Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-03-18
(From our regular correspondent.
WASHINGTON, d. c., March ii


The appropriation bills slide glibly
along and it begins to look as if Con-
gress might adjourn by May LIST. I'M
less members take up too much time
with speeches explaining that they
are not postoffice boodlers. In the
Senate yesterday, the porto Rican
regiment" WAS enlarged to three bat
talions against the protest of Demo-
Gratis, who insisted that it tended to a
more pronounced military form of gov
eminent. Mr.. Carmack (Tenn). said
that the precedent of inducing men,
bers of the Cabinet into office with q
dragon of cavalry was to be followed
in the reception of diplomats, and
made it the text of derisive remarks
on the versatile Frenchman, Bunau.
Varilla. Notwithstanding objections,
the army bill was showed along.
Congress is in very ugly mood.
Not for many months has it been in
such an angry tumult The cause of
it is Bristow's report on postoflice
frauds which was so highly COM
mended by the President for impart-
iality. Its explosion in the House was
loud circumstances and cries OF pain.
No less than $50 members of both
houses have been suddenly placed on
the defensive against the barge that
they have participated in graft"
Many of the members named are
guilty only OF snperserviceable zeal,
but they are inextricably mixed up
with cunning violators of the law. In
the number are five from the little
State of Connecticut, Senator Plat and
Representatives. Sperry, Hill, Lilley
and Henry. Hill wrote a very indis-
Greet letter to the Postmaster-General,
suggesting "a dose of ginger or pep
per" for the department..
Both parties are of course involved
in this business, but four-fifths of the
Congressman named are Republicans,
as only Republican administration
could grant the favors. Mr.. Over.
street, a Republican, Qnd.) chairman
of the Postoffice Committee of the
House, is a target of very general
abuse for having made his report pub
lie. The American stump next Oc-
tober will be the center OF circumam-
bient shouts Of denial and explana.
ton. The Republicans will say "a
few of our folks were q little indis.
Greet. but Democrats would have done
ten times worse if they had been in
power" Democrats will make re-
joinder, Republicans are corruption
lists and grafters. No party could
make such vile and disgraceful record
except one that has been in Office too
long"
The queer doings Of Perry Heath
(Secretary of the Republican National
Committee) as Assistant Postmaster
General, seem to be wiped out by the
fact that they took place several years
ago. Is honesty an incident OF chro.
nology? Why should a statute OF
limitations be PERMITTED to protect
any alleged boodler so that he can as
sumo the defiant and complacent atti.
tude OF an innocent man?
In the investigation of Reed Shoots
qualifications as Senator, the principal
Mormon apostles are still being exam
ined. The implication seems to be
that If one apostle has four wives,
and another forty-two children, Reed
Smoot, who has only one wife, should
be expelled from the Senate. There
may be a curious anti.climax to this
investigation. BY a clever maneuver
the Mormons may succeed in getting
all their testimony printed, which will
include the four books on which their
church is founded, the Book of Nor
mon and the Protestant Bible being
two of them. An effort is being made
to keep out the last two. 1t would be
unprecedented to have the whole Bible
printed as public document. Would
it be less shocking to have the Book of
Mormon appear in the same way and
be franked all over the country? As q
missionary enterprise this has never
been equaled.
Your correspondent yeste rday in
terviewed Major General Will liam Biz.
ney on the Eastern War. He is a son
OF that James G. Birney who was run.
twice as the anti-slavery candidate for
the Presidency and polled a heavy
vote. Gen. Birney said While it was
shrewd in japan to time her attack on
the Russian navy when her two cruis-
ers from Genoa had arrived, giving her
decided naval superiority in the
Yellow Sea, and when the Russian
fleet in the Baltic was frozen up and
that in the Black Sea could not pass
the Bosphorus, and when Russia was
wholly unprepared. the attack was an
outrage on decency and the law of
nations. Notice should always be
given, not only for the benefit of the
enemy, but for the large number
of non-combatants, merchants, and
others, who are greatly injured by
surprise. The wonder is that the
Russian fleet was not annihilated.
In view of its objects. the surprise was
q failure; Japan is no nesrerspossess-
ing Port Arthur than it was before
Feb. Sth. Since that time she has
shaken confidence in Asiatic diplo.
macy she has taken possession of
Korea while protesting to respect its
neutrality; ordered its emperor to
cease his functions while bowling be-
fore his futile throne: and deported
the prime minister while declaring its
respect for personal liberty. Before
they can succeed. 'the little brown
men must do what they have not yet
done-face in land-battle disciplined
veterans trained in the armies OF Eu-
rope. 1t was easy for them to whip
mobs of demoralized Chinese, who 1un
ut the first shot. The Japanese are
islanders, born in boats, and working
on ships from childhood, there are no
better sailors. But when did they
stand up against bayonet charges, and
when did their ponies feel the weight
of the Orloff horses of the Russians?
Why don't they attack by land? II