Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1903-10-02
Capital is in labor This coinbina-
ton ought to settle the difficulty, but
the prospect is not favorable.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our Regular correspondent

Washington, d. c., Sept. 2S.-A
| congressional investigation of the
| Postoffice Department is being freely
discussed by those members of Con-
gfess who have already arrived in
Washington. This does not mean that
there is doubt as the thoroughness of
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General
| Brlstow's investigation, in so far as it
has gone, but that there is grave dis
satisfaction because the President did
nos authorize Bristow to probe that
portion of the mail service which is be-
lieved to harbor the greatest fraud i,
the railway mail service. One men,
Der of Congress who is familiar with
Postoffice affairs told your correspond
ent one day recently that in his judg-
ment the United States was paving,
through this service, tribute to the
railroads and steamship companies
amounting to from between $50, 000. GOO
aud $40, ZOO, 900 annually, in the shape
of excess tolls for the mails. This
amount may be seriously exaggerated
and yet leave fraud Of sufficient pro-
portions to warrant the most thorough
Investigation. The impression pre-
walls that Bristow was not allowed to
probe this source Of corruption because
of the prominence of the men involved,
including numerous railway presidents,
proprietOrs of steamship companies,
members of Congress and others. To
stir up such q scandal almost On the
eve of a presidential election would be
regarded as bad politics and it is pre-
sumed that argument has been suf-
ficient to induce the President to curb
BriStow's authority to investigate ev-
cry section of the postal service. Be
this as it may, there is no doubt but
that the democrats in Congress will
mske vigorous effort to air the facts
with the hope of shaming the repub bill
cans into turning Bristow loose in a
field where the frauds will far out
weigh the comparatively petty pecula-
lions of Beavers, Machen, ct al.
Ten young men who have distin.
guished themselves at American mill
tary schools are soon to start for the
Philippine, where they will enter the
Philippine constabulary. The Philip.
pine civil government hopes. through
its constabulary, to soon obivate the
the necessity of large military garri-
sons in the islands. In many respects
the constabulary is similar to the
mounted police of Canada which, with
a small but exceptionally effective
force, maintain order throughout the
great Northwest Territory. Most of
the officers of the constabulary have
been drawn from military channels,
many of them having been volunteer
officers who preferred to remain in the
Philippines when the time came for
their regiments to be mustered out of
the service. By selecting the honor
men from the American military
schools, the Philippine governments he
lieves it will still further improve the
personnel of the constabulary force
ana thus also increase its efficiency and
depcndability.
The rapidly increasing price of sill |
YER IS likely to bring about curious |
state of affairs in the Philippines. |
When the Philippine coinage bill was
under consideration in the House last
session, the democrats and minority
of the republicans, passed substitute
measure which made United States !
money legal tender in the Philippines. |
Later. the Senate passed measure
which provided for the Philippine peso
and made 1t and United States money
legal tender. The House was whipped |
into line during the closing hours of
the session and the Senate bill became
a law. Now, the price OF silver has
advanced almost so per cent. and is
quoted 81 IS cents an ounce. If Is
reaches 81 cents the peso will be worth
more than their face value as bullion
and will be promptly melted and sold
as such. That would leave the only
egal tender money in the islands. the
egal tender of the United States, as
provided by the minority bill.
Iae executive committee of the
American Federation of Labor has
net aud adjourned without taking &C.
Ion regarding the Presidents ANNOUNCE