The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1909-04-16
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER
Washington, D. c., April 10Th

Mr.. Editor -
Interest in W ashington continues to
cente r in the Payne tariff bill which
has now passed the House and is being
considered by the Senate committee
which expects to report its substitute
Monday OF Tuesday. 1t is somewhat
difficult to take seriously tho House
measure in view of the fact that the
Senate is preparing complete substi-
tute and that it is known the measure
adopted by the upper House will not
only contain innumerable alterations
but that it will shape the law as, ulti-
mately enacted. 1t is asserted in Re
publican circles that the Senate COM
mittee has actually lowered some of
the Payne duties and that all the duties
on necessities" will be lower than
those imposed by the Dingley bill. 1t
remains to be seen, however, just what
Mr.. Aldrich means by necessities and
what he classes as luxuries. 1t is known
for instance, that he and his colleagues
On the Finance committee have raised
most if not all of the duties on steel.
This means higher prices for every
steel article from steel ranges to steel
chisels. That raises the question, is
not the steel range as much of neces-
sity to the woman with largo family
to cook for, and the chisel as much OF
a necessity to the carpenter or the
farmer who does his own carpente1ing
as the coffee they drink or the tea they
consume?
A highly interesting if somewhat
academic discussion has been raised by
the suggestion made in newspaper
close to tie administ ration that the
President might deem it his duty to
veto the tar if bill. The proposition
advanced by the correspon dent of that
paper was that if Mr.. Aldrich and his
associates on the Finance committee
inceased the duties to point where
they must be regarded as violation OF
the Republican national platform, the
President would not hesitate to exer-
else the veto power, he having already
| on more than one occasion indicated to
the leaders of his party in Congress
| that while he did not seek to exercise
any undue influence over their delibera-
tons he would not sign bill which,
in his judgment, did not give due con-
sideration to the interests of the "ulti-
mate consumer" Speculation has been
rife as to whether this was an "inspir-
ed" dispate, that is, suggested by the
President himself with a view to warn
ing the members of his party in
| Congress, or whether it merely voiced
| the fears OF certain of the more mod
| crate protectionists on the Finance
| committee.
Opinion generally leans to idea that
the dispatch was inspired at the White
House and in any event it seems to
have had the effect of ccasioning some
anxiety among the Senate leaders for
Senator Aldrich has taken occasion to
20 to the White House carrying with
him copy of the Senate substitute and
assuring the President that the duties
therein were all lower on necessities
than those fixed by the Dingley bill.
Whatever may ultimately prove to be
the facts, the Senator from Rhode
Island appears to have completely salts
fed the President who expressed his
entire approval of the work of the
Senate committee and has since told
his friends that he regards the measure
prepared by the upper house as an
admirable piece of work Thus all talk
of his vetoing bill has been dissipated
and once more entire harmony reigns
among the Republican tariff cooks.
When the author of "a Man With
out a Country" penned that famous
novel he could hardly have seen far
enough into the future to have perceiv-
ed the plight of Cipriano Castro, whom
President of Venezuela. and yet
if ever there was a man without a
country it is that same Castro. As
nominally the President of Venezuela,
actually the dictator of that unfortu-
nate country, Castro violated every
pledge and disregarded every obliga-
ton of honor and honesty. His was
literally reign of terror and when his
health compelled him to 60 abroad to
see the services of famous European
physician, the people of Venezuela
seized joyously upon the opportunity
to depose him and make Gomez their
president. Having recovered at least
partially from the effects of the opera
ton he underwent abroad, Castro sail
ed for this continent. Meanwhile, how.
ever, he had been indicted for murder,
having as President ordered the sxecu.
ton of one of his generals whom he
charged with treason and condemned
without trial. Were Castro to land
Venezuelan soil he would Immediately
be cast into prison as felon. There.
fore, he sought to land at some other
West Indian port from which he could
direct revolution with q view to over.
throwing the present President ano
reinstating himself. Castro, by the way
had repudiated the just claims of the
United States AMI insulted American
ministers until this country was com.
PEELED to break off diplomatic relations
with Venezuela. His successor i'm
mediately agreed to submit all Arneri.
can claims to arbitration which is what
the United States had long demanded
Consequently, his successor appealed
to the United States to use its influence
to prevent Castro from finding harbor