The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1906-10-11
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Hon. Chas. E. hagoon to be Temporal
~ Governor of Cuba.

AS@SNS ~ ~NNN lOihf anu MS NllNs lOiS
a resident of this city, are concerned.
Senator Plat has been in Congress since
the days of Conkling and his face has
been familiar to people here for more
than twenty-five years. He has proba-
bly, more appointees, especially those of
the female persuasion in the Depart
ment here than any other man in the
country. When his engagement to his
present wife, then Mrs. Janeway, was
announced, there was free prediction
that the Senator was not laying up for
himself a peaceful old age and the So
ciety women of Washington helped to
fulfill the prediction by snubbing Mrs.
Platt on all occasions and by making her
social career here a prompt failure.
When Miss Snow, the daughter Of Mrs
Platt by the first Of her three marriages,
was married last spring to Colonel Car
mody the plot thickened and the appli-
cation for divorce by the young people
and the publicity given the Senator's
unhappy domestic situation coming
close on its heels, have elected more
Il told you SOS" than actual surprises.
The aged Senator it appears has been
the victum of several love affairs dur
ing his second youth and one Mae Wood
gained notoriety last year by claiming
damages for broken promises from her
ancient lover. All Of these examples
and many others less widely known
urge the adoption of a suggestion, made
in the days Of the unfortunate Brecken-
ridge Of Kentucky that bureau for the
protection and safeguard Of easily
tempted Congressman from willy school
girls and widows should be established
at the Capital.
The great Government Printing Office
which must be Of interest to all tax
payers in the country since it is one Of
the most expensive luxuries Of the gov
eminent that they must support is once
more in the public mind as a result Of
the report Of the Keep Commission
which has Just been issued. For
number Of years there has been a pre-
vailing idea that reforms were much
needed in that institution and since the
Postofiice disclosures a few years ago
the big print shop has come in for more
/ suspicion than ever. The Keep Com
mission has presented to the public a
report which shows that if there is nc
graft in that office it is because men
better than the average have been in
charge and in fear that such virtue may
not always be obtainable the necessity
| for reform in some of the business
methods of that Office is imperative
| The Government Printing Office is one
of the anomalies Of the government or
ganization. 1t is one of the most ex-
| pensive Of the government institutions
but it is under the supervision of no
| Cabinet officer and the Public Printer
| is answerable alone to the President
| He spends money without any direct
supervision and in one instance is said
to have made million dollar contract
without consultation or approval of any
higher officers. Illustrative of the re-
markable latitude, is another instance
cited in which he is said to have paid
half a million dollars for typesetting
machines without consulting a superior
The Commission wisely argues that such
conditions would not be permissible
in any other business and that they
should not be allowed in this office, and
recommends that a new law governing
the administration of the affairs of the
Public Printing Office should be enact
ed 1t is probable when the attention
Of Congress is turned to the Printing
Office and reforms there begun the
Public Printer will be made a bureau
officer and placed under the supervision
of a Cabinet Officer.
Apropos Of this subject of the Print
ing Office it is stated by the Public
Printer, Mr.. Stillings, that in over
hauling the Office lately he came across
a lot Of material much of it type that
had never been taken from the pack
ages. The type is useless for the Print
ing office since nearly all of the work is
done by machines and consequently the
type will be offered for sale. 1t is now
being assorted and it will be arranged
that country newspapers and small
printing Offices can avail themselves of
the opportunity to buy good type at a
large reduction from the current prices.
The public printer will not follow the
old custom Of disposing Of all the ma
terial to some one contractor.
The appointment of Hon. Charles E.
Magoon to the temporary Governorship
seems to meet with general approval
here in Washington where he is best
known. Judge Magoon has just retired
from a long and successful service in
Panama and is apparently better fitted
by education combined with experience
and temperament for handling the deli
cate and complicated relations with our
Latin friends andenemies than any man