The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1904-11-25
DIR WASHINGTON LETTER
WASHINGTON, D. c., Nov, 18th.

work again after the hurly-burlY OF the
campaign. The President is writing his
message. Or, to state it more accurately,
he is getting his subol dinates to write It,
Not since the studious and meditative
days of John Quincy Adams has any
President written his annual message. In
fact our national affairs are now SO COM
prehensive and complicated that no hui
man brain could master all the details
and a statement of them can only be
approximated even with the assistance OF
all the members of the Cabinet. The Sec
rotary of the Interior, for instance, has
more than two hundred bureaus, institu-
tions commissions and agencies to super
intend, and the new Secretary of Com
merce and Labor is expected to try to
cover about as many. That part of Mr..
Roosevelt's annual proclamation which
refers to tariffs, banks, and finances will
be contributed by Secretary Shaw. That
part which refers to the Panama swipe
and our foreign affairs, by Mr.. Hay, &c.
They are all now busy debating and boil
ing down.
At the cabinet meeting yesterday the
President counted noses and figured on
how many it would be desirable or posi-
BILE to retain Secretary Taft called again
in the afternoon and talked with the
President about the threatened revolt in
Panama and what ought to be done about
it. Admiral Walker, Chairman OF the
Canal Commission, met him at the White
House and the coincident call is regarded
as significant. Being intercepted by
newspaper man on coming out, Secretary
Taft smiled in an amused way when the
new revolution" was mentioned to him
and disposed of it by saying IL believe
the standing army of Panama consists OF
about 200 men-half of them boys. AS
we have over 400 marines on the lsthmns,
l do not think there IS danger of serious
trouble" He left yesterday for "the Seat
of War; though all seems to be quiet
there today.
The President, having preserved the
dignity of his office by keeping off the
stump during the campaign, is now ready
to ''swing round the circle" to a certain
extent as soon as he can get away from
Washington. This will not be till Spring.
of course, but then he means to make
large sweep including Georgia and other
portions of the South. He thinks he may
have been misunderstood there to some
extent and Georgia newspapers seem
very much in need of conciliating and
hope he will retract some of the things
he has said and not make social call on
Booker Washington.
The admission of the negro, William
Pickens, to the Phi Beta Kappa society
at Yale is making some sensation among
the Greek letter chapters hereabouts, in
consideration of the fact that all members
are required to meet on the same social
plane. Whether Southern fraternities
will recognize" Brother Pickens" or ''cut"
him and invoke penalty is the question
which they are now up against.
In this same line may be mentioned the
two remarkable grand Concerts given
this week in our largest hall before an
audience of three or four thousand, in
GLIDING members of the Cabinet and at
least thousand Of our most prominent
white citizens. The composer of the pro-
duction is negro, Samuel Coleridge-
Taylor of Dondon and he held the baton
at the performances with great animation
and earnestness. The soloists were ne
groes, the chorus Of two hundred were
negroes the solo violinist and pianist, me-
groes and the orchestra consisted of fifty
ty-two pieces of the U. s. Marine Band.
1t must be admitted that the affair was a
success unique in America, as being the
highest type of negro concert ever given
in this country, and therefore in the
world and it was vastly creditable to the
entertainers.
It was affirmed by the soi-disant anti
that the suppression of news
papers in Manila for constructive trea-
son would be followed by limitations of
free speech in America. Now comes the
news that W. A. Sutherland, of the War
has vigorously censured"
one Miguel Nicdao, a young Filipino
student at the Illinois State Normal
School for speaking and writing disap-
provingly of the friars contract and "the
methods of the Catholic Church in the
Philippines" Who is Mr.. Sutherland,
that he should use the muzzle?
Since writing the above question, l
have called up the War Department by
telephone and connected with Mr.. Suth
erland. I asked him about replimanding
young Miguel. He replied II did not
reprimand him, but only warned him not
to publicly discuss politics or religion
while wo are sending him to our schools"
"Whose schools do you refer to-"
asked.
"Any school in this country" he
said.
Nv no is sending him to our schools"
"We are-the United States govern
ment"
"Who pays for his schooling, if you
please?"
"Who, the Filipinos pay for it,
"As I understand it, then, Filipino
boy whose board and tuition are paid f. r
by the Filipinos themselves, cannot be