Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1905-08-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.


(Prom our Regular correspondent.
Washington, ID. c., Aug. II 1t
looks very much as though th sta nd
pattel were going to be forced at the |
coming session of Congress to take |
their front feet out of the trough and |
consent to a scaling down of tariff |
duties in line with the sentiment of
countries that have to do business with |
the United States and with the citizens |
of the United States who are suffer
ing now from the InOnOpOlies that have |
grown up under protection. The wave |
of reciprocity has spread all over the |
west and the farmer with big crop of |
wheat in front of him and the cattle |
man with steers to sell and export does |
not look forward with any satisfaction |
to discriminating tariff against him !,
in the German market that will put his |
wheat under a handicap of AZ cents a |
bushel as compared with seven other
European countries and double the
tariff against him ON meat products. |
1t is of course known that Germany has |
negotiated tariff with seven other
countries in Europe containing the
most favored nation clause and that
she had denounced the treaty with us
which will expire in consequence In
March 1906 OF course Germany has
right to frame her tariff to suit her.
self Just as we have, but it is one thing
for us to exercise that right and anoth-
er to find it exercised against us by
Germany. 1t is just possible that this
situation along with the Chinese boy
colt of American goods which cuts us
off from two big export markets, may
have some effect on the high protec-
tionists who have turned down sew
eral very decent reciprocity treaties
that have been sent them by the State
Department. The President has said,
so 1t is reported, that he would send no
more reciprocity treaties to the Senate
till something happened to shake them
out of their self complacency that had
led to the rejection of the previous
treaties. Itlooks very much as though
the time were at hand when be could
make this move, and the chances are
| that he will do it.
In the mean time China is protest
ing that she does not know what a
boycott is and that there is no protest
against goods in China. The advces
to the State Department tell differ
ent story entirely. The boycott against
American goods which started in
Shanghai is spreading rapidly and the
government could do nothing to con
troll 1t if it wanted to which is very
doubtful. 1t is on the other hand using
the panic which has been thrown into
American exporters to force the fran
ing of new treaty that will put the
immigration of Cinnamon to this coun.
try on a very much moi liberal basis.
At the same time the Treasury De-
partment has just received news from
Buffalo of a most important capture of
struggled Chinese near that point. 1t
has known for years that Chinese were
run across the lake and landed near
Buffalo, that being one of the favOrite
points for that sort of illicit traffic
But last Saturday night 1t caught the
smuggler, red handed In the act and
not only will the crew of Chinese and
Rcumauians that he was smuggling
be turned back but his boats and launch
were cOnfiscated and there is a long
term in prison staring him ia the face.
The Chinese government has declared
that the stories of Chinese smuggling
across the border were fictitious aud the
only Cinnamon entering this country
were those coming through the regu
lar ports and that these were subject
ed to great indignities. 1t is just pos
sible that the present capture will
have something to do with the attitude
of this government when asked to sign
q treaty providing for the freer admis
sion of Chinese to the ports on the
Pacific slope.
There has been good deal of rumpus
over the Weather Bureau of late and |
stories of corruption and grating were !
current, ON par with those circulated |
about the Agricultural Department
and the Geological Survey. Chief |
Moore of the Weather Bureau has is
sued a statement denying the existence |
of any irregularities in his department |
and inviting an inspection of the books |
by any reputable parties" OF course
Chief Moore would be the judge as to |
the reputability of the parties and it |
Is not known just how far the books |
would really be thrown open. But he |
states that he has not employed labor |
at excessive prices at the Mt Weather /
ObservatOries in the Blue Ridge and |
also that this observatory was not lux
uriously fitted up as summer resort |
for the officials of bis bureau. He |
says that be has paid more than the |
market rate for labor about the OBJ
servatory and that be is proud of hav
ing disturbed the local labor market,
that the prevailing prices are too low.
Whatever this statement is worth Mr..
Moore is certainly entitled to the full
of it, for it is frank In the
extreme.
The POstof1ice Department having
gotten through for time al least with
4 l,a .,iA do Il /
trying to deal with the outside grafters
who have been making money out of
raising postal money orders. Or course
the government is not likely TO lose
directly by this process MS the orders
are written in carbon duplicate and
the carbon copy Is sent to the paying
postm aster who compares it with The
money order presented before handing
ever, that a good many store keepers
have been lax in the cashing of money
orders, for strangers and there have
Deen good many cases OF orders for
twenty-five and fifty cents that have
been raised to a corresponding num-
Der of dollars, These have been cash
I'd by unsuspecting store and saloon
keepers and the grafters have gotten
IF with the difference Now POstinas-
er General Cortelyou has devised Il
punched out money order like bank
heck that 1t is hoped will defy the
alsers and will leave the graft, il there
$ any, inside the department with the
nen who sell the machines for punch