The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-30

American cOlonfsts ana they nave peen fighting through their friends In Con- gress for what they believe are their just rights.
 A test case was instituted in this
 way. MT Pearcy had one of his sons
 to take 1000 cigars manufactured in the island from tobacco grown there to
 New York and offer to pay the internal revenue tax. as in the case or domestic cigars. The customs officials immedi-
 ately seized the cigars for non-payment of customs duties. Thus the case got
 into the courts and is now pending for
 decision involving the sovereignty Of
 the United States in the United states Supreme Court
 There are 400 or 500 Americans in the island who went there with and after Mir. Pearcy at his instance. and about 2,000 other inhabitants. The island Is extremely fertile and productive of great variety of tropical fruits, as well as remarkably rich in hard woods. MT. Pearcy, on a recent visit to Nashville, was offered s250.000 for small part of his land acquired by him through his successful management Of the af- fairs of a company of Southern and
 Eastern capitalists. The case. which is to be considered both by the United States Senate and the Supreme Court. is one of the most interesting growing out of the results of the war with Spain. It will revive discussion of the meaning of the Platt amendment and subsequent negotiations by which the
 United States acquired coaltng stations on the coast of Cuba.
 - Going Back to Tennessee.
 Col. John Bell Brownlow, who was dismissed from the Postofiice Depart
 ment for 'impertinence" alleged to be
 contained in a letter from him while
 custodian of postal exhibits at the St. Louis Exposition to the late Postmas- ter General Payne, Is still in Washing ton. but apparently not grieving over his several relations with the Roose-
 welt administration.
 Colonel Brownlow has in him the fight spirit of his father, the late Par son" Brownlow, and Is not likely to allow his discharge from the public | service after a long career of unim- peachable integrity and fidelity to con- l tinue unforgotten by those responsible | for his dismjsal. He will remain in l Washington until about March 1. when | he will return to his former home at Knoxville. He owns a house there
 which is leased until the first of March, | which he proposes to occupy upon his
 return to Tennessee. He has received
 letters from numerous friends in the
  | for Congress two years hence.
 Should Colonel Brownlow consent to stand for the Republican nomination a most interesting race would be preci- pitated in the Second Tennessee Dis- | trict. The present incumbent, Henry
 R. Gibson, after a hard fight for the nomination this year, must retire on the fourth of March for Nathan w.. I Hale, the successful candidate. All | fl nd al y Captain Gibson has announced that he | will be a candidate in 1908. If there | should be a close race between Hale l and Gibson, Brownlow would stand an
 excellent show of wining. and, in case
 of & deadlock and free for all race, | would receive the votes of Democrats and carry the district
 Much Married POstmastres. | Postmaster General Wynne. respon-
 sive to a resolution to that effect by Senator Dubois, has had an investiga-
 ton made as to the number of poly 1 gamous postmasters in Utah and the l other territories in which tho Mormon Church has dominance. It is found that half a dozen postmasters in Utah | are living with plural wives. and a re- l port of 1t has been sent to the Presi-
 dent who wished to examine 1t before | transmitting 1t to the Senate. Idaho I
 gamists as postmasters. What the l President will do, along with what Is 1 going to be done in the case of Senator l Smoot Is wholly problematical. Viola
 ton of the law in the case of the post | masters will be dealt with by the State | authorities.
 Angry Maryland Republicans. l Baltimore Republicans who have been accustomed to regular party | ix.A md at at tr. flH ard.. faf office being given to loyal and active party workers were astounded when they learned that President Roosevelt
 had appointed w. Hall Harris post master at Baltimore. While Harris
 has professed himself a Republican, it
 is well known that he has never work | cd actively for the party and that his
 only real interest In politics has been
 manifested in his connection with a
 civil service reform association. The Republican Congressman from the
 State had picked out other men for | the office from whom the President | was expected to make a selection; but
 along comes the President'e mugwump friend. Charles J. Bonaparte and, with
 q word. smashes the machine slate. The party leaders are angry and are
 venting their feelings freely both as to 1 the President and Colonel Bonaparte. I
 the leading Republican of the city. feels
 particularly outraged and even accuses
 the President of not keeping his word
 to call the Congressman into confer
 ence before the appointment was made. Further Mr. Wachter said with bitter
 sarcasm: "T think it would be well hereafter for those who want to hold
 federal office in Maryland to see MT. Bonaparte first. as it would appear that his word has more weight than that of | Republicans who have been bearing the
 brunt of the Nparty's battles in this State for many years and who succeed | ed last November in practically carry l ing this State for Roosevelt"
 | All of which goes to show. as here l tofore indicated in these dispatches, | that President Roosevelt has set out to handle federal patronage to suit himself and his special friends re- gardless of party bosses and party Tl NYat