Middletown transcript., 1904-01-23
WASHINGTON LETTER

WASHINGTON ID. G. Jan. 10th, 1904.
AT the memorable arbitration meeting
~ held in this city the other day, Ed
ward Everett Hale made most signif
cant and powerful plea for compulsory
peace, saying among other things: Give
me the money that will be spent this
year in maintaining the present arma
ment of nations, and will build you a
four-track railroad from the Arctic ocean
down the spine of the continent to
Terra del Fuege IN Patagonia; another
| four-track railroad from Vienna across
Asia to Hong Kong; another four-track
railroad across the Dark Continent from
ocean to ocean; and another four-track
railroad from Cairo to the Cape of Good
Hope. And l will have money enough
left to build them all over again.
~
1t is presumed that the President is
greatly gratified that the Cuban senate
has this week ratified the so-called "per-
manent treaty" with the United States,
including the requirements made upon
the Queen of the Antilles which were at
one time throught to be very severe. The
time for ratification would have expired
January 22d Cuba seems to be making
progress. Now let us have peace.
*x*
The hearings will be resumed next
week on Grosvenor's anti-iniunction bill,
which provides that there shall be no
punishment for conspiracy when two or
more persons combine in furtherace of a
labor dispute. Not only the knights OF
Labor, the Federation of Labor, and
other worker associations but the En-
ployers' Associations of Chicago and New
York will present their views at length,
the latter of course protesting against
such law.
~
To do entire justice to Perry S. Heath,
Secretary of the Republican National
Committee, it is proper to record that
he has not skirked, but when his name
was called in the court here trying
Machep, the Groffs and Lorenzes, for
conspiracy to defraud the government,
he promptly answered "present." Ii ne
has anything to hide concerning his Off
cial conductas First Assistant Postmaster
General; he is not seeking to hide it by
running away.
~
The contest over Panama and the Pres
ident's conduct in recognizing that Re-
public still holds the floor in the Senate.
The attack is made by half of the Demo-
cratic members and from strictly par
tisan point of view. The defence OF the
President is vigorous and adequate and
mostly in the hands of Senators Spooner,
(Wisc.) Aldrich, (R. ~ Dolliver, Qa.),
and Beveridge, (Ind). The most VIC
iously denunciatory attacks have been
made by Senators Carmack, (Tenn), and
Newlands of Nevada, who did not hesi-
tate on Thursday to charge the President
with wilfuIly breaking the laws of the
country and repeatedly violating his
oath. The Republicans have presented
a solid phalaux in defence OF the Presl-
dents Justice and prudence. Mr.. New
lands proposed that Congress disavows
the orders Of the President and resume
peaceful negotiations with Colombia; but
he did not come to the front when Mr..
Allison challenged him to introduce
resolution thus rebuking and dishonors
ing the President, and see what would
become of it. The fight is made, and
will be made henceforth till the election
in November, on the Democratic allega-
ton that the Administration sent dis
patches to our naval commanders in
Panama, instructing them not to allow
any Colombian troops to land, even to
enforce the sovereignty of Colombia on
her own territory. This specification is
denied or admitted only in modified
form by Republicans who insist that
Colombia had reasonable time" in
which to ratify the treaty, and that, on
her offensive refusal to do SO, the presi-
dent was obligated by law to act as his
judgement dictated, to promote the in
terests of his country and collective
civilization" Thus is the issue joined.
~
The Washington clerks are dreadful
mad" because they are hereafter to be
expected to work seven hours day, but
they keep their Indignation bottled up
inside them with remarkable success.
They work 235 days in year when they
take their regular leave of month, and
their sick leave" of another month, and
as they get from $3 to $l5 day for the
exertion, it is suspected that even if they
were to resign in body their places
might be filed by presons who would
think it "real soft snap"
The Democratic newspapers are fool
ishly vociferous concerning an alleged
difference between the President and
Senator Hanna. They may save their
breath. There is no such difference.
The President will be renominated and
elected. Hanna is keeping faith with |
him and is not s1aying pipes'' for the |
succession. Hanna has many friends
and admirers, but they would not like to
see him iniure his deserved popularity |
by trying to stem the strong current of
public preference for Mr.. Roosevelt. He
is not a conspirator.
~
1t was proposed by Senator Bacon to
pay Colombia for the loss of Panama, and