Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1909-12-02
THURSDAY. DECEMBER 2, 1909
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(FRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.

0EhOh OUh hEGULAn COnnc1oEONDE'>A
WASHINGTON, D. c.. Nov. q.
In these few days before the be-
ginning of the first regular session OF
Congress of President Taft's admins
tration there is considerable wild talk
of disagreement between this admin
istration and the preceding one.
There is no historical fact better fixed
in the minds Of the people than that
President Taft was elected on plat
form to carry out the Roosevelt poll
cies. That the people Of the country
and the press are jealously and critic
ally watchful that this contract shall
be lived up to is known by everyone
interested in public affairs. There
is no evidence that there is any real
disagreement between the Ex-Presi-
dent in Africa and the President in
America. There is, of course, great
deal Of talk by men and writing by
Journalists, famous or notorious as
the case may be, but there has not
yet come to surface evidence Ct diver
gence in policy or in aim. The Pin
chot- Ballinger episode is, of course,
CONSPICUOUS but there is reason to be-
lieve that President Taft is sincerely
determined to push the policy of
forest preservation and to secure for
the benefit Of the whole people the
unappropriated mineral and water
resources of the country. 1t is not
unnatural that he should desire as
far as possible to stand by his recent
~ chosen Cabinet officer while he is
under fire or until the charges against
him are proved. If they shall be
proved the President will, doubtless,
be given an opportunity to accept his
resignation. Journalism in America
is nothing if not sensational. Sem
sationalism is its distinguishing char
a,cteristic over the journalism of the
Older countries and it is not unnat-
mral that Mr.. Waterson, of the Louis
willie Courier Journal, returning from
a tour in Europe, should on landing
predict and wager that Taft and
Roosevelt will be at dagger's point by
the time of Mr.. Roosevelt's return in
February. Possibly, the Kentucky
editor may win his wager. Stranger
things have happened in the happiest
Uf political families but, at present,
the political pond is calmer than it
looks.
The sugar fraud prosecutions which
are being vigorously pushed by the
present administration are really
nothing new. 1t may be said, that
they were begun in 1901, for at that
time Richard Parr received an ap-
pointment by the then President
Roosevelt on the recommendation of
Mr.. Loeb then the Presidents secre-
tary and he was sent to New York
and installed in the Custom House
for the express purpose of detecting
the sugar weighing frauds which he,
Parr, five years ago suspected. There
has since been a change Of admins
tration but the sugar weighing frauds
have been under constant surveillance
and suspicion and the recent expos
ures are nothing more than the cul-
mination Of the investigations long
silently pursued.
The United States Government
through the Department Of Justice Is
carefully watching the development
of the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany and the American Telephone
trust combination and the country
will, doubtless, hear further during
the coming Congressional session of
the plans of the Government for con-
trolling not only the railroads of the
country but also of the tclcgraphic
and telephone wires. They are oil
interstate common carriers, whether
of freight or of intelligence, and it is
quite as necessary that the Nation
control these for the universal bene-
fit of all the people as that it should
control and direct the mails. There
is no socialism in this. 1t is simply
broad Nationalism such as is prac-
ticed advantageously both for the
State and for the people in the more
experienced and settled governments
Of the Old World. The people of
America are entitled to what the pco-
pie OF other countries enjOy-the
ability to send messages at mini
mum expense and the bringing of the
power Of communication throughout