Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1886-12-11
WASHINGTON Letter.


~ Is6Li14lesJ Ton Letter
CFrom our Regular Correspondent
WAsufNGToN D. o., Dec. 4, So.
About the time this letter reaches
/ you the two Houses of the Forty Ninth
/ Congress will meet anG open in the us
ual way for the short busy session. The
rush OF Congressman 20 the city, and Of
the crowd that always follows themr
I began yesterday and viii continue for
the next raOnth. The indications are
that there will be pretty full represen-
tatIOn of both Senators and Congress
men on next Monday, when the gaVeis
fall simultaneously in both ends OF the
Capitol
The question which excites the most
attention in the minds of the members
are coming in, is whether anything
can or will be done with the tariff this
winter. The high-prOtectiOnisLs are
bound that there shall be no reduction
OF purely protective duties, if it can be
prevented. The reform leaders are as
anxious that some Difference shall be
paid to the promises of the party TO
which the majority belong. One OF the
things which the President is credited
with saying in regard TO the tariff is
that it should be arranged with refer
ence to economic interests instead of
political conditions, that as party Is
sue it IS distracting, and as experience
for several long and fruiless years has
shown, leads TO no practical results
nor even points out practical methods
of reform.
A Pennsylvania mem ber-elect Of the
EifLieth Congress, who has been here
during the week, was talking about the
surplus millions and about the proba-
bility of the Administration being ab e
10 submit q plan for their reduction. /
He thinks a great deal will depend /
upon what the President will say and
he thinks the President has before him /
now the greatest opportunity OF his |
life. IL amounts TO q crime, sand he, I
to heap up needless taxes in the treas I
ury in time of peace and If the Presi- I
dent takes a bold stand against It he /
will have the country to back him.
just at tins time the President is Civ
ing the last polishing strokes TO the
message with which he has been Wrest-
ling for the last few weeks. He has
had a very hard time with the figures
OF those surplus millions, and IN trying
to solve the problem tor reducing those
needless taXes,-sO hard time, indeed,
that he has grown nervous and lrrlta-
bic and explosive over the work. to the
great CONSERVATION of his ObsequiOus
Secretary Manning's an
nuai report will deal almost exclusive
" with the surplus and the best meth
cd OF reducing the taxes, and it will be
to see whether he or the
President can produce the better hnan-
cial matter.
The report of the Postmaster Gener-
al was before the public more than a
week ago, but the report Of Secretary
EndicOtt viii not amount to anything
this year, nor will that of the Attorney
General. Secretary Bayard will make
no report, but will represent the State
Department by sending to Congress
the diplomatic dispatches Of the year.
lie is not discouraged, however, by the
-ndiffeI ence shown at the last session OF
Congress TO his recommendations. Sec
rotary Whitney Will ask for five more
millions this year in addition to what
has already been given for new navy,
and Secretary Lamar viii reiterate his
views on the settlement OF the Indian
problem.
He advocates a generous policy on
the part of the Government towards It's
wards, and at the same time recon-
meuds such measures as Will result IN
their becoming independent OF its tos-
teung care. Our Indian policy, he in
national honor and philanthropy rather
than Of trade or self defense. Last
year he said the Indians as a race are
Jew, poor and harmless, and they have
a JUST claim for help and protection
which should be scrupulOusly respected.
he well worn argument that it
would be cheai er to keep the Indians
at a fashionable hotel than as they are
now dealt with, is often revived Oy
western people who. come here, The
is strictly true, but the troub-
lie lies in the fact that the United States
has no right 10 save money in that way
The Indians enjoy no privileges that
are not theirs by right, and these can
not be taken away because the country
would make money by the act.
Mr.. Lamar's report reflects a
breadth OF view and force Of expression
which give the document a literary
value not always to be found in q state
paper. Last year he was startled by
the estimates Tor pensions for the ifs
cal year just passed; but said he, it
is q tax That is cheerfully bOrne,''