The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1911-06-22


dent Taft's Silver Wedding Most
brilliant Function Ever Held at
Nations Capital.
Especial 10 The Caucasian)
Washington. d. c., June 20. 1911.
The celebration OF President Tafts
silver wedding at the White House
last night was the most brilliant func-
ton ever held at the Nations capital
Over five thousand persons were re
ceiyed by the President and Mrs
Taft and spent the evening in the
magnificent grounds back OF the
White House, which, were most bril-
/ liantly Illuminated with artistic cleo
tric lights and beautified with flags,
flowers and other decorations.
. Mrs. Taft was so delighted with
the pleasure which the five thousand
F guests seemed to gather from the
evening and the brilliantly illuminat-
ed grounds that before the reception
| was over she requested the President
/ that the grounds be thrown open to-
night to the public of Washington.
/ This will be done. The same decora-
| tiOns and illuminations have all been
preserved so that all of Washington
can enjoy the brilliant scene
! One Cent Letter Postage i'm Sight.
Postmaster-General Hitchcock has
| just announced that he has been
| working on a schedule for the reduc-
| ton of railway mail pay to the rail-
roads that will result next year in
saving of nine million dollars, and
| that with this saving and other eco
Monies which he has in view, that he
| expects soon to be in a position to ad-
vocate the establishment of one-cent
| letter postage.
For the last twenty-five years there
| have been efforts made in nearly ev-
cry session of Congress to pass a law
providing for a reduction of the out
rageously high prices which the Gov
ernment paid the railroads for rail-
| way mail service. The last reduc-
i ton made in the railway mail pay
was nearly thirty years ago, and
since that time freight rates and
passenger rates have been reduced
almost one-half.
But There is Ely i'm the Ointment"
There is only one thing in the an
nouncement of Postmaster Genera!
Hitchcock which will arouse antagon-
ism, and that is the suggestion that
| he is in favor of increasing the post
age rate on second-class matter in
order to make the Postoffice Depart
ment self-sustaining with one-cent
letter postage. This proposition will
be vigorously opposed by the people
generally. The fact is that this Gov
ernment should establish one-cent
letter postage whether it pays or not.
| The first consideration that the Post
Office Department should give the
public is the best postal service in
the world, and to furnish this service,
of course, as economically as posi-
| BILE; but there is no sense in trying to
make this department of the Post
Office Department self-sustaining any
more than there is in any other de-
partment of the Government. A par
cells post would greatly increase the
revenue and be great blessing.
Defenses for the Panama Canal.
Work on building the Panama Can
| al has advanced so far that Col. Co
ethals, the superintendent in charge,
has announced that he is ready now
! to begin the building of the canal de-
! fenses. He announces that he will
| have to soon turn off thousands and
thousands of laborers who have been
on the work for long time unless
the coast defenses to protect the ca
nal are at once begun, and that with
| the force that he has he can carry on
the defenses and finish them about
| the time the canal is finished.
Second Lorimer Investigation Begun.
The committee appointed to re-
open and re-investigate the charges
of bribery and corruption connected
with the election of Senator Lorimer
began sessions to-day. The first wit
| ness called was Mr.. Mccormick,
president of the Harvester Trust,
who testified that Mr.. Hines, one OF
Mr.. Lorimer's friends, approached
his company to contribute ten thou
sand dollars to help make up a hun
! dred thousand dollar fund to be used