Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-27
CLEAR. CRISP AND CLEAN
THE PERKINS MANIA

HI weekly fling at President Roose-
- welt! In his last circular letter
to the anti-Roosevelt Republican pa
pers Of California, transmitted under
the congressional frank, of course, Mr..
Perkins jabs the president three times
--onee because of the latter's alleged
creation of the panic, once for his al
legged usurpation of legislative powers,
and, once on account of the Browns
vile incident. Witness the manner in
which Mr. Perkins thrusts the stiletto
into Roosevelt:
president Roosevelt. according to
the published statement of Mayor
Dahlman of Omaha, accepts RESPONSE
bility for the recent panic the ultimate
effects of which are not yet felt. The
financial community not long ago fixed
the blame on his shoulders. and the
mercantile and manufacturing world
is thinking similar thoughts as busi-
ness dfninishes. When the effects of
the upheaval strike wages. as it is be-
lieved they will, the laboring classes
will doubtless find little reason to re-
joice in the propaganda which has
been put forth by him whom ex-Gov-
ernor Black refers to as the Man on
the Barrel Head. It is true that
in some manufacturing centers even
thus early goods are being stored in
warehouses, as there is no sale for
them.
'It is probable that there will be no
III, 49,. 1.
as it We're. as the senate has made 1t
clear that there must be restored the
old and orderly custom of having pro-
posed legislation introduced in the
senate by a member, and by him re-
ferred to committee. There has, re-
of executive departments of sending
communications to the senate, sug-
gesting legislation of different kinds,
which have been referred to commit
tees and there served as a basis of ac-
tion. And, indeed, the practice has
gone so far as to send suggested leg
islation direct to a committee. This is
usurping the legislative powers with
a vengeance, and the senate has not
too soon put it's foot down. Senator
Knox said that, while a cabinet officer,
he never felt that he could properly
suggest legislation to congress, unless
he had been invited to do so. Not
many of the other cabinet officers or
high officials have taken this eminent
ly patriotic view of the case. The
tendency has been to use congress as
q registering bureau for others with
exalted views of their Importance.
'The questions growing out of the
discharge of the colored troops who
are charged with having shot up
Brownsville have not as yet been dis
posed OF, the committee not having re-
ported. The latest development in the
case is the statement, which is moi
denied, that the government chemist
has discovered antimony in the bullets
alleged to have been fired by the sol.
diers; whereas it is fact that this
mineral does not exist in the bullet;
with which the soldiers were supplied
and has not been used since 1894. Thi!
is a point of great Importance, as II
readily seen, and is further Justifica-
ton Of Senator Foraker's criticism o.
the president"
II the Perkins propaganda were no
so pathetically humorous--but VIII,
suggest the possibility that any maj
Of mediocre intelligence may view i
in any other light? The only feature
about the labors OF the Perkins pres
bureau that is worthy OF consideration
is that the American people are com
PEELED to pay for the transmission o.
this stuff through the mails, as IL
! each instance the distinguished Cali
fornian sends his literary contribu.
tions to current political history I'M
der the congressional frank. HI
should have the grace to pay his owl
postage, at least, and not ask th'
very people whose president he assails
once insidiously. now openly. to bea
the burden Of his personal postag'
bills.