resolution will be adopted. II
it is, It will be a severe blow to Mr..
Hanna's influence in Ohio and will be
the first victory of importancei in the con-
test which Mr.. Foraker has long MAIN
tanned against his colleague in the Senate.
I ~
! That the President will be nominated
and elected its the firm conviction of
every Republican in Washington and of
those who, from time to time, pass
through the city. What Senator Hanna's
! objection to the proposed resolution can
| be is not known but there are two con-
lectures set forth. One is to the effect
that Mr.. Hanna has not yet determined
that he will not himself become candi-
date. The other is that he believes that
he will be able to exercise greater in.
fuence at the White House if Ohio has
not committed itself to the nomination of
, Mr.. Roosevelt. The first of these Mr.
Hanna firmly denies but it is not likely
that any one will have the temerity to
question him regarding the second.
~
1t is confidently expected that the Pre-
sident will take some effectual action in
the Postoffice situation when he returns
to Washington less than two weeks hence. |
The Postoffice investigation has dragged |
on now for SO long time that it is feared |
its further prolongation will prove injuri- |
GUS to the administration and it is be-
lieved that some steps which will bring
it to close should be taken Immediately. |
Former Superintendent of free delivery |
Machen has paved the way for demand |
for his resignation by running up de-
ficiency in his division Of 1927 900 with
out the knowledge, and contrary to the
orders, of the Postmaster General and by
misrepresenting the facts when called
upon for statement by his chief When
asked on May 9Th what the deficiency in
his division would be, if there were one,
he reported that it would not exceed $780,
600. Inspector Fosnes had hardly sue
ceeded him as acting chief OF the division,
however, when he discovered the great
discrepancy above noted. He promptly
reported the facts to Mr.. Payne who has
not hesitated to criticise Machen freely
since becoming acquainted with the
facts.
~
There are indications that President
Baer, of coal strike notoriety, has gotten
himself into serious difficulties by refus-
ing to produce, at the recent hearings OF
the Interstate Commerce Commission, |
the contracts made between the railroad
Of which he is president and the ostensi-
BILE owners OF the coal mines 1t was al
eyed before the commission that there
existed contracts between ali the anthra-
lite coal mine owning railroads fixing
prices for coal and its transportation and a
Mr. Baer was questioned on the subject 1
out positively declined to answer qnes- t
ions or to produce the suppositious con- q
racts. The Interstate Commerce Com
mission Immediately appealed to the At t
orney General to commence suit in the v
courts for mandamous compelling the g
Production OF the contracts and the an 1
wering of the questions propounded. g
The Attorney General has promptly re-
ponded and the necessary order for a Il
nit has been issued. i,
~ q,
The prosecution of an interesting case t.
las just been undertaken by the State n
Department. which involves a claim of n
8 100000 against Great Britain for
lamage acruing from the unwarranted
nd illegal action OF President Kruger of L
he Boer Republic. 1t appears that one
;harles Brown, an American mining en-
ineer, acquired certain mining lands in
he Transvaal by squatter proceedings. u
lis claim wss adjudicated by the Boer o
ourts and pronounced valid but Presi- IL
ent Kruger ordered the decision of the p
ourts reversed and OH the refusal of the 81
'hief Justice to comply with his instruc- a'
ions, Kruger deposed him without legal b
and vacated the title. Brown
ppealed to the State Department and
he case was taken up but was suspended
y the Boer war. Now it is taken up
gain against Great Britain and that
ountry has entertained the claim and
rdered full report on the case from CT
outh Africa.
~ d
The truth OF widely circulated story
, the effect that Senator SDoOner had A'