St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1905-02-08
Our Washington Letter.
(Correspondenee Of the CA1rpoNIAN. !

- Charles H. Darling, assistant secretar
of the navy, was announced last weeI
In his letter to the President Mr.. Darlin
says, among other things. at has been
special privilege to have held this offic
t. under your administration, conspicuou
for the great development OF the navy
is Your personal leadership has been al
inspiration and an incentive to ones hes
efforts"
The Presidents letter in reply is a
Q follows:
o WHITE House.
0 WASHINGTON February /, 1905.
Ny Dear MIR. Darling: You have beer
4 a particularly painscaking, hard work
ing and efficient public servant in your
position as assistant secretary of the
. navy. am sorry tina. you are to retire
from this position, and am unwilling to
have you sever your connection with the
t public service. know that it has been q
sacrifice for you to come to Washington,
and 1t is my purpose when your resigna-
ton takes effect to appoint you collector
OF the port OF Burlington, OF the district
OF Vermont. Sincerely yours.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
AS the CALIFORNIAN said last week Mr..
DarIing's services in the navy depart.
ment have been greatly appreciated by
the President and the story is told here
that three days after his appointment
the President asked Senator Proctor if
ne was sure the man that be recommend.
ed would fill the place, and the only an.
swer Senator Proctor made was Give
time, Mr.. President" The next time the
two men met President Roosevelt was
warm in Mr.. Darling's praises and has
been a firm friend of his through all his
tour years service. AS acting secretary
he has been in as many crises as any one
OF the three secretaries under whom he
has served. For the ability shown bv
him during the International difficulties |
arising out of the arrival at Shanghai
last summer OF the Russian ships, Mr..
Darling received hearty congratulations.
Under his administration of the assist
ant secretary's Office, the work of that
office has greatly increased, the latest
addition being the general control of the
affairs at Annapolis. Essentially of a
judicial turn of mind. Mr.. Darling's ad-
vice on legal matters connected with the
navy has been sought frequently.
Interstate Commerce Commissioner
Prouty has stirred up the animals. and
rightly too, by his findings in the Santa
Fe rebate case. This transcontinentaI
line has been given secret rebates to the
Colorado Fuel & Iron Co., a Rockefeller
iron foundry, to such an extent that COM
petition was almost as prohibtivc as in
Rockefeer's oil trade. Mr.. Pre- Yen.
dered the decision in the case, to which
all the rest OF the commissioners agreed
and the evidence of unfair competition
and violation oflaw is overwhelming
lhe report hit in an unexpected quarter
as it now appears that Secretary Morton
was hrst vlce-president of the Atchisou.
topeka q Santa Fe road during all its
corrupt practice with the Pueblo smell.
ing concern and must have known of the
rebates Mr.. Morton's name does NOT {
appear in the report, but he has been t
hard hit and laid himself open to the 1
'eVerest criticism. Harpers Weekly sug. I
sests that he be retained in the cabinet as e
he knows all the tricks of the trade and {
is therefore highly competent to devise l
legislation and regulate it. But there is t
no denying the fact that the discovery I
has embarrassed the administration, and c
1t is lalr to assume that when the Pres.
ldent asked Secretary Morton to lunch I
with him last Thursday that the weather c
was not the principal topic of CONVEX.
sation. i
Inc supreme courts decision on the {
oeei trust came the same week and is a S
defeat for the trust and marks t
an epoch in our industrial life. As in the
case OF the interstate commerce com. t
the courts decision is unanimous
ana prohibits the continuance of the com. '
to suppress competition, to q
MAINTAIN Uniform selling prices, obtain. t
ng discriminating rates from railroads v
IL is generally recognized that the fleet v
oi 'hls decision cannot be limited to the k
beef trust alone. The coal trust, the 81
Ctne 4 ~ - ~
Oil Co., and many other trusts Il
nave iattened on the same practices that e
the beet trust originated or developed e
ana must come to time. Verify, the Roose. n
welt administration is making history at b
home as well as in its colonial and foreion p
policies. a
Railroad presidents have been fcckinp a
here or rushing into print to affirm their il
support in the Presidents policy to req. S
llate railroad rates and the House ex. V
poets to vote on the bill Feb. 8. The b
republicans dare not oppose it and the
democrats are committed to the Pres.
dents policy. One OF the railroad pres NJ
dents, Mr. Stickney of the Chicago Great
western spoke Friday night before the
Washington Economic Society and com. !.
nended the President for refusing rail. Fl Fl
Dad passes. Mr. Stickney said that the D
giving OF passes was as much a violation p
d the interstateeommercelaw as rebates. .,
nc ADDRESS VIII be printed as public ii