Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-10-10

WASHINGTON, October 1. - Letters
were receAtly sent to all the memb RS
elect of the house of representatives ask
ing their opinions of the policy and prac-
ticability Of attempting next winter to
secure further tariff legislation, their
views of the repeal of the compulsory
provisions in the silver coinage act and
the suspension of the issue of silver
speaker. Many of the congressman
were also asked their opinion of internal
improvements and river aud harbor
bills, and Of forfeiting land grants not
earned within the time fixed by the
granting act. Many of the persons to
whom this last Question was put either
misunderstood it or al singularly igno-
rant of the facts. 1t bas never been
proposed to forfeit grants to companies
that complied strictly with the terms of
the grant. All that has been proposed
is the forfeiture of land grants where the
railroad has not been completed, or was
not compleued within the time fixed
This is QUESTION of expediency and
not Of the sanctity of contract, be-
cause where the road was not completed
in the time ret the contr t has cen
broken by the grantee. The question is
| whethe the contract shalt be cous rued
literally toward the grantees and the
time limit expunged, or strictly. the
government taking the fullest advantage
of the strict letter of the contract. One
| third of the congressman replied to
these letters, but several of the replies
| we're entirely non committal. One
&c., In<t
from all parts of the country, answered
some or all of the questions. A large
proportion of these we're confidential.
| OF the eighty democratic conp1es>men
who replied, hfsy-two favor revision of
the tariff an1 sixty-four are opposed to
repeal of the compulsory provisions of
the silver coinage act. Forty three
expressed their speakership prefer
ences. OF these twenty-five are
for Carlisle, eleven are for Cox, eight
for Randall. but all of them are from
outside of Pennsvlvaria, and two are
for Springer. All the forty-tve repub-
licans who replied expressed opposition
to a general reopening of the tariff ques-
ton, but seven want some errors in the
new law corrected, seventeen want the
wool duty restored to the old rate, one
wants free lumber and three want
lower duties on sugar. The repeal
of the compulsory provisions of the
silver-coinage actis opposed by only fou,
republicans, and 1t is favored by twenty
six. Twenty-one oppose silver certifi
Gates, fifteen favor them, and six are
opposed to the present silver dollar, bu
would favor an "honest silver dollar.
Three favor the recoinage of trade dol
lars. Eleven republicans favor the tota
repeal of the internal revenue laws, five
want the tax retained on whisky, bu
reduced, and fifteen oppose any change
Almost all favor liberal appropriation
for internal Improvements. Five woult
vote for reasonable appropriations
and eighteen would spend no money
for levees on the mississippi; forty
are for internal improvements that bene
fit national commerce. Several republi
cans favor Keifer for caucus candidate
for the republican complimentary vote
for speaker, because it is only mere
form, or because it would be discour
teous to refuse it to him. Of the prefer
ences expressed, eleven are for discock
seven for Keifer, six for Reed, one fol
Reed or Ke,fer, and three for Robinson
of Massachusetts,.