The Opelousas courier., 1903-07-11
Washington, ID. c., News.
From our Regular Correspondent.

| w ASHINGTONs July D, 1910.
Strained relations with Russia
now threaten as a result of Presi.
dent Roosevelt's desire to cultivate
favor with the Jewish voters. AS
has already been told in these let
ters, the President yielded to the
opportunities of the executive COM
mittee Of the B'nai Birth and
agreed to forward to Russia a petit
ton for consideration of the Jews
in Bossorabia. AS soon as the
Presidents intention became known
in St. Petersburg, an intimation
was impaired to the Associated
Press to the effect that under no
circumstances could Russia consent
to receive any representation or Pc
tition regarding it's internal affairs.
But the President was not daunted
by this intimation. He has declared
that the United States will accept
no semi. official intimation, and that
the petition will be forwarded to
the Gar as soon as it is received in
Washington. Russia's next move
in the situation is awaited with
keenest interest.
Republicans in Washington claim
to be jubilent over the result of the
Iowa convention. Under the shrewd
guidance of. Senator Allison, the
obnoxious assertion that the tariff
''sheltered monopolies," which has
been elimited or rather replaced
with nondescript plank, which is
one of Mr.. Allison's masterpieces in
the "good Lord, good Devip line.
To the "stand-patters" there may
be some satisfaction in his elimina-
ton, but the greatest satisfaction
falls to the Democrats, who can
now point to the fact that even
Iowa has been swung into line,
afraid to stand by it's convictions
that the tariff is the "mother of
trusts" and that every Republican
who favors revision of the exist
ing tariff rates must vote the Dem
ocratic ticket or stultify himself.
After the adoption of the platform
Governor Cummins made speech
in which he reasserted his old time
position, but i'll as much as he first
yielded his position and waived his
conviction that prompt lowering Of
the duties ON trust-made goods was
imperative, his subsequent state
ments will be received for what they
are worth.
President Roosevelt and Pest
master General Payne have between
them managed to close most of the
avenues by which news has previ-
ously been obtained regarding the
Postofice investigation, and com.
paratiyely little news of Importance
is now getting into print. The most
important subjects under investiga-
tion at present are the purchase of
sheet iron mail boxes, the painting
of the same with a certain patent
paint, and the General Manifolding
Company, which sells to the gov
ernment 100000 worth of mani
folding paper year, one-half OF
which is bought by the Postoffice.
Almost no information can be OBJ
tanned regarding the first investi.
cations aside from the fact that
they are presenting some interest
ing and probably important devel
opments. With regard to the lat
ter, it has been found that the clerk
who buys the manifolding paper has
a son who is receiving $4,000 a year
from the General Manifolding Com
pany; that Representative JOSEPH
Sibley is largely interested in the
concern, and it is suspected thai
| Speaker-to-be Cannon is also, al
though that has not been verified
as the inspectors have not yeI
gained access to the stock books.
The most serious commentary We
found on the administration o
Postmaster General Payne is con
tanned in the statement for the fis
cal year just ended, by which il
shown a deficit for the year o
s4,6l7, ,203, nearly double that o
the previous year. 1t is announced
that a large portion of this defici
is due to the extension of the fre
delivery service in the rural dis
tricts, but it is not denied that hat
such extension been made on bnsi
ness lines, instead of for politica
purposes and to save the district
of weak congressman, the defcienc,
would have been materially les
sened. 1t is also true, of course
that the ssgraftn practiced by th
Machen-B Beavers crowd, the relic
of the Hanna Heath administra
ton, also added its share to til
deficiency. In view of the fact tina
the courts have sustained the De
partment in its elimination from th
second class privilege of ''fake
newspapers, the receipts of tn
Postoffice Department should NOR
closely approximate the expense
: than ever before.
-&@MS--
EDKRMGEc ~ NAHMaSM