Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-15

by Mrs. Burrows, wife of Senator Bur.
rows of Michigan; Mrs. Allies, Mrs.
Spauiding, and Mrs. Taylor, wives of
the assistant secretaries of the treas
ury; Mrs. ]. p. O'Connor, and Miss
O'Connor, Of Iowa, and Miss Patten,
Miss Fountain and the Misses Shaw.
Don't congratulate me too hard.
am not an official vet" said Robert
Armstrong, Secretary Shaw's recent
appointee, the other day. The Presi!
dent has been little slow about send
ing Mr.. Armstrong; appointment to
the senate. Senator Dolliyer says
that he has been calling in a number
of senators to consult regarding the
appointment. The New York inter-
ests are clamoring for an appointment
more in the line of their man." Sec
Rotary Shaw has been quite strict with
the customs laws and the large i'm
porters are rather suspicious of him.
The general opinion Is that Mr.. Arm
strong will make an excellent and i'm
partial officer. It is declared that the
New York interests have dominated
this Office for many years whereas it
is really one in which the whole coun-
try should be represented since near
ly a majority Of the imports of the
United States come through New
York. Mr.. Armstrong has literally
worked his way from the bottom. A
young Iowa boy went to him for some
assistance the other day. "Of course
I'll help you," he was told. 81 know
what it is to struggle up the ladder.
In fact, | am not so old myself but
that can remember the time spent
last dime for coffee and sandwich"
Washington, D. c., Jan. 14.-Con--
gresham Lacey says that Speaker
Henderson is and has been in favor
of trust legislation all the time. He
declares that he was not stirred up on
the matter by the President nor did he
need any such stimulation. Mr.. Lacey
says that Mr.. Henderson is pushing
trust legislation in the house and will
assist in every way he can to pass a
satisfactory bill. From all indications
it can be seen that some sort Of ac-
| tion to curb the trusts is imminent.
1t is not going to be easy to solve a
satisfactory bill, but this task has
been taken with more determination
than was evidenced before the Presi-
dent took hand in the matter. There
have been too many fingers in the
pie but now with his administration
bills as scouts the President of the
United States is sallying forth as the
"only and original trust buster" The
people believe that in demanding the
prohibition of rebates and publicity
the President has struck at the vitals
of the matter This is evidenced, too,
by the fact that there can already be
observed the beginning of the great
fight that is going to be waged by the
corporations against any trust legisla-
ton of this sort. 1t is believed that the
sugar trust, the beef trust, the flour
trust and the coal trust cannot exist
without their system of transportation
rebates on which they have thrived
Quite recently strange new opposi--
ton to the Cubon reciprocity treaty
has sprung up from some southern
democratic senators. They say it is
on account of the southern cane sugar
business. The big business of their
section, however, is. the cotton seed
oil industry. This is part of the
Standard Oil, company, The trusts
have begun and their move is to fight
for delay. Nobody believes that the
great corporations will allow the ad-
ministration trust bills to be passed
until they have exhausted their last
resource. Political enthusiasts say
that it is going to be beautiful strug.
gle between the executive and con-
gress. If the trusts are preparing to
exhaust their last resources the Presi.
dent is ready to do the same thing on
his part.
Meanwhile the statehood bill re-
mains in the same unsolved situation
Each side is as strong and determined
as ever. Senator Quay, the champion
of the three states omnibus bill (politi-
clans have begun to call it the "omi
| nous bilp') declares that they will get
a vote soon and that vote will mean
victory for his side. In lot of let.
tiers from citizens urging the passage
of the bill which were read in the SEN
ate the other day one correspondent
declared "it was but short time age
| that Iowa was in the same position
and now she had in the senate the
| mighty Allison and the brilliant Dolli.
| YER The writes inferred that the
territories could do the same thing
and that sending such men to Wash,
| ington would be benefit to the coun
| try.
| The Venezuelan question is also rel
egated to the background for the
| trusts. 1t will be remembered thai
the house not long ago asked for all
| the correspondence of the state de
partment in regard to the Venezuelan
trouble. This will probably not be
made public because the correspon-
dence contains many matters which il
is not thought advisable to give Out
at this time. 1t would not be satisfac
tory 10 make public part of the mat
ter, SO the whole thing may be drop
ped, at least until the matter is en-
tirely settled.
In Congressman Lacey's committee
room is one of the curiosities ant
| sights of the capitol in the shape of {
huge geographical globe three feet il
/ diameter. The globe is the larges
! and most up-to-date in the building
being especially fine in details of tn,
/