The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1903-08-28
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D. c., August Gath

MR.. EDIroR:-President Roosevelt's
plan for non partisan financial bill has
suffered humiiiating defeat and its i'm
practicability has compelled its abandon
ment There was to be a political SYM
postum German and Bailey were to agree
amicably with Aldrich and Allison. The
democratic Donkey was to hobnob with
the republican Elephant. But the latest
and most authoritative news from Oyster
Bay and Providence, the home of Senator
Aldrich, is to the effect that hope of draft
| ing a financial bill on which even the re-
publican leaders Of both houses can agree
has been all but abandoned and the Presi
dent has been forced to give up the idea
of making any specific recommendations
affecting financial legislation in his mess
age to the Congress which will be called
in special session on November 8. The
failure is charged to the rapacity of Aid
rich and the interests-it would be ludl-
crous to say the State-he represents. Be
that as it may, the republican leaders of
the Senate and the House are even farther
apart in their views than they were when
Congress adjourned last March.
Some of the shrewdest republican poll
ticians are beginning to believe that there
are breakers ahead for the President be-
cause of his relations with the labor
unions. His advocacy of the cause of the
laboring men at the time of the anthracite
coal strike embttered the capitalistic
classes in the East, while his recent stand
against discrimination between union and
non union labor in the Government SER
vice is having its effect with the labor
unions, one of which, the stationary engi-
neers, has pledged itself to oppose Roose-
| velt's nomination in the convention and
his election if nominated. Regardless of
the ethics or justice of the Presidents
position, his friends admit that if organ
| lied labor once determines on his defeat
the republicans will be afraid to nominate
him and they are doing all in their power
| to disabuse the labor mind of the idea that
the President is antagonistic to their in
terests On the other hand, the opposition
press is working to the opposite end and
with no small show of success.
Conflicting reports continue to come
from Bogota regarding the Panama canal
treaty, but the only authoritative news
thus far received has been the cablegram
| from Minister Beaupre who wired that
the Senate had rejected the treaty. On
the other hand, it is still believed that the
Senate may reconsider its action and the
administration remains hopeful of the
eventual ratification of the convention.
Grave scandals affecting the allotment
of the lands of the Indian Territory
to the Five Civilized tribes of Indians
have this week been brought to public
notice 1t has been shown that several
members of the Dawes Commission,
charged with the allotment, are stockhold-
ers in land companies which are making
enormous profits at the expense of the In
dians, and it is disclosed that during
President McKinlcy's administration Sec
rotary Hitchcock made representations to
the President of the incompatability of
Tams Bixby, the chairman of the Com
mission, holding his position as such and
at the same time using his knowledge and
influence as director of land invest
ment company. At that time, Bixby
brought such strong political influence to
bear that no action was taken on Mr..
Hitchcock's representations. 1t is also
shown that Secretary Hitchcock has him
self been neglectful of the rights of the
Indians, in that he has omitted certain
precautions against fraud and that he has
failed to pursue men charged with sWind
ling the wards of the nation to the last
ditch. The Attorney General is also in
volved in the scandal as one of his district
attorneys has been charged with malfeas
ance by Secretary Hitchcock and Mr.
Knox has taken no action in the premises.
A scheme whereby General Leonard
Wood will be defeated from attaining his
ambition, that of becoming lieutenant
general, is being seriously discussed by
prominent members of Congress, both
democratic and republican. 1t is proposed
to enact law abolishing the grade of
lieutenant general, this law to take effect
when the last Civil War veteran eligible
to that Office shall have retired, which
would bring it to the date when Wood
will become the ranking major general.
The opposition to Wood is based on the
fact that within five years he has risen
from the position of surgeon, with the
rank of captain, to that Of brigadier gen.
eral, although he has seen but thirty days
war service, and under ordinary circum-
stances he would have but the rank of a
major today
The Director of the Census has just
made public "discussion Of increase in
population" in which is shown that during
the period from 1890 to 1900 the increase
of population in the United States, exclu-
sive of of Alaska and the insular posses
ions, was 13,046,S61, or 20.7 per cent, an
increase nearly double that of European
countries and exceeded by but one nation,
Argentina. 1t is further shown that al
though during the century ending with
1890 increase in population in the North
E., l>l