The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-03-24
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Gen.
eraI Topics from
the Capital.
March Is, 1905.


minican protocol has been aban,
doned by the President and the
Republican leaders but the Senate
has not yet adjourned sine die, re-
naming in session on the ground
that there are certain judicial
nominations which must be con
tirmed before final adjournment
can he taken. On Thursday Sena-
tor Morgan of Alabama sprung a
sensation on the Senate by at,
tempting to show that William
Nelson Cromwell. the lawyer who
engineered the sale of the Pana-
ma Canal property to the United
States aud who is suspected by
some Democrats of having melted
the Panama revolution, had been
the deus ex machina Of the San
Domingo situation.
Senator Morgan exhibited to the
Senate letters from a Mr.. and
Mrs. Reeder, formerly of Ala.
bama, in which they charged that
Cromwell had defeated a treaty
between Santo Domingo and the
United States, which has been
prepared by Mr.. Reeder aud that
lie had caused to be substituted
the protocol now under con>idera
tion by the Senate. When the
proposed" Reeder treaty was
read iu the Senate it was found
to afford every advantage TO the
Republic of SantO Domingo aud
to 1.-THE Reeder syndicate" but
none to this country and it Oc-
caSiOned considerable Iidicule at
the hands of the Republicans, but
there are many Democrats who
believe that there may be some
foundation for Mr.. Organ'S
charges, at least sufficient to war
rant a very thorough investiga
ton. Senator Morgan has intro
duced in the Senate a resolution
instructing the committee on For
eign Relations to conduct such
investigation. by sub committee
or otherwise. but at present there
seems little likelihood of its adop
ton. Meanwhile, Mr.. Cromwell
has himself alphabetically denied
that he has now or ever had any
connection whatsoever with SantO
Domingo or that lie would profit
in any respect from the ratitica'
tiOu of the protocol.
There Is a mystery in Washing
ton affecting the propose moditi
cation of the tariff schedules 10y
Congress at its next session. The
mystery attaches to the promoters
OF a report that the Repu nliran
leaders are contemplating Placing
a small duty on cootfee with a
view to avoiding the necessi v Of
revising the tariff so that it will
afford less protection and produce
more revenue. 1t is obvious that
some method of increasing he
federal revenues must be f"nnd As
the federal expenses have mater
tally incr- ased and the adminiS
tratiOn will be compelled To draw
he willy this wear, as it did last.
on the accumulated surplus, but
it is not true that there has been
any thought of placing a duty on
coffee, drtea, az is reported. This
report has been industriously cir
culated in Washington for some
days but for time no one of the
more reliable newspapers could be
induced to father it. Finally 1t
was conided to a firm of news
paper writer's whose business con
sists of circulating reports for pay.
and then one of the leading news
papers of the county displayed it
prominently in its columns. The
questions naturally arises. Who
is to profit by the circulation. of
this reportl To whom is it of suf-
ficient Importance to warrant their
paying professional news p aper
writer's to circulate itP Is it
stock jobbing deal! Does it ema-
nate from German diplOmotic
circles and is it put forth with "a
view to estranging Brazil from
the United States for the benefit
of the German trade? These are
some of the questions which are
being asked and to which no sat.
isfactory answer is as yet forth
coming
There is no doubt but that
President Roosevelt will urge the
next Congress to revise the tariff,
but there is considerable doubt as
to whether or not that Congress
will heed his recommendations.
There are strong indications that
the Senate will be ready to re.
spond to the executive urging-in
fact that body has already taken
the first step by authorizing its
Finance Committee to sit during
recess, hold hearings and sub
pOena witnesses-but the Senate
can do nothing with regard to the
tariff until the House takes the
initiative and that the Speaker
| and tha little cotpria which with