Middletown transcript., 1906-12-01
PRIC C5E TIL r ZEE CENTS
WASHINGTON LETTER


WAsHISsreN, D. G., November Is. 1905
FIT i saratller Interesting indication 81 Iii
+ feelings tisraugll The great West that iii
Trans Mississippi Commercial Congress
Ishonld have turned down Mr.. Bryan a
il did. This master has its hinge ii
Was, i8gton nor only because of Mr.
Br,aii's VI ie House y ard looks but ais,
because See etary Ront and nurnbel
II other government oilicialsawere. hon
ored guests before tile Congress and it wa
shown BY tile outcome .fiiat their conn.
sois, rather than tllase Of tile eminent
Sebraskan, prevailed Secretary Root,
inaring \ message froni the alnliliistra
ftion which could hardly be mistaken,
spoke Earnestly in favar OF aShip Subsid .
Bill and aiss said certain things in favor
Of the Monroe Doctrine, which were
grateful to the people at large and which
the S,uth American diplomats were
doaillless also glad TO hear. Then arose
Mr Bryan. lie ignored Ship Subsidy
he said nptI,ing about the Monroe Doc
triee aud he presented to the Convention
Two resolutions, the one favoring inter
national arbitration. on which he had
made his reputation before the Inter-
Parliamentary Union in England and the
other Enthusiastically Democratic de-
nouncing trusts and nIonopolies OF every
sort. Nptestlle result. The Convention
knew that the present administration was
ioing Vii it RIA onably could in the mat
ter nf trust busting. !" It knew also that
we stood for international arbitration,
witness The attitude OF the President in
i-,uipg the first call Tor the re-asseinbling
.uf the llagne conferences. BUTT turned
down these two Ffsolufiiofs-af Nebraskan
origin aud it Incorporated in the reported
ls.resolution committee most stirring
enlargement OF the Monroe Doctrine, and
a furtlieE. endorsement, not Of the Ship
Subsidy Bill, but Of the upbnilding Of the
American Merchant Marine with the in
cidental remark that it agreed thoroughly
aith The presentment that had been made
by Secretary Root. This side stepping of
the Subsidy Bill proposition was no
doubt iudicious avoidance of trouble
The Ship Subsidy Bill is going to be an
expensive luxury. 1t probably will se-
cure the results at which it aims. but it
has acquired during the past session of
Congress yellow dog reputation, and
there will be many hard things said when
the bill is finally forced TO passage
This promises to be an interesting Con-
grpssionaI session The President will
have behind lrinl tl1e support of many
members in botl, houses for the things
that he proposes doing. At the came
time lac has in mind some things that
will cause decided is'ension among the
members OF the msjprity and there will.
be cliqnes and internal intrigues besideS
which the Instructions of the last Con-
gress win be apt to look SMALL The in
heiitaHce tax is one OF these things. Such
legislation is contemplated and almost
certainly will be pushed. There is also a
strong sentiment for tariff revision which
will have to be reckoned with; but the
stand pattefs, who are opposed to all talk
of tariff adjustment, see in the inheritance
tax an additional menace to their posi-
ton. One need only look back to the
days OF the Spanish war to find what an
tax is likely to bring in.
There was graduated duty OF this sort
imposed among the war takers. 1t did
not last quite four years, but starting with
s., SOC, 900 in the first year, it had pro-
duced ST, 200, 600 in the third year and |
was progressing at the rate of 81 ,000, 900
a year when it was repealed. Now if the
President starts in seriously with bis
avowed proposal to reduce swollen for
tunes it is a certainty that this Inheritance
tax law will not be long in bringing in
$40, 100000 year, This will be very
nice for the poor tax payer, but it will
more than ever increase his desire to see
the tariff reduced to point where it will |
net produce so much revenue. This is |
where the stand-patter will feel the shoe
pinch, and it is only natural that he will
not look with favor OH any law that will
weaken bis position.
Attention is being called to more
iroubie in the Interior Department. Sec
retary Hitchcock is still busy with his ef-
ort to run down Wyoming Land frauds
md fasten the guilt wherever IL may be-
org, whether on the Union Pacific Road
,r the officials of the Land Officeor both.
Now the arises more trouble. II is
howI,, though not by conclusively legal
that the Colorado Fuel and Iron
Company has been doing business with
ne Interior Department on an extensive
Gale. This tallies with the report
,rought home from the West by Judge
, n. Il