Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1905-06-01
WASHINGTON LETTER!

advisors on the subject OF tariff feadJust-
ment. This may be true and it may not.
| For instance, Secretary Taft has just told
the Ohio convention that the next Congress
must make some provision TO prevent the
continual piling up OF deficit, and the
Secretary proposes, without committing
himself to either alternative return to
the cid war taxes, or a read iustment Of the
tariff schedules along lines which will pro-
duce more revenue as the two methods of
preventing further deficits and recouping
the governments for the amount it has
already expended in excess Of its receipts.
Secretary Shaw, on the other hand, speak
ing for the administration, has just told
the newspapermen at st. Louis that, we
are not worrying about the deficit OF
course it may De said that Secretary Shaw
is not the type of man to worry; that he
could go through the world treading on
volcanoes with smile on his countenance
or enjoy his afternoons smoke and his
siesta in a powder magazine, entirely OBJ
livious OF the probable consequences. On
the other hand, Secretary Taft is by no
means of the worrying kind, and when
Mr.. Taft declared that Congress must take
some action to prevent its increase, he was
not worrying, but merely stating bald
proposition which must appeal to every
/ businessman who has heard or read his pre-
sentation Of the case.
II the truth were known, it would
probably be discovered that it is Secretary
Shaw who is doing the worrying in this
instance, however He is really much
worried because, being violent stand
patter, he fears that the people. will de-
mand in no uncertain tones that the sacred
DINGHY schedules be reduced. He knows
that would be the logical course for his
party, but he wants to slip into the White
House with the votes and the assistance of
the protected monopolies, and he greatly
fears the result to his presidential aspira-
tions if the tariff is touched. Consequently
Mr.. Shaw will not admit in public that
there is anything in the nations financial
affairs to worry about, and he hopes that it
will all come out right in the end. In
any event, Mr.. Shaw will retire from the
Treasury next February and if disaster
follows his retirement he will be able to
charge the blame to his successor, but if
the tariff schedules are reduced by the
administration Of which be happens to be
member, the protected interests will
not contribute those golden sheckles 50
necessary to procure the votes Of the
Scolored brothers who come as delegates
to every Republican national convention.
After perpetrating one Of the most extra
ordinary farces ever witnessed in Washing
ton, the Senate committee on Interstate
Commerce has adjourned to meet again two
weeks before the next session of Congress.
The committee has taken an immense
amount Of testimony which no one will
ever read, most of it favorable to the rail-
roads, and that which was not, so distorted
by interruptions and so mangled by the
persistent brow-beatipg Of the witnesses
opposed to the railways, that its force is
lost. After the committee adjourned, Sena-
tor Kean had the temerity to go to the
White House and advise the President not
to convene Congress in special session next
Fall because, said the Senator, it would
do no good. = So far as can be learned the
President has not altered his purpose of
calling Congress into session on October is,
although, between the stand patters who
fear some change of the tariff schedules,
and the railway men who fear some legisla-
tion which will curtail their prerogatives,
there is tremendous pressure being brought
to bear on Mr.. Roosevelt, pressure to which
he may eventually yield
For some inserutable reason number of
the sensational newspapers Of the country,
and some not ordinarily so, have taken TO
publishing lurid stories about the deser-
tions from the navy. 1t has been alleged
that there are hundreds Of assertions each
year, and that the navy officers are dis
traught IN their efforts to end such demon
alization of the service Some papers
have sent out men to interview disgruntled
navy cooks and galley boys, and then pub
lished their statements as if they came from
able-bodied seamen, etc. The facts are
that there are no extraordinary number OF
desertions from the navy, and no unusual
amount Of dissatisfaction. There are always
some desertlons and the peculiar part of
this fact is that they come in the most
unexpected places, and often on ships where
the greatest contentment seems TO prevail.
Naval officers are inclined to the belief that
their men, every once in while, become
homesick, or form some attachment ashore,
either Of which state Of mind is quite
sufficient to make the average man desert.
The Navy Yard officials are now preparing