davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington herald., 1908-03-15
LEGISLATION BY STEALTH.
Obvious Moral of the Biebrr scheme
to Acquire Public Lands.

Prom the Boston Transcript.
Congress has learned with surprise that
it has Inadvertently caused the govern
ment 10 sell TO a private Individual lands
in the District OF Columbia. for the i'm
provement of which it was az the same
time making appropriations from the
Federal Treasury.
Acquitting Congress as a whole OF any
intentional completely in these very re-
markable land deals, the moral Of the
whole affair is the warning it affords as
70 the liability 20 legislation By stealth
and indirectiOn which inheres in its meth
DDS of lawmaking. Whatever may be
said Of clauses Of previous public building
bills. nobody seems 10 know how that
particular clause got into the act of 1901.
which WIS approved when the Fifty-ninth
Congress had but forty-eight hours to
live. In the hurry Of the closing hours
Of Congress or session. when ap-
preparations of great amount, carried IN
bills Of portentous length, are passed
back and forth between tired conference
committees, many items apparently
harmless but really furthering any ques-
tionable transactions must inevitably es-
cape scrutiny We know that the Indian
appropriation bin Of 1905 covered one Of
the worst raids on the property Of In
dians in the Indian Territory ever under
taken. which was fortunately frustrated
by the discovery by the Interior Depart
ment Of the character of clause almost
concealed in the body of the act Nobody
publicly furthers such clauses.
Congress cannot escape the response
bility for the consequences OF its inatten-
ton. so long as il allows incongruous
matter TO be stuck into hooks and cor
ners OF legislation. Some Of this incon-
gruous matter Is not harmful in itself
Often departments get sums denied in
regular appropriation bills. by having
them tucked away in legislation whose
titles do not carry any suggestion OF their
presence. Items OF military and naval
expenditure can sometimes be dug out Of
appropriation bills having no ostensible
references TO the army and navy. We
can all recall how a promotion TO a Ger
tain lieutenant generalcy was covered in
the Military Academy bill, instead Of the
army appropriation bill. Here was an
illustration. though II must be admitted
that the relation OF the specific provi-
SUN WAS nearer 10 the SUBJECT matter than
is always the case. The "Bieber clause"
had no business in a public buildings bill
for il related TO public lands. Congress
should reform its methods generally in
the respect we have indicated. II could
we'll begin with the District OF Columbia
for, thanks to the iaXness OF early real
estate legislation, as yet unreformed, II
is possible for sharpeTs TO purchase tax
titles essentially fictitious. and hold In
the United States itself
The Washington herald., 1908-03-15

From che Philadelphia Inquirer
There Is little whipping in the English
schools to-day, and il IS almost conhAed
70 historic institutions. such as Eton.
Harrow. and Rugby, where the rich and
aristOcTatc send their sons. and where
a peculiar pride Is taken IN maintaining
the ancient customs Il may be true thar
ITO spare the rod is to spoil the child
IL may be d fact that American boys
and girls are allowed too much Indulgence
and that they would have better man
ners ana perhaps better morals were the
old system re-estabushed The great
majority OF parents and teachers refuse
10 be thus persuaded. They persist IN
regarding corporal punishment as relic
Of barbarism and in believing that youth
can be enectuaIIy trained and disciplined
in other and better ways
The Washington herald., 1908-03-15
The Cruise Of the Fleet.

