Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-11-27
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 100
tFrom our regular correspondent

(From our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 1908.
Another has been added to the long
list OF scandals associated with the Re-
publican party. Senator Dietrich OF
Nebraska is appealing to the President,
the Attorney General and his Republi-
can colleagues of the Senate to save
him from conviction on indictments
for bribery and conspiracy which have
just been returned against him by the
Federal Grand Jury. The Senator
is accused of accepting 81, 500 in
money and property in consideration
for his endorsing the appointment Of
Jacob Fisher to be postmaster of
Hastings, Nebraska. Although the
jury, selected from all over the State,
voted 10 to in favor of returning the
indictment, the Senator declares that
it is the result of political conspiracy,
and is trying to remove from Office w.
S. Summers, the United States Dis
trict Attorney who prepared the
charges. 1t appears that the Senator
had erected building at Hastings and
induced the Postoffice Department to
transfer the local Office to it from q
building owned by the Grand Army.
Tho coaotar raooivaI Iooe ra,k Co. ~ ~
Office than he had asked, and the
Grand Army men in Hastings regret
ted the loss incurred by their having
bought postoffice fixtures which were
now of no use to them. A new post
master was to be appointed, and which
ever of the applicants received Sena-
tor Dietrich's endorsement was certain
to receive the appointment. Fisher
promised that if he got the position,
he would buy the fixtures from the
Grand Army men and also pay the
Senator the difference between what
he got and what he asked as rent for
the Office. Fisher is now the Post.
master and is under indictment with
the Senator. For several months he
paid Dietrich the money to make up
the rent, until the Senator realized
that he was violating the law and re-
turned the money to the Postmaster.
This may prove an extenuating cir.
cumstsnce in the case, but the buying
OF the fixtures still remains as an lille.
gal consideration. The penalty for
the accepting considerations in max.
ing public appointments is two years
imprisonment or $4,000 fine. The
Senator says ne will waive his consti.
tutional immunity from arrest and re.
turn to Nebraska to stand trial. 1t
remains to be seen whether he can
convince the jury that the indictment
was the result OF political conspir-
acy."
Aided by Democratic votes, the Gu
ban reciprocity bill passed the House
of Representatives. By an arbitrary
disregard for the rights Of the minority
the Republicans prevented the SUBJ
hitting of any amendments, and the
Democrats were forced to accept the
bill for want OF something better. 1t
will no doubt pass the Senate for with
Democratic assistance, the necessary
twO-thirds majority for the treaty has
been obtained already in that body.
The bill may be passed in time to ad-
journ the extra session before Thanks
giving. Representative Mcclellan,
Democratic Mayor-elect OF Greater
New York, made an eloquent speech
in the House in favor OF the bill. He
said in part, Now at last. after years
of waiting, after the spectacle OF an in
solent lobby practically dominating
Congress, we propose to partially fulfill
our pledge to Cuba by giving her this
two-penny measure of relief, that is
warranted not to offend the suscepti-
bilities of the most sensitive trust in
existence. We have made solemn
promise to Cuba. 'Ifa Republican ma
jority, in its might, is only willing to
partially keep the promise, tho blame
and the shame rest with the Republic
can party. This bill is but a partial
fulfillment OF our obligation, but az we
are confronted with the alternative of
either not fulfilling that obligation at
all, or of fulfilling 1t in part, there
should be no difference of opinion on
this side of the chamber Is to the ne
cessity OF en- acting the BILL"
Mr.. Clarke, Democrat from Missouri,
also favored the bill in a humorous
speech in which he tainted the Re.
publicans. "Your Uncle Mark" he
said, Invented 'let we'll enough
alone He afterwards converted this
into stand pat and then the able
chairman of the Ways and Means
Committee, Mr.. Payne, added q little
keep on letting we'll enough alone,
and then when your Uncle Mark was
being punched over the ropes out in
Ohio, by Col. Theodore Roosevelt and
Senator Joseph B. Foraker, he added.
6 for Gods sake, let's keep on letting
we'll enough alone.'"
Mr.. Clarke declared that when. after
the next election, the Democrats got
control of the House they would take
revenge on the Republicans, who are
making such frequent use OF the gag
rule" to silence the opposition of the
minority.
The Administration has committed
itself to the Panama canal and Secre-
tary Hay has signed a canal treaty
with Minister Varilla which gives this
country absolute sovereignty over the
canal territory as well as the right to
insure public peace and sanitary con-
ditions in the cities of Colon and Pan
anna. The two commissioners from
the Isthmus are in Washington. They
are DIR. Manuel E. Amador, Minister of
Finance OF the new republic and head
OF the revolutionary party, and Fred.
erico Boyd, a popular representative of
the business interests OF the Isthmus.
They arrived in New York on a ship
flying Panama's flag and will ratify