The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1905-08-11
ADMINISTRATION ACTIVE.
Is Determined to Investigate
Every Scandal.
A DIPLOMATIC PERPLEXITY
With Japo-Russian Peace En-
voys. The Chinese.
WEEKLY LETTER FROM WASHINGTON

WEEKLY LETTER FROM WASHINGTON
The Democrats expect to make
valuable capital out tf the depart.
mental scandals for use in the Con-
gresslonal elections next year, accord
Ing to a prominent democratic repre-
sentative in Congress who is now in
Washington. This exponent of the
principles of democracy declares that
the republican party will be held
accountable for the speculations and
wrong-doing Of individuals who have
carried on their operations In the
government service. In his opinion
the democrats will have winning
issue in the old cry OF Turn the
rascals out" The administration
however, is proceeding actively to
discover the irregularities Of the
government individual public servants
and to rid the service of those whose
dishonesty or incompetency make
them unfit for their positions. The
sh-light that was raised over the
intimations Of improper actions on
the part of the employees and officials
of the Geological Survey, has sudsid-
ed into nothing. The persons, with
the exception, who were charged with
using information obtained at the
! expense of the government for fur
thering the interests of the Mining
World, Chicago scientific Journal,
and for their own pecumiary profit,
have disclaimed receiving payment Of
any of the articles purported to have
been written by them. Several OF
the employees, whose names appear on
the journal as especial editors" have
also declared that such use of their
names was made without their per-
mission, and that they performed no
services whatever for the journal and
gave 1t no advantage over any other
magazine or newspaper in the use of
information collected at the govern
ment's expense. Should this ques-
| tion be considered Of sufficient i'm
portance to require an investigation
by the Keep commission, the en-
p.oyes of the survey interested de-
clare that no grounds will be found
for the recent insinuations Of irregu-
laritles among the survey force in
this connection.
The effort made to manufacture a
sensation in connection with the
Weather Bureaus maintenance of an
observatory at Mt. Weather, Va, Ia
the Blue Ridge Mountains, has like
wise come to naught. Prof. Willis
l.. Moore, chief of the bureau, speci-
tically denies the charge made against
the service over which he presides.
This observatory has been authorized
by Congress for five years and the
national law-makiug nody has been
fully advised Of the work performed
there. Secretary Wilson's visits to
the stations have not been pleasure
jaunts but Official visits Of inspection
and the observatory does not enter.
tain "guests" at the governments
expense, after the manner OF sum
mer resort, as was charged.
A cablegram has been received by
Secretary Wilson from John HYDE,
former statistician Of the Agriculture
, al department, stating that Mr.. Hyde
who is now in England, VIII return
to Washington to be witness before
the grand jury which Is Investigating
the cotton report scandals.
The employees Of the imigratIor
bureau dealing with the admission
and exclusion Of Chinese are having
trouble with the enforcement OF tht
laws. according to an official Of tb,
I bureau, owing to the fear Of the enl-
ployes. that they may be considered
''over.zealous" in the discharge o.
their duties. The trouble is atOribu
ted in some quarters to the recent
order of the President admonishins
the inspectors with regard 10 applyins
the law. The Inspectors are usinl
extreme caution in approaching th'
, Chinainen who make application fo
admission To the United States ant
if the applicant maintains banghf'