II the object Of the Pacific cruise were
TO make the world sit up and take notice
OF our naval efficiency. that object has
been attained by the successful compile
ton of the 14,OOO-mlle voyage. The pride
OF Americans is naturally quickened bv
such an achievement and it has attracted
the attention Of naval officers the world
over That IL should have been thought
anywhere that our ships were unequal to
the task Of sailing from the Atlantic 10
the Pacific seems absurd, yet the surprise
expressed in foreign capitals. notably in
Paris. over the arrival OF our fleet at
Magdalena Bay in unimpaired condi-
ton shows state Of skepticism abroad
as . the quality of our naval material
that has no foundation in fact. None Of
the charges under investigation by the
Senate Naval Committee. relates to the
sailing capacity of our ships. or to the
durability and efficiency OF engines and
boilers. There has been more or less. con-
fusion in the public mind on this point.
and perhaps IL is not strange that it has
been communicated TO foreign naval
critics.
Mr.. Reuterdahrs criticism OF the battle
ships concerned their safety and vulner-
ability in actual battle, as to which there
is some technical difference of opinion.
Yet it is probable that the remarkable
efficiency of our gunners would wholly
make Up for any possible lack Of armor
plate; and if the men We're fully protected,
as they viii be when the turrets are al
1ered. our naval officers would have
nothing TO fear in a contest with any for
eign armOrClads We cannot. OF course.
demonstrate this as we can the cruising
qualities OF our ships. but efficiency I'm
one direction ought 10 Indicate the strong
probability of efficiency in another. and
so vindicate the lighting capacity Of the
fleet.
The ambitious programme Of the Navy
Department insures that practically the
whole world shall have ocular evidence
OF American naval power. We suppose
that in the end the feet will visit Japan.
as well as Australia and our own Pacific
possessions, and that on its return it
viii accept the hospitality Of the British
and the French. as that can be done
without going out Of the way. II would
be a pity. however not 10 let the Kaiser
have a look az the American armada.
since ne had TO forego the pleasure of a
chat with Mr. Taft. and We hope he will
not be sighted. To what end Of state
craft or Of naval purpose this remarka-
bic circumnavigation of the globe is
directed we know not. but If it avail to
convince foreign skeptics Of our sea
power, perhaps it may contribute some
what 90 the worlds peace. At all events.
"a naval spectacle is preferable to a naval
battle, and it is far cheaper to wear out
q feet in cruising than in conflict.
The Washington herald., 1908-03-15
smith VS. Brown

One would think Il a hard matter to
frame up anything in the way OF political
thunder down South these DAYS calculated
TO make the natives sit up and take
notice along new or novel lines. but
Georgia-you can always count on Geor-
gia in emergencies Of this kind. II YOU
will only stop 10 think bit-has accom-
plished that very thing,
Never We're the natives more intensely
interested than they are in a present
controversy between Gov. Hoke Smith
and would-be Governor Joseph Brown.
and all because there lie something de-
eidedly mysterious about it-mysterious
and Notwithstanding, Mr. Brown. who
was a railroad commissioner before Mr.
Smith went into Office, was summarilv
bounced by the latter gentleman before
the end Of his CBrowns) tenure of Office.
but only some six weeks before. This
the governor had a right to do. under a
law passed by the last legislature. Curt
ously enough. the governors act aroused
a great deal Of resentment Throughout
Georgia-Mr Brown being a respected
son OF the States famous war governor
Joseph Brown. and the populace be-
lievins, evidently. that he should have
been permitted 70 serve the remnant Of
his term. no matter what the governor
may have held against him in a political
way
Out Of the matter has grown pretty
hefty Joe" Brown boom for governor
OF Georgia; hence, comes into court Gov.
Smith. and says ne dismissed Mr.. Brown
because Of a mysterious letter found on
the executive desk one day, purporting
TO be from Mr.. Brown. which letter he
didn't read, but returned to Mr.. Brown
with the seal unbroken. The governor
says he felt sure Mr.. Brown was seeking
TO intimidate him with the said mysteri-
Gus letter: so he just didn't read IL but
ended the incident with the commission
er's discharge Mr.. Brown admits hay
ing written the letter, but regrets the
governor didn't read il, because. Mr.
Brown says. it was a very nice letter.
and contained something the governor
really ought to have known-but doesn't
say what
Now all Georgia is up on its behind
legs demanding to know what the blazes
was in the old letter. anyhow, Mr.. Smith
IS estopped from saying. because he con-
tends he never read the pestiferous thing
at all. Mr.. Brown won't say. because he
isn't ready to say. and may never be:
besides, he thinks, perhaps, the whole
matter may be referred to the legislature
for investigation In the meantime
Georgia gnashes its teeth in bafied rage.
and will not be comforted, Did Brown seek
to intimidate, or didn't he? Was the gov
ernor justified in throwing a man out of
his Job because OF letter the contents Of
which were not 20 the governor known?
Was he merely venting his spleen on
Brown. and seeking to lambast him on
any excuse whatever, and was this letter
a mere pretext? But. over and above all
what was in Browns epistle to the gov
ernor? That's the thing Georgia wants
TO know, and can't find OUT
Smith VS. Brown, with dark mystery
in the background. is enough TO split anv
State hOpelessly,
The Washington herald., 1908-03-15
INVADING THIS COUNTRY.
Not an Easy Job Even IL We Hadn't
single soldier.
y he Richnond News Leader.

