Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-03-16
From Washington.
rCorrespondence of the Alexandra Gazette. J
Washington, March 10.

Daniel entertains no such ideas, KNOW
ing that the time has not yet come for
southern man to be elected President.
However, he is held in high esteem in
his party's councils, his advice is highly
valued and recently he has probably
been 'fnters'e wed' by more newspaper
correspondents than any other Senator.
He thinks that silver is a past issue and
believes that tariff reform should be the
paramount issue in the coming campaign.
He does not regard present party squao-
bles with apprehension, but says the
democrats usually quarrel before ma
tional convention but come together
when the nomination is made. lie is
decidedly pleased at the number OF pres
idential candidates saying this certainly
looks like somebody believes the demo-
Gratis will win at the coming election. /"
The Senator is for the strongest man for
the nominee and sees no harm in New
York instructiDg for Judge Parker II
that State is for the Judge.
The subcommittee of the House COM
mittee on the judiciary, which has been
investigating the charges that look to
the Impeachment of Charles Swayne,
Judge of the Florida federal district, has
completed its work and is now prepar-
ing report which will be submitted to
the full committee on Friday. 1t is
understood that the subcommittee is
divided and that two of its three mem
bers favor impeachment. Although
there is division of opinion as to the
Justice of instituting impeachment pro-
ceedings, there is no difference of opin-
ion as regards the advisability of separat-
ing Judge Swayne from his position.
The feeling against him in Florida is in
tensely bitter and much of it is attributed
to his altogether unattractive personal
traits. Republicans and democrats are
agreed that Judge SwayEe does not salts
factorily fill his place.
An anti-red-tape commission is to be
appointed within few days by Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury Taylor. 1t is
to be composed of five experts from the
Treasury and Postofice Departments
who will make an attempt to simplify
the tedious process now connected with
the payment of rural free delivery car
riers and star route men, An effort will
be made 10 change the payment system
so that the contract carriers may get
their money every month.
The investigation into the charges
against Senator Dietrich, of Nebraska,
that he accepted money for the appoint
ment of Jacob Fisher as postmaster, at
Hastings, Neb., which has been made
by special committee of the Senate has
been practically concluded. Only one
other witness remains to be examined on
Saturday, when the committee will meet
again, and his testimoney has already
been impeached by preceding Witnesses
There is no doubt that Senator Dietrich
will be absolutely cleared ofany suspicion
of wrong doing. 1t is even suggested
that the committee besides generating
Dietrich will reprimand District Attor-
ney Sommers for not having the testi-
timony of these witnesses presented to
the grand jury in Nebraska when the
Indictment of Dietrich was proposed.
Incidentally the investigation will, it is
expected, result in the removal OF Som
mers, for which Senator Dietrich has
been working for some time. j. K.
Wright, janitor of the postoffice at Hast
ings, Neb., until last February, was the
first witness this morning on the resump-
ton of the investigation. He averred
that he knew nothing in regard to GER
tain charges against the Senator.
An investigation of the expense ac-
counts of the First Isthmian Canal Com
mission, which, in some quarters, have
been declared extravagant, may be I'M
dertaken by the House committee on in
terstate and foreign commerce. Professor
w. II. Burr, of New York, who was a
member of that commission, and has been
appointed to the new one, appeared be-
fore the committee today to testify as to
the coming work on the Isthmus. He
placed the probable cost of the canal at
Sl44, 900, 900, and said it could be built
in eight years; more cheaply in eight
than in ten years. The tolls on the
canal will not pay for it as commercial
enterprise, but its indirect advantages on
commerce will makea valuable asset. He
was sharply Intercepted by Chairman
Hepburn as to theexpenditures made by
the first committee and replied in detail.
In executive session the committee au-
thorized the chairman to request from
the old canal commission copy OF their
journal aud theirexpense accounts In de-
tail. 1t is the intention ofthe committee
to 60 more thoroughly into this question.
The select committee of seven members
of the House, appointed by Speaker Can
non to investigate the charges against
members of Congress contained in the
Bristow report, remained in executive
session from 80 q. m. until lilo p.
m. today, and resumed work again after
lunch. The members OF the committee
are going over the statementsi in the Bris-
tow report referring to members, and sort
ting them, putting side those against
whom on the face of the report record
no wrong doing is charged, and reserying
the others for more careful consideration.
Thus far, of the 151 cases presented,
more than two thirds have already been
eliminated. The investigation will con-
tinue behind closed doors for some days.
As the Gazette's correspondent enter
ed the press gallery of the House yester-
day and approached several newspaper
men who were talking together he was
greeted by one of them who said,
"Hello, we were just taking about