Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1903-08-12
FROM WASHINGTON
Special Correspondence of the coonrxn.
Washington, Aug. IL.

Tue recent erStwhlle, were going
about wearing worn, haggard
and hunted expression are now
walking the streets of the nations
capital wearing broad and expan-
sive smile that somewhat resembles
n crack in frozen liver. Where
fore! Simply because on the 31st
of July last the statute of limitation
ran and they are forever barred
from prosecution for the misdeeds
and peculation they INDUCED in
while holding positions of honor
and trust under the national gov
eminent three years ago. There
are many men who ought to have
been indicted and would have been
had not President Roosevelt told
Fourth Assistant Gen
eral Bristow not to investigate any
of the cases where the statute of
limitation would run this year. Ii
was known here also that Perry =.
Heath. the secretary of the Repub-
Iican National Committee, would
have been one of the first to be in
dicted, along with Machen. if the
republican leaders had not stepped
in and put a veto on the thing.
Mr.. Heath knows too much of the
inside workings of the cogwheels
and oihng that the different parts
of the machine received in the last
two national campaigns. He might.
as Rathbone threatened to do.
Pull down the pillars of the
temple" and that would be dan
gerous to many in high places and
leave the republican skeleton ex-
posed in all its hideousness. The
man who invented the statute of
limitations should have a monu-
ment erected to his memory by the
republican leaders. for they know
how much tribnlation he saved
them. The next convention of
that party should pass the hat
around, and no one should he more
liberal in his donation than Presi-
dent Roosevelt, for it has saved
him 3 world of annoyance and
publicity. that might have leopard
lied his political future. An ex-
cellent slogan for the republicans
next year would be: Live la
Statute Of Limitations!
When President Roosevelt APP
pointed Ret" CIarkson Surveyor
Of the Port of New York there
was a general gasp of astonishment
by civil service reformers, and q
good deal OF surprise was mani
Tested by the less truly good poll
ticians. That Clarkson paid but
little attention To the duties Of his
office. but was making secret trips
10 the southern states, with the
strong inclination 10 confine the
society he sought To '''black-and-
tans" and "lily-whites, who were
known TO be important factors In
selecting delegates TO national re-
publican conventions. occaSiOned
no amazement amongst politicians,
They regarded him as the personal
representative of the President,
and on what may be called a secret
service mission for him, Clarkson
regards public Office as a private
snap, and although President
Roosevelt IS supposed TO have
other and opposite views on the
duties of public officers, he evident
~ does not disapproYe of the
Clarkson graft" of drawing a
good salary without much, if any,
return to the people who are taxed
10 pay IL. GARRISON is an old
political pal of Postmaster-0 General
Payne; they have been mixed up
in some similar deals-0htaining
delegates on former occasions 50
nobody will he particularly sur
pfised at tho information that
FRET" ClarksOn is the official that
furnished the revenue cutter for
Postmaster=deneral Payne and
his family to take their late sum,
mer outing. That revenue cutters
were not intended for private use
does not seem to have troubled the
elastic political eonseiencez al
either Clarkson or Payne, 1t il
through this loose idea of the pri'
yate snap, that high officials regard
rs their political perquisities, thai
the grating and looting in the
Post Office and other department.
have grown 10 such serious scan
dals. Yet Mr.. Payne Is supposed
to be investigating this sort o.
thing. When will the people