The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1908-04-03
WASHINGTON LETTER.

$500, 900, 600 currency notes in times of
stringency on depositing as collaternal
United States bonds, State bonds, and
bonds of certain counties and munic-
qualities.
Notes TO be subject to progressive-tax
to compel banks to withdraw them when
emergency has passed.
Notes to be issued with view to securing
equitable distribution of currency over the
United States, and in accordance with
unimpaired capital and surplus of banks
in each State.
Banks shall pay not less than per
cent on government funds deposited with
them.
Offs per cent of the reserve now re-
quired TO be kept by banks not in reserve
cities, four-6fth is to be kept in the vaults
of the banks. and of that amount one
third can be in the form of securities of
the kind required.
1t is thought that this bill will pass in
the House substantially as it came from
the Senate and in due course receive the
Presidents signature and become law.
1t will doubtless do much to strengthen
the financial situation and to preclude
such panics as shook the country last
October.
~
There is possibly only one city in the
world, Timbuctoo. that has larger negro
population than Washington. The Cen
sus shows that there are more negroes in
Washington than in any other city in the
United States. Ninety thousand or near
ly one third of the entire population of
the city is colored. Any third-grade
pupil in the public schools knows that
Washington is bounded on the north by
Maryland and on the South by Virginia,
both former slave states, and those with
slight knowledge of history know that
at the beginning of the war and during
the war and for years after the war,
Washington was looked upon as the
Mecca of the colored man and brother,
his wives, cousins, aunts, mother-in law
and friends. They poured into the city
in great numbers and charity found them
something to eat and wear and some kind
of shelter. The average visitor speaks of
Washington as beautiful city, but this
visitor confines his inspection to Penn.
sylvania. Connecticut and Massachusetts
Avenues. Let him get out little to the
White Chaples of Washington, to Willow
Tree Alley. Monkey Hollow, Black and
Tan Court, and he will see slums and
smell them too. Let him go to the Police
Court of morning and he will see the
iron cage filed with colored people with
only here and there representative of
the white race. The Juvenile Court pre-
sents the same features. Washington is
far too hospitable to tramps and mendi-
Giants, to people who will not work.
Friday there occurred in Washington a
tragedy which already has national
notoriety. A member of Congress from
Alabama, riding in the street car with
drunken and turbulent negroes, endeavor-
ed in the first place TO suppress their
turbulence and failing forcibly elected
one from the car; then shot him in the
neck and wounded bystander. The
member of Congress was Mr.. Helm, of
Alabama. The ARRAY occurred on Penn
sylvania Avenue about seven O'Clock Fri
day night. Mr.. Hefin was arrested and
taken to the police station, where the
charge Of assault with intent to kill was
placed against him and he was later re-
leased on 5000 bail. Mr.. Helm. it will
be remembered, recently presented a bill
to compel the street trans of Washington
to adopt the Jim Grow annex, that is, an
arrangement of separate cars or separate
divisions in the streets cars for the col
ored and white races. The bill was voted
down. Washington. although South
ern city with respect to negro population,
is too much under the influence of North
efn sentiment or rather Congress is too
much under such influence to pass bill
in any way disqualifying the negro.
~
Political experts and prognosticators
see little split in the Republican party
which some predict will result in big
cleavage. Mr.. Hepburn and Mr. Cannon