The Grit-advocate., 1904-12-23
Washington News Letter.

the 18th Of March falls on Saturday the
great ball at the pension Office, CON
greS> having consented to the use OF
this building, will technically close at
midnight. The sum of Sl5,WO.W mas
been appropriated to preserve pubic
order as crowd of 200 900 strangers
is expected in the city. All civil or
ganizations which wish to participate
in the parade are iSvitcd to do so.
Lieutenant General ChafTee will be
the grand marshal of the whole affair.
The governors of the various states are
to be invited to be present. The usu-
al exhibition Of fire works will take
place at the base of the Washington
monument and it will be memorable
occasion.
The great Smoot inquiry, which is
really an investigation of the Mormon
church, is in progress and attracts
large crowd Of spectators, many OF
whom are women. The secrets of the
endowment house; the ceremony OF
celestial marriages: the discovery OF
those who acknowledge having plural
wives: the heart rending stories OF
women who have aljured Mormonism,
and much more, make the matter sec
ond in interest only to the Chadwick
system of money making. a mass
meeting of citizens was held in this
city on Sunday afternoon when the
delegates of the W. c. T. announced
that they proposed to fight Mormon
ism to the bitter end. The strongest
po ut made at the meeting was by Rev.
Dr.. Mckim, who said he objected to
Senator Smoot because he represented
4 foreign government, which was do
ing, and proposed to do all it could TO
overthrow the government OF the
whole thing, and if it proves fact
that Senator Smout'S oath to the
church as an apostle, is paramount to
his oath to support the constitution OF
the United States, it is quite likely
that he may be unSeated. Personally
there are no objections to Senator
SmoCt
The presidents recommendation
that the city of Washington be made
an example to other American cities
attracts wide attention and commend
alton. Since the citizens Of this city
ar disfranchised and have no potent
voice in the municipal government,
and since the responsibility rests with
the three commissioners and congress,
which votes one-half of the supplies,
no good reason exists for overcrowd-
ing, alley slums, il high death rate and
'.lack OF concern for the youth" Of the
community. With no unsanitary
houses; no school truancy; and with
juvenile courts, public baths, play
grounds, ETC., in few years Flashing
ton should be everywhere as whole
some and beautiful as it now is on the
great avenues and fashionable resi-
dence streets.
Since the president asked in his
message for a statute to punish br!b-
cry and corruption in federal elections
and urges congress to provide for the
publication not only of the eXpcndI-
lures for nominations and elections Of
all candidates but also of contributions
received and expenditures made b.
political committees, two bills have
been introduced into congress by
l5ourke Cochran and Senator Carmack,
both having the same end in view.
With both republicans and democrats
agreed that something should be done
to ensure fair elections now is the
time to push it.
In an interview with Postmaster
General Wynne, few days since, as
to the feasibility of a domestic parcels
post, the following statement was made
by him: "The admission into our
mail of packages weighing more than
four pounds is quite impracticablc.
If packages of ten, twenty or thirty
pounds were carried in the mail bag
under our free delivery system, CSpec-
tally IN the service of rural districts il
would mean the organization Of a vast
express company of our own with
thousands OF wagons aud several times
as many horses, and we do not see how
it can be made to pay. If it is profit
able enterprise, why don't our million
n in n III, in
vain to get two per cent for their mon
ey? There are four express compau-
les now and nobody has any objection
to one more. They have no monopoly
of the carrying business. Germany
and some other countries have q parcel
post, and they can maintain it because
theY control the railr0ads and OWN lMn