Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-07-04
NOTES FRGM WASHINGTON
Especial Correspondence.)

confidential stenographer to President
Cleveland. He said: 81 know OF no
man in our history more unhinching In
the performance of what he believed
to be his duty. No man realized more
fully the ideal of an incorruptible pub
lie servant, His example has been
most wholesome in these years OF so
cial economic unrest, and the intlu-
ence OF his calm, reasonable and nope
full spirit has made for better under
standing of the needs and responsible
tiles of our citizenship"
Convicted of Land Frauds-Verdicts
of guilty as against Frederick A. Hyde
and Joost H. Schneider and not guilty
as against John A. Benson and Henry
P. Dimond were returned last week by
q jury in the criminal court in the
trial of the four men, all Westerners,
one of them, Benson a millionaire real
estate operator, for alleged conspiracy
to defraud the government OF valuable
lands in the far West. The jury had
been out almost rs hours. Benson
and Dimond were acquitted on all OF
the AZ counts in the indictment and
were released. Hyde and Schneider
were convicted on all but 10 Of the
counts. Sentence in the case Of Hyde
and Schneider was deferred. The max
imum penalty for the offence on which
they are held by the jury is imprlson-
ment of two years of $4,000 fine, or
both.
Mr.. Sherman's Short
Weight Jim" is a nickname that was
given Congress Iman James S. Sher-
man, the Republican nominee for vice.
president, during a memorable debate
in congress on the pure food law" OF
1906 Mr. Sherman himself is vege-
table Gamer, and it is due to his ef-
forts that the pure food law Is on the
statute books without provision OF
requiring the quantity of the contents
of all cans or packages to be plainly
printed on the label AS originally re-
ported the bill contained provision
to that effect. 1t was shown by Cong
gresham Mann Of Illinois. the famous
pure food expert. that the Gamers de-
liberately have their packages made
small so as to deceive the consumers
by having the cans, bottles. etc, look
as If they were of standard size, while
really they were all short weight. Mr..
Sherman offered an amendment to
one proposed by Mann, providing that
when the Gamer chose to state the
quantity of the contents of package
he should state them correctly or not
at all. He spoke long and enarnestly
on the subject and thus gained the
name Short Weight Jim" among some
of his critics.
DlsIikes to DspIace His chum.-
Charlie Taft, the youngest son Of Sec
retary Taft. Is sorry he will have to
make his home in the White House,
which" he expects to do after March 4,
because in doing so he will displaCe
Quentin Roosevelt. Quentin and Char
lie are inseparable. They play dia-
bolo together, 60 roller skating, bicy'
Gle riding, paint their faces and play
Indian, and indulge in other boyish
orous and robust specimens Of Amer
icaI youth, with decided vie TJ they
never quarrel and get along on the
best Of terms One OF Charles
friends was chatting him about not
caring for his present home. and stat
ed that he heard young Taft was pre-
pairing to move. 81 do like my home" "
replied Charlie, land | am not going
to make a change" Yes, you are"
replied his friend You will make
your home in the White House.
That's So, said Charlie. Pop will
win and we will occupy the White
House. But | am awfully sorry for
Quentin. am stuck on him and do not
want him to leave his present home
and l take his place there, But he
can visit me often and we will have
jolly times together"
A Sober Second Thought for Castro
The American government is not
looking for any further trouble in
Venezuela and the recall of Jacob
Sleeper, charge daffaires, and Lieut..
Ruggles OF the legation at Caracas ap-
parently ends the diplomatic incident,
except so far as Pres. Castro may add
to the complication by some official
act Almost a dozen consular officers
and agents OF the American govern
ment are stationed in the several
Venezuelan cities, and 1t Is under.
stood there is no intention on the part
- ka mi IN
as they are attending to the interests
OF American citizens and their alb
sence would be undesirable. These
agents have no diplomatic functions
but IL there should be SUFFICIENT reason
the state department would not hest
tate to direct them to surrender their
exequaturs and request officers for
some other government to look after
the interests of the United States. ON.
cials here are watching with interest
0he developments in Venezuela, but IL
q not believed likely that there will
be trouble to necessitate any armed
force for the protection OF American
interests. Senior Velose-Golticoa, the
Venezuelan charge mere, remains con
Rdent that he Is not to be disturbed
and, II he is, It must be by the act o
bin own government, for the state de
partment does not intend TO disturb
him. The fact is that in the view o.
the development there is no crisis II
Venezuelan relations with the United
States. The United States has become
dissatisfied with Venezuela's attitude
but has chosen to express that dissat
isfaction by the peaceful method o.
closing up its legation at Caracas.
France has more than 300 dali
newspapers.
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