Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1914-05-22
' :
The NATIONAL CAPITAL
Events of Interest from the Seat
of government.
ny J. r.. JONES.
Lind and O'Shaughnessy.
by J. T.. JONES.


John Lind and Nelson Onslaught
messy are among the curiosities of
the capital-that is, if there are such
things as physical curiosity in
| Washington-where the frailties of
the great have caused them to be cat
alogued among other classes of ordi-
nary clay. The correspondent of the
Washington Standard sat opposite
the "watchful waiter of Vera Cruz,
i'll the dining room of a prominent
hotel few days ago, and had a splen-
did opportunity to study the strength
Of character and The deep battle
scars that fsrrow the brow and face
of Minnesota's former governor, John
Lind. He looks the part that he played
in the important affairs of Mexico;
and Washington regards him as q
man who has made a success of
very difficult job. In a short talk
with our late representative at
Huertas court, the impression came
home strong to the writer of this ar
ticle, that in the affairs at Mexico
particularly fortunate in having live
wire like 'Shaughnessy. His policy
Of using "molasses instead of vine
gar" with Huerta evidently was the
only way to secure fair play for
American citizens. O'Shaughnessy
was a real "hit" with Huerta and he
used the advantage by backing his
demands upon the basis of his own
personal relations with the crafty old
Indian, with whom he usually ended
up: "You surely do not want to put
me in bad light with my govern
ment?" BY these persuasive methods
'Shaughnessy secured personally
nat he could not have obtained in
the name of his government. The
supposed friendship with Huerta has
brought no end of criticism upon o.
Shaughnessy, but Washington has
joined officially in the popular praise
accorded O'Shaughnessy.
Gold Bricks and Railroad Financing.
The interference of Attorney Cen
eral McReynolds with the New Haven
railroad Investigations has brought
on a serious clash; and Commissioner
McChord, backed by Senator Norris.
whose resolution was responsible for
the New Haven investigation. were
practically ordered out of the Office of
the Attorney General because of their
insistence that former President Mel
len and other high officials of the New
Haven should not be excused from
testifying before the commission, as
requested by McReynolds, who gave
as his reasons that the disclosures of
Mellen and others would interfere
with the prosecutions now being car
ried on by the department of justice.
For a number of months there has
been an impression that McReynolds
has been settling too many cases out
of court, and his interference with the
interstate commerce commission,
which is considered as sort of judi
cial tribunal, Is not at all relished,
and has stirred up something OF
muss. McReynolds may have fight
on his hands to retain his portfolio In
the cabinet. AS the New Haven and
other railroad Investigations proceed
it is found that when the get-rich-
quick schemes are all written up, it
would be an inexcusable oversight to
exempt some of the operations of rail-
road promoters from the stories tell
ing of the articles of gold brick deal
ers.
Parcel Post and Express.
The Buffalo Chamber of Commerce
has "got a rise" out of the postmaster
general by passing resolution OPP
posing any increase in parcel post
weight limit. on the ground that such
action would drive the express COM
panies out of business. The postmas-
ter general declares that the parcel
post is a universal service, increasing
trade between cities and farms, and
that it's rates are based on the cost
of operating in both profitable terri
tory which is defined to be the extent
of the systems of private express COM
panies, and Improbable territory, in
to which the express companies never
60. The postmaster general says that
the express companies will not be
driven out of profitable territory as
their limited field of operation gives
them the advantage over the parcel
post, which is loaded down with "un-
profitable territory" Now that mat
ters have settled down somewhat IL
is apparent that there is plenty or