Middletown transcript., 1905-09-30
WASHINGTON LETTER


union with the Republic of Costa Rica,
according to adyices received at the State
Department from Consul General Lee
says that the Panama Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Senior de la Guarda, is about to
visit San I.rr, the capital of Costa Rica,
for the urpose Of initiating negotiations
and possibly with view to negotiating a
treaty of annexation. From other
sources it is learned the people Of Panama
have wearied of single bessedness, that
their dream OF empire has failed to
materalize and that they are generally
anxious to anex themselves to Costa
Rica, the most prosperous and stable
of the Central American republics.
~
On the evening following the receipt OF
Consul General Lees communication
there occurred at Oyster Bay conference
participated in by the Secretary of State,
Senator Lodge and exAmbassador Choate
and it is assumed at the State Depart
ment that the President called these men
to him to discuss the news from Panama
with a view to determining upon the
course of the United States with regard
to The proposed annexation. The treaty
between this country and Panama is so
comprehensive as to leave no loophole
by which the interests of the United
States can be- jeopardized by any political
events or changes in Panama but it is be-
lieved not unlikely that the United States
would regard with entire complacencv
the annexation of Panama to Costa Rica,
with Which country the relations of the
United States have always been most
cordial. In more than thirteen years the
Uniteh States has not had occasion to
complain OF injustice to any American
citizen or interest in Costa Rice, despite
the fact that large number OF conces-
sions in that country are owned and
operated by Americans. 1t is the boast
of Costa Rica that she has enjoyed a
longer period without revolution than
any independent nation in the western
hemisphere, her last revolution having
antedated our own civil war.
~
Recent developments in the investiga-
ton of insurance companies by commit
tee of the New York legislature, among
them the discovery of the fact that one
insurance company contributed $4,000
to the Republican campaign fund, have
serevd to recall the words of the Presi-
dent i'll his message sent to Congress last
December. The President said in that
communication, II recommend the en-
actment of law directed against bribery
and corruption in Federal elections. The
details of such law may be safely left to
the wise discretion of the Congress, but
il should 90 as far as under the CoEstitu-
ton it is possible to go, and should in
cude severe penalties against him who
gives or receives bribe intended to in,
fluence his act or opinion as an elector
and provisions for the publication not
only OF the expenditure for nominations
and elections of all candidates but also OF
all contributions received and expendi-
lures made by political committees.
There was a general disposition in Con-
gress to laugh at the Presidents recon-
mendation but in the light of recent
events and with all awakened public
sentiment on the subject of campaign
and expenditures it is re-
garded as entirely probable that the
President will reiterate this recommends
ton in his next message to Congress and
that the members of Congress may deem
it unwise to treat the Presidents views
with the levity which characterized their
attitude last winter.
~
1t is one of the remarkable features of
the settlement of government lands that
even the general prosecution of fraudu-
lent entrymen, in which the Government
has recently engaged has not served to
deter men from attempting to perpetrate
similar frauds and even now the General
Land Office is almost daily discovering
evidence of dishonesty and instituting
new prosecutions Men who seek to ac-
quire title to public lands appear to have
no compunction about committing per-
jury and no appreciation of the heavy
penalties which are likely to be inflicted
upon them when detected. The records
Of the Land Office if taken as criterion
would almost warrant the belief that
Americans were totally lacking in con-
sciences far as such conclusion would
be from the truth. Secretary Hitchcock
hopes by campaign of severe education
through the courts to impress upon
American citizens who contemplate ac-
quiring title to public lands the enormity
Of per;urying themselves and the impor-
lance of complying with the law and
perfecting their titles without chicanery
or fraud. Only last week a man seventy
years old, who had always enjoyed re-
putation of honesty in his home, in Ohio,
was sentenced to year in the South
Dakota penitentiary for subordination Of
perjury because of his attempt to ''get
rich quick" by defrauding the Govern
ment went out of considerable area OF
public land.