From the Ricanond News Leader.
The truth is that every foreisn states
man with any sense at all knows that
all the combined powers OF the earth
could not overcome this country. They
might invade Us and occupy the entire
coast line OF the Atlantic and Pacific and
Yet be nowhere near conquest. This
republic was maintained when II was a
weak. poor and scattered handful of peo-
pie, and the British held the coast from
Charleston and Savannah 70 New York.
Philadelphia, and Boston The Confeder-
ate States government, mere fragment
Of the huge republic, maintained itself
four years without a port OF entrance or
exit, hemmed III wherever IL touched a
river or a nav.gable stream. No foreiSn
invading force could get more than nifty
miles from navigabIe water anywhere on
this continent Certainly railroad trains
would not be put at its disposal Every
step Of invasion would be harapcred bv
a people who in such circumstances
would be as desperate and reckless IN
courage as the Soudan Arabs. highly civil
lied, intelligent, and skilled. Meanwhile
we could live comfortably and indefinitely
on our own resources and let the world
outside starve for lack of wheat and 20
naked for lack OF cotton. The military
expert knows nothing OF all this. Like
MS predecessors and prototypes. who
came over here TO help fight the Indians
and whose advice was followed by Gen.
Braddeck and ether unfortunates, he
knows nothing Of any fighting except that
in the text books and along scientific
lines; but the redskins and the Ameri-
cans refused 20 fight that way.
With sensible militia law and rea-
Sonabiy liberal appropriations by Con-
gresS. the military expert may weave his
moUTnfdl predictions TO his hearts con-
tent, but there viii be no reason for
anybody 10 be alarmed.
The Washington herald., 1908-03-15
Congress and the Waterfront scandal

We have no doubt the people of this
community are strongly impressed with
the exhibition Of public virtue offered by
those members Of the Senate District
Committee who have exposed the Sidney
Bieber land speculation. 1t has been made
plain as a pikestaf that the House was
solely responsible for the subterranean
legislation by which that enterprising cItI-
zen sought 10 obtain title to a consider
able portion OF undeveloped public water
front. including a part of the Pennsyl-
Vania Railroad Company's right of way 10
the navy yard. Mr.. Gallinger was par
ticularly careful 10 have it clearly under
stood that the District Committee had
nothing to do with the later stages of the
Bieber scheme. and the impeccahle Sen
ate has virtually washed its hands Of
the entire transaction. Yet the Bieber
scheme had its origin in the District Com
mittee Of the House. and the action of
that committee was assented 10 by the
Senate committee. 1t may be OF interest
TO review briefly the course OF the legis-
iative measures engineered by Bieber.
In 1904 bill was passed directing the
Secretary OF War 10 convey to Bieber
block 1871 in the District of Columbia. II
was introduced in the House. referred n
the District Committee, and by that com
mittee referred TO the District Commits
siOners and TO the War Department The
Commissioners reported that "the District
has nothing to do with the matter" The
War Department reported sapientIy that
there was no such block as 1lSI in exist
enee, but that no objection could be seen
10 the passage OF the bill Then the COM
mittee reported and the House passed this
bill conveying title to a block of land
which had no existence. In the Senate
committee. Mr. Gallinger says the i'm
preston was that the land was under
water. but TO one suspected that there
was anything irregular or improper IN
the transaction" Every one thought il
was simply a bill 10 remove a cloud upon
a title-the cloud being. as Senator Carter
has described 1t, "the paramount title Of
the United States to the land Mr.. Cal
linger says the government Seemed 70
have some claim 10 the land" but what
ever that claim was, the Senate voted It
away on the vague supposition that some
eodys title was being cleared I'D.
BleDer's second bill was introduced IN
the House by Mr.. Allen, OF Maine. It
went TO the District Committee. and was
thence referred 10 the Committee on
Public Buildings and Grounds. OF which
Mr.. Bartholdt. or Missouri, was and IS
chairman After receiving the Endorsement
Of the War Department, It was incor-
porated IN the public buildings bill of 1906
as section o. That bin passed both
Houses late in the session without ques-
The Washington herald., 1908-03-15
pre,entahIe Deaths in the nurru

