Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1905-05-04
Correspondence Of the Beacon.l
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Washington, ID. c., May 1, 1905.
Mr.. President Roosevelt win have a
hard nut to crack when he gets back
here from oyote-iaekrabbft bobcat-bea
stunt in the ranges Of the wild West. He
win go up against Ii good and hard on
no less thing than the dismissal and
indictment Of one Of his Cabinet Minis
tiers. 1t will be remembered that some
time ago Attorney General Moody, OF
course at the instance Of the President,
invited former Attorney General Iudson
Harmon, of Cincinnati, and Mr.. Frederick
n. Judson, n distinguished attorney OF
st. Louis, to accept a commission from
the Department of Justice for the pur-
pose OF investigating the charges against
MIR. Paul Morton, Secretary of the Navy,
to the effect that when he was vice-pre-
sident OF the Atehison, Topeka & Santa
Re Railroad, he was guilty of entering
into contract with the Colorado Fuel
and Iron Company, whereby that cor
poratiOn would get certain rebates On
freight shipped over that road, thereby
putting all competitors out of business
and fracturing the Interstate Commerce
law whole lot.
Well, now, it seems this combination
of "Judsons" have done their work all
too well. They hayeiound good grounds
for the indictment OF Mr.. Paul Morton,
under the Interstate Commerce law and
the Sherman Anti-Trus law, and have
put the thing up to the Attorney General
with evidence and the facts. Ii has
scared him plumb to death, and he has
deferred the whole thing until the Presi-
dents return, when he viii put the mat
ter up to him and he viii have to decide
whether or not he win ask a member of
his Cabinet to step down and report to
the Federal Grand Jury, or ignore the
whole facts in the case and the evidence
that proves this man in the Cabinet
guilty of q direct violation nf tina law
Now let us see what this square deal'
President viii do. II he ignores the
testimony that the men of his own choos-
ing bring to him, then we may as well
make up our mirds that all this hue and
cry, started by himself, anent railroad
late legislation and anti-rebate fights, il
folderol and tommy rot, dug up for the
purpose OF throwing sand in the eyes OF
the people Let's give him a chance.
-
The fight now being made by the Hon.
William Randolph Hearst, of New York.
against the Lighting Trust of that city
has begun to attract the attention of the
leaders OF the Democratic party here in
the national capital, and many Of them |,
drop in here every week, and it il begin |
ming to assume the phase of an issue that
will be far-reaehing in the near future.
These leaders of the party recognize the |
TACT that MIR. Hearst, singlehanded and |
alone, is waging war on a giant mono |
poly in the city OF New York and that he |
has brought it to its knees. Some of |
those who sneered at him last year are |
now acknowledging his great service to |
the cause OF the people and beginning to |
take back some Of the things they then |
said about him. The thing that most |
interests the political leaders ofthe party
is the impending fight for the Mayoralty
next Fall in the city Of Greater New York
and the probable attitude OF the Hearst |
papers toward Tammany Hall and its
candidates. Ii will be remembered that
in the last mayoralty fight the Hearst
papers were the only ones that support
ed Mcclellan and the Tammany Hall can
didates, and they won over the combin-
ed opposition OF all the othernewspapers
in the city Of New York.
There seems TO be a growing eonvic-
ton here that this whole matter of rail-
way rate legislation is big bluff being
played by the Republican members of
Congress, who are welded to the protec-
tive tariff. That the Esch- Townsend bin
was passed by the Republican members
OF the Lower Honse as a means to allay
agitation is well known They knew the |
Senator's wonld hold il up and strange
It, for the time being at least. The Sen.
ate did as was expected. That gave all |
OF them a chance to sound public opinion
and find the best strategic ground for
the future. 1t was all a comfort for the |
stand pat" tariff men. 1t diverted at
tentiOn from the tsriff revision that the |
Republicans had promised, that Roose-
Welt demanded, and on which a score or |
more members were elected to Congress
last FAN. The protected industries saw
their opportunity. They joined in an |
hysterical and hypocritical howl for rail- |
road regulation. although most of them
were benefciaries of whatever railroad
rebate system was in existence. They
are clamorous still. THE railroads can
take care OF themselves" said one of /
theE spokesman, land we can throw
this Iate-regulation sand in the eyes of |
tarif-reforming Congressman until they
can't see anything else"
The people are like sheep. They follow
any bell-wether with loud bell on it's 1
neck. They have joined in the rate-re-
guiatioH hue and cry and are yelling