The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-03-17
WASHINGTON NEWS.

3By Ckarlesl Brook snll


WASHINGTON, p. O. March IL.
President Wilson. say what you
may for o. against him, is the cham.
plon precedent wrecker. The colonel
was somewhat startler IN respect
TOO, but consulation with the tally
sheet shows that the present chief
holds the record. No president since
the time Of the fathers called on con.
gTess in session to deliver his mes.
sage, and when Mr.. Wilson did that,
u made the guardians of established
official custom gasp and predict the
decline Of the Republic.
II was daring thing TO do, II was
claimed by many, but yesterday when
he sent his check for s26 to help main.
tain the bread line at the Gospel Mis-.
sion. It was even more daring, least.
wise, that is what some Of the pollti.
clans say who are not classified as
...... itbWfyD.sh rshrd shr dshrdl
especially ardent devotees at his
shrine, but they have to admit 1t cs.
tabl!shes another new presidetiai pre-.
precedent--absolutely a new one. MIR.
Wilson Is the first occupant OF the
White House to open his purse to
help In maintaining free soup kitch.
en-. The last before him TO have had
the same opportunity was Mr.. Cleve.
land, in whose term there was imper.
alive necessity for the maintainence
OF that form of public charity, but
there is no record that he noticed It
In the same substantial manner. No
doubt lie would have given, had the
thought occurred to him, as no doubt
Mckinley, Roosevelt and Taft would
have done, had there been need OF
such charity in their terms.
The daily treasurery balance sheet
which, by the way, is more lightly bal.
aneed, a'need every day. has suddenly
become In this city an interesting
piece OF literature. II not a popular
one. IL shows that there Is more
going out than coming in. and what
I the ebb and flowing-more largely
iiow-amounts to daily. Just at the
present writing, your Uncle Samuel Is
limping behind at the rate of$1S,000.-
600 a month. His reserve cash has
dropped down to S40.000000, which is
ten millions below tho treasurer's
danger point" and OF March 9, he
found himself holding a deficit of a lit.
tie over 100000, 900, What's more, by
about s30,00e,0oO. 1t will have amount
cd TO $tSS,000,000 by next juno. On
that prediction Fitzgerald (Dem.) and
Gillctt (Rep), who are the the finan-
cial experts In the house, arc agreed
TO the copper cent. What all of this
means, say the wise ones, is that the
country may look out for a Panama
Canal bond sale Which will come
along in few months. not because
the big ditch needs the money that
will accrue from the transaction nor
because my money is owing on 1t. It
Is paid for, Is earning operating ex-
pcnses and interest, or nearly so. But
because the government is Just bound
10 have the coin TO defruy the ex.
penses and appropriations that run in
other channels.
There are $234,0O0,OO0 worth OF
these canal bonds left. which were
authorized to be sold IL necessary TO
complete the canal. but which 1t was
never necessary to market. They Of.
fer the easiest way To rake ma pile
OF money and, by the hocus pocus of
government treasury iugglery, divert
1t to the large and capacions holes in
the excheguer eXcavated by the insult.
IlcIent returns from the tariff customs
act, the income tax. the miSnamed
war revenue act and the inability OF
the administration and It's congress
10 resist the temptation OF the pork
barrel.