The startling statement Is made bv
Surgeon General Rixey. of the navy. that
there has been and Is now much pre-
Ventable suffering" in the navy. and that
many deaths have occurred which might
have been prevented" This assertion is
conveyed 20 the Secretary Of the Navy
in the form OF a memorandum which
seeks to impress upon the head of the
department that there is dire need Of
legislation during the present session of
Congress for the esta ablishment and or
ganization of a corps Of trained woman
nurses for the navy. the organization and
increase OF the present naval Hospital
Corps and the appointment of dental
surgeons in the navy. Bills providing for
these reforms have been introduced in
the House by Representatives Burton.
Roberts. and Butler, and the MEASURE re-
latins TO the naval Hospital Corps has
been indorsed by the House Naval Com
mittce.
The Surgeon General informs the Sec
retary of the Navy that IL the recon-
mendations which he has been making
The Washington herald., 1908-03-15

year after year in the line OF the pending
legislation had been carried out. there
would have been less suffering. and lives
would have been spared. We have been
hearing much of the preventable disease
and demise OF the soldier in war time.
when the conditions might very well
battle the professional ingenuity aad skill
of the surgeon, who must protect military
sanitation and camp hygiene regardless
of attending difficulties. But Il must be
regarded as something Of d surprise that
the naval Medical Corps in time OF peace
has been frustrated in its important func-
tions of preserving the health and pro-
tecting the lives Of officers and men Of the
service. 1t is the best possible argument
TO be introduced in favcr OF the legisla-
tion contemplated hy the Burton Roberts
Butler measures 20 say that they offer
such a security against disease and death
as is described by Surgeon General Rixey.
The duty Of Congress in the matter would
appear 10 be obvious.
The Washington herald., 1908-03-15

tion. In the House report on the public
buildings bill the B.eber section is referred
to as authorizing the acquisition OF GER
tain triangles in the city Of Washington"
Language that is calculated to mislead,
inasmuch as the bill itself authorized the
acquisition by the government Of 'numer-
Gus sites for public buildings. Under sec
lion n Bieber acquired about four blocks
Of government land. part Of It being rail-
road right of way.
The third Bieber project was Inserted
in the public buildings bill of 1897 at
Bieber's request. II was intended 10 con-
vey to him an indefinite area OF land
along the Anacostia River. and was asked
for on the ground according 20 Mr. Bar
tholdts statement, that he would lose the
money already invested unless he could
acquire the adjacent territory. Mr. Bar
tholdt believed the transaction 10 be
simply the sale OF unused government
lands, and he accepted Bieber's repre-
sentations without any inquiry. except o.
several members OF the Committee on APP
preparations who were more or less
familiar with the location Of these lands =
This provision passed both Houses with
out word OF explanation from any
source
Now, Sidney BIeber did not enact any
Of this legislation. He acted merely as q
lobbyist in his own behalf Hence the re-
sponsiblity for 1t is sGuarely upon the
two Houses of Congress and the various
committees whose members so readily
yielded TO the representations OF a man
seeking TO enhance his own interests at
the expense OF the government. Mr. Bar
tholdt seems TO think that the Bieber
legislation was not ill-considered. Yet.
what member Of either House had any
clear comprehension Of what was sought
by that legislation? No one even knew
where the land was located, save that It
was in the District. and Mr. Bartholdt's
own statement shows that a paragraph
authorizing the sale OF an unknown area
or ground was unanimously adopted by
the subcommittee considering il on Bic
oer's own presentation Of his case. An IN
nuential parsonage. surely,
Almost as surprising. however. as the
action Of Congress in this matter Is the
behavior OF the War Department, which
with one hand granted title 10 land which
with the other it was engaged In reclaim
ing and improving. The whole incident is
a startling revelation OF the ease with
which a shrewd and insinuating lobbyist
may initiate and obtain legislation for
his personal advantage. swaying by his
arts the Judgment OF honorable men.
The Washington herald., 1908-03-15
rheoIogr at the white Hou.e.

Rev. samuel 4 Eliot In Christian Register
The next day I had the pleasure OF
accompanying Or. Hale TO the Senate
chamber. and then Of lunching. by ir-
vitstion of the President, al the White
House in company with Secretaries Root.
Taft, and Garfield. The talk was along
theological lines. and. though these four
gentlemen belong 10 four distinct branches
of the Protestant Church. they proved
TO be as substantially united IN their
religious convictions as IN their political
ideals The real religion Of this country.
as represented in the sincere convictions
of the leaders OF all communions. is es-
sentally one and the same. IL is the
religion which the prophet found in do
ing Justly. loving mercy. and walking
humbly before God.
The Washington herald., 1908-03-15
COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION.
Reasons for Our NOnsuccess with
InsuIar Government.


