The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-06-30

detention.
Although Mr.. Morton virtually
confesses that he knew that his
road was guilty of illegal practices
and declared that his subordi
mates, who granted the rebates,
did perfectly right" and that in
no other way could the road con.
time in business, Mr.. Roosevelt
grants him entire absOlution and
assures him he need pay no further
attention to the accusations which
have been made against him.
The President also assures Mr..
Morton that he will make a splen-
did head Of the Equitable and
then proceeds to give him some
inexpert advise az TO how to con-
duct the affairs of that institution.
Speaking of the Equitable, the
President expresses the view that
all insurance ought to be conduct
ed under federal supervision, de-
spite the fact that the Supreme
Court of the United States has re-
peatedly ruled that the Fede. al
Government cannot, under the
Constitution, exercises such super
vision.
The President is also bound to
be severely censured for the ex-
tent which he has attempted to
shield Assistant Secretary LOOMS
of the State Department. whose
conduct in Venezuela, as exposed
by Minister Bowen, while not
proven to be dishonest. is shown
to have been permeated with that
cardinal sin of diplomacy indis-
erection. 1t is also noteworthy
that while Bowen erred III at
tempting to rid the Government
of an official whom he regarded as
dishonest and a disgrace to the
United States, Bowen is ignOmi-
niously dismissed LOOMS, on
the other hand, whose sins were
all those of seeking for personal
gain. is let off with a mild repri-
mand.
Insurance Superintendent Hend-
ricks' report on the affairs of the
Equitable insurance company, just
made public, reveals the fact that
Senator Depew of New York has
been drawing a retaining tee of
$40, 900 a year as special counsel
for the Equitable and has been
accepting this amount of he policy
holders money for twelve years,
making a total fSl20. 900 More
over. az a director and member of
the executive committee, Mr.. De.
pew has also been accepting adj
ditional fees of 81, 900 IA year. 1t
has been SarcaStically remarked
that in so far as can be ascertain.
ed, the only service which Mr..
Depew returned, in consideration
of his $4,000 IA year fees, was to
see that the high officers were not
underpaid and i'll substantiation
of this assertion it is pointed out
that Mr.. Alexander drew a salary
OF S15, 900 year and that Mr..
Hyde, four years graduated from
college, drew salary Of equal
amount. AS no one has suggest
ed that the Depew salary was
meant to insure no undue lnterfer-
ence with the affairs of the EQuit-
able by the State Insurance Com.
missioner, it would be highly i'm.
proper for your corresp ndent to
do so, but there seems TO be good
reason for believing that the
Honorable Junior Senator from
New York will be subjected to
certain amount of innocent chatf-
ing when he returns to Congress
next winter.
The Navy Department is look
ing for paymasterS for that branch
of the service and to that end is
now holding examinations in
Washington aud San Francisco
but so difficult are these tests,
both mental aud physical, that
many applicants have already fail
ed and it is feared that further
examinations will have to he held
later on. In July or August there
will also be held examinations in
New York for five naval civil en-
gineers. These will be duly ad-
vertised so as to afford an oppor-
tunity to compete to all graduates
of technical schools.
The President is still striving
to prevent, or at least diminish,
loss of life in Manchuria and while
his efforts to lead Russia and
Japan to agree on an armistice
seem unlikely to meet with success,
he is urging as early date as
possible for the coming peace con.
ference.