The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1905-06-30
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.


Of Democrats, but of manY,sprominent
Republicans as WE'LL President Roosevelt
has made the blundeEsof his administra
ton by his refusal to permit his Secretary
of the Navy, Paul Morton,to be prosecuted
for his share in the responsibility for the
granting of rebates by the Sante Fe road.
'(of which Morton was vice President in
charge Of freight traffic) in violation not
only of the law but also Of an express in
junction of the court. As q result of the
Presidents refusal Judson Harmon, who
sat in Mr.. Cleveland's cabinet at the same
table as Paul Morton's father, and Fred.
erick Judson, who together were retained
as special counsel to prosecute the case OF
the government against the Sante Fe. have
resigned, and the president has been COM
PEELED to make public the correspondence
connected with the case, which he does
with great gusto and with the apparent
conviction that he is entirely in the right,
but with what competent judges declare
to be an aggregation Of the most specious
arguments which were ever presented by
a high official of the government.
In the estimation Of prominent Demo
Gratis, and too of many leading Republi-
cans, the President has seriously weaken
ed, if not destroyed his power for good.
He has established the dangerous proceed
ent that where corporations are caught in
fragrant violations of the law the officers
responsible for such violations are not to
be prosecuted but the corporations are.
OF course this is absolutely farcical as it
means merely the infection Of a fine on
the corporations, when they are found
out, and fine Of such small proportions
as to act in no way as deterrent from a
aepetition of the crime. With no dis
grace following the preparation OF such
illegal practices the officials will naturally
regard it as their duty to their stockhold-
ers to disregard the law whenever they
believe they are safe from detention.
Although Mr.. Morton virtually con-
fesses that he knew that his road was
guilty of illegal practices and declared
that his subordinates, who granted the re-
bates, did "perfectly right" and that in
no other way could the road continue in
business, Mr.. Roosevelt grants him entire
dissolution 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 splendid head of the Equi-
able and then proceeds to give him some
inexpert advice as to how to conduct the
affairs Of that institution.
Speaking of the Equitable, the Presi-
dent expresses the view that all insurance
ought to be conducted under federal sup
ervision, despite the fact that the Su-
preme Court of the United States has re-.
peatedly ruled that the federal govern
ment cannot, under the constitution, ex-
ercise such supervision.
The President is also bound to be Sc
verely censured for the extent which he
has attempted to shield his friend Assis-
tant Secretary LOOMS of the State De-
partment whose conduct in Venezuela, as
Minister Bowen, while not proven to be
dishonest, is shown to have been permea.
ted with that cardinal sin of diplomacy
indiscretion. 1t is also noteworthy that
while Bowen erred in attempting to rid
the government of an official whom he
regarded as dishonest and disgrace to
the United States, Bowen is ignominious.
~ dismissed. Loomis, on the other hand
whose sins we're all those of seeking fol
personal gain, is let of with mild repri-
! mand.
Insurance Superintendent Hendricks
report on the affairs of the Equitable in
surance company, just made public, re.
veals the fact that Senator Depew OF
New York has been drawing retaining
fee" of $4,000 year as special counsel
for the Equitable and has been accepting
this amount Of the policy holders money
for twelve years, making total of $780,.
600. Moreover, as a director and member
of the executive committee, Mr.. Depew
has also been accepting additional fees OF
| $4,000 a year. 1t has been sarcastically
remarked that in so far as can be ascer-
tanned, the only service which Mr.. Depew
returned, in consideration of his $4,000
year fees, was to see that the high Off.
GERS were not underpaid and in substan-
tiation of this assertion it is pointed out
that Mr.. Alexander drew salary OF
| 81, 900 a year and that Mr.. Hyde, four
years graduated from college, drew sal
airy of equal amount. As no one has sug-
gested that the Depew salary was meant
to insure no undue interference with the
affairs Of the Equitable by the State In
surance Commissioner, it would be high
ly improper for your correspondent to do
so, but there seems to be good reason for
believing that the honorable junior Sena-
| tor from New York will be subjected to a
certain amount of innocent chatting when
he returns to Congress next winter.
The Novv noportmon 10 1ool,;,. S..