Henry Parker Willis. in The World To-day
Why has the United States thus far
failed to produce a successful colonial ad-
ministration? May Improvement DO ex-
pected in future? In this as IN all such
cases. we must first ask: Is the form Of
the national government, its traditions and
its principles, such as to lay the founda-
ton for the good colonial administration?
With the United States the answer must
be an unqualified negative
Our government is one of divided pow
ers. Public opinion is the force which
compeIs the proper performance Of its
functions, and public opinion depends upon
information of a detailed and accurate
character Domestic problems have been
numerous and confusing. The citizen who
understands and intelligently registers his
verdict upon one-half OF those now pend
ing is rare indeed To expect from the
average man careful study and accurate
knowledge of an alien people many thou
sand miles away is unreasonable. The
result has been that Congress has never
acted in colonial matters from disinter-
ested standpoint. When tariff questions
have been presented 10 il. it has heard
only the pleas Of the American interests
involved in the trade. The natives them
selves have no advocates except admins
traitors who have usually been unable 10
enlist a sufficient opinion on their side 10
enforce a demand which they knew TO be
absolutely indispensable.
We have. In short been unwilling to
make such a breach with our traditions
of government as would &c involved in A
purely administrative control of our colo
nies, while there has been lacking a suffl-
cient outlay of social energy TO compel
cooperation between the legislative and
executive branches OF tae government.
The Washington herald., 1908-03-15
A LITTLE NONSENSE.
OLD COMRADES

I reeped into the book he had. this boy OF
tender years
And saw the Volume was, egad. about
some mugkpteergl
1t made me lose Of years a score TO rec
OgniZe that crew:
ILey were, my friends. the self-same four
that you and / once knew
Do you recall the thrilling days, when
perils did Us hem.
And how we won undying bays in COM
pany with them?
All. little lad. to meet and know and love
the gallant four
There is just now FOR you. 1 trow. much
happiness IN store
The Washington herald., 1908-03-15
WI BE ReIn.tate Them AII.

From the Springfield Union.
But how is the President 20 know what
men are entitled 10 be reinstated? All
profess their innocence, all assert that
they have no knowledge of the raid, all
disclaim any conspiracy or silence WIN
the Presidents instinct be equal TO the
task OF separating the innocent from the
guilty2 How can he refuse. II Congress
grants the authority he requests. to re-
store the entire battalion to the rights and
privileges It previously enjoyed2
The Washington herald., 1908-03-15

Cullom each seven
ty-nine. S e II at n
Cullom has a shade
the best Of the other
two seVenty-niners,
as his birthday is in
November and theirs
IN March and June.
respectively.
Senator Cu11O m
was born in Ken
lucky. his father
moving to Tazewell
County, H., I h Q
following year. His
education was OF the
best academic and
university.
He studied law IN
Springfield. and inn
mediately after be-
ing admitted 20 the
The Washington herald., 1908-03-15
Rcbuked.

This hurts me more. Waldo. than il
does YOU"
Proceed with the castigation. father "
responded the Boston baby. but pray do
not afiiict me with bromides"
The Washington herald., 1908-03-15

GLORY for Cussing Bob" says a head
line in the Houston Post Well. he de-
serves II; q isn't every man who could
carry that heet and a bad case OF rheu-
matism both around the Horn. and still
look pleasant.
The Washington herald., 1908-03-15
HInGsIght.

Marriage teaches man much"
You bet II I had only known how
little 7 could get along on, I'd have saved
a million before / was twenty-five"
The Washington herald., 1908-03-15
Il worked as usuaI.

From the Chicago Rccord-Herald
In view OF the fact that Lord Tweed
mouth showed il TO other people, the
German Emperor must have written
strictly private" across the letter.
The Washington herald., 1908-03-15

II must occur to Congressman Lilley
that things have come to a pretty pass
In this country n a Congressman can't
even propose an investigation without
being threatened with expulsion in case
he fails 20 find any rottennessi
The Washington herald., 1908-03-15

Perhaps Uncle Joe" was elected q
member Of the Society for the Suppress
sion Of Unnecessary Noises in order that
the organization might have AT least one
expert on the board Of directors.
The Washington herald., 1908-03-15

Tomorrow morning Abraham Ruer
will present motion for permission TO
withdraw his plea Of guilty and substi-
tUte plea OF not guilty" saws the
Sacramento Union We thought the dis
CoveTy OF that most convenient teChni-
cality in the SchmitZ case would cause
a change 10 come DER the spirit Of the
Hon. Abraham's dreams