The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1910-10-13
Washington Letter.

the remarkable announcement CQaC
the President has pardoned Edward
A. Boyle, John R. Coyle, Patrick j.
Hennessey, and Thomas Kehoe, four
former government employees who
were serving sentences in New York
for connection with the 100000
sugar trust funds.
This action has raised in the minds
of many the following query: Did
the fact that these men hoped for
early pardons deter them from fully
exposing the men higher up?
BY placing steel springs in seven
teen pairs of scales, the trust rob-
bed the government of more than |
100000, and after being exposed !;
admitted the crime by returning the
plumber. The secretary and a few
minor employees were sent to prison,
pardoned. The multi millionaire
100000 would have gone had not
the cheat been discovered, have so
far gone scot free. /
Democrats and progressive repub
licans sought in the last congress to
bring about Congressional investi-
cation of this fraud, believing it
assume that few SIS a week sugar
weighers would steal 100000 for
someone else and lay themselves
liable to penitentiary sentences, I'M
less they had been bribed by the
men or agents of the men who would
secure the proceeds of the fraud.
President Taft himself prevented
the Congressional investigation by
recommending against it in his an
nual message to Congress. He took
the view a probe might give i'm
munity" to the men " higher up"
Rep. Henry T. Rainey of Illinois
led the fight for the probe of the
swindle, contending that instead of
assuring Immunity" for the big
thieves, an investigation would only
bring out their identity.
1t developed that the President
recommended against investigation
upon the advice of United States
Attorney General George c. Wicker
sham. Mr.. Wickersham was particu-
larly qualified to give the president
advice in matters pertaining to the
sugar trust. At the time of his ap-
pointment to the Office of attorney
general position which places
him in absolute charge of the prose-
cutions of trusts-he was a sugar
trust attorney.
Mr.. Wickersham and Henry w.
Taft, brother of the President Taft,
were members of the firm of Strang
& Cadwallader of New York. For
services rendered the sugar trust
i Attorney Henry w. Taft received
$26,750, which he turned over to
Strang & Cadwallader, and the last
thing Mr.. Wickersham did before
starting in to represent the people
was to draw down and pocket his
share of the sugar trust fee.
Nine resolutions providing for an
investigation of the sugar trust were
introduced in the last session of Con-
gress. But the sugar trust happens
to be- a friend and ally (also star
campaign fund contributor) of the
republican party, and therefore it
is needless to record that each of
the resolutions were smothered to
death in committee.
Wastefulness of Protection.
The wastefulness Of taxes collected
from the people under the law is not
one of the least vicious features of
protection.
American custom duties have ne
cessitated gigantic army of Off
Gals, have increased the price of
everything and have added enor-
mously to the expense of the govern
ment
The country is divided into 16O
districts and ports for the collection
of duties. OF these the expense in
forty are greater than the receipts
the cost of collection ranging, for
every dollar collected from $1.58
to s3O9.41.
In the Alexandria,, Va, district
the government spent $1,224 to col.
lect $40.
In the Annapolis Nd, district, il
cost $3.50 to collect $500.
In the st. Mary's, Ca district ii
cost $500 to collect $15.25.
In the Coos Bay, Ore, district
it cost $1,464 to collect 1881.
And this years. report of the
secretary of the treasury is not a:
bad as last years, which showed thai
in one instance the government haG
paid two men SLIGO to collect 81
cents.
The President is Strictly in Error
In his speech at the Republican
National League dinner in New York
President Taft said: "Our democrat
ic friends are saying that if tn,
Democratic party came into powe
it would reduce the expenses of thi
government $300,O00,0O0."
1t would seem that Mr.. Taft
quarrel is rightly, not with the dem
ocrats, but with Nelson w. Aldrich
the. republican chairman of the
nance committee of the republican
senate. 1t was Senator Aldrich VIII
stated on the floor of the senat
that a business man could run tn
government $3O0,0O0,000 cheape
than it is now being run.
Railroads are Greedy.
The railroads of the country, act
ing together, are contending befor
the interstate commerce commits
sion that they should be allowed t
raise their freight rates so that the
may collect an additional $50O,900
900 from the public each year.
The railroads aver the advance
rates are necessary because of in