, 1888-01-05

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Air. Blaine personally assured his
friend that he never was better. Re
ferring to the probabilities for 1883,
the gentleman said, speaking for
himself, that Mr.. Blaine is not can
didate in the sence that he would ac-
cept the nomination.if he has reason
to believe any considerable number
of his party opposed him, but he
thinks that if the party in convention
declares, with unaminity, that he Is
the man, Blaine will accept the NOM
inatIOn.
The list OF bills introduced by Sen
ator DoIph on 18th Dec, as printed
in the Congressional Record, foots
up fifty two. They ali.relateito mat
ters in Oregon and the northwest.
Among them is 4 bill for payment of
balance unpaid On Oregon and Wash
ington territory Indian war claims
for suppression of Indian hostilitie5
in 1855 and 1856, as found due by
commission appointed by secretary
of war, consisting of Gen. Rufus In -
gals, Cap. A. j. Smith, and Hon. l..
T. Grocer, pursuant to act of con-
gress, and disallowed by the third
auditor Of the treasury, as per his re
port of February Z, 1860. This bill
was read twice by title, and Mir.
Dolph requested that it lie on the tae
BILE for the present, but said he would
call it up at an early day and submit
some remarks upon II.
Every state in which wool-growing
is an important interest is protesting
against repeal or reduction Of the
duty on wool. From the Wool grow
ers' association of Ohio several man
ifestoes on the subject have ap-
peared. and responses have been
made by Iowa, Missouri, Pennsylvania,
California and other states. In most
of these states there has be5n a posi-
tive decrease of the number of sheep
during the past several years This
decrease the fock-masters attribute
to the unfriendly Legislation or 1883"
meaning the act of that year by
which the duty on wool was reduced
Hence an appeal Is made to woo!-
growers in all parts of the United
States TO send petitions to congress
praying that body not; to complete
the ruin OF the wool interests of the
United States by adopting the sug-
gestions made by the president IN his
annual message.
Well the acknowledgement having
accomplished all the deviltry it can,
might about as we'll adjourn. 1t has
passed the Sharpstein bill regulating
passenger fares on railroads. The
maximum charge allowed is four
cents mile for persons over twelve
years of age and two cents mile for
children under that age This bill
was AIMED. at the n Z and the o II An
Co.'S, but it Will operate with disas
trous effect upon the newer lines
struggling to obtain a foothold. 1t
is an unwise and ill-timed measure,
as Is also It's companion bill regula-
ting freight charges. The council
will probably pass the latter with the
same unanimity that it displayed in
passing the bill regulating fares.
The members of the council seem to
be actuated solely by desire to pass
anti-railroad bills, however crude or
unwiSe they may be. The people
look to the lower house to defeat the
hasty and inconsiderats action of the
council-Astoria Times
Dispatches from Washington indi-
cate that lumber and coal Will be
placed on the free list. However the
politicians OF tho east may quarrel
over the tariff on sugar, wool and iron,
they seem to be entirely Indifferent
as to the fate of the tariff on coal
and lumber. There are no votes to
bs lost by cutting off the tariff on
those commodities. The demand for
cheap coal in the east caused by the
combination between the coal COM
panies and railroad companies to
keep up the price can scarcely be re-
sisted and thus a severe blow will be
dealt TO two of our leading Industries.
The present tariff OF seventy-fve
cents per ton Oh coal is all that en-
ables many mines IN Washington
territory to be operated during per
IOds of depression in the coal market.
We are in direct competition with
coal brought from England, which If
admitted free of duty, will be sold in
our markets in even larger quantities
than at present. The increase of
wheat shipments from the Pacific
coast will bring constantly increas-
ing number of ships from England
and many of them viii bring coal for
ballast at d nominal freight charge.
The Boston Herald (mugwump
and administration OrgaD) despairs
of any worthy revenue reform l5gis
iatIon by congress. There is not a
majority IN either house III agrees
ment with the presidents position.
The republicans, with Riddleberger,
who Is strong Protectionist, have a
majority OF one in the senate. The
force of party organization will whip
all the liberal Western Republicans
IN the senate into line, and farther
more German, of Maryland, McPher-
son OF New York, and Brown Of
Georgia, are Democratic projections
lists, so a compromise tariff bill Is all
that can be expected in the senate
Ia tho house perhaps half 4 dozen
" estern republicans might support
the presidents policy, but Randall
controls more than enough democrats
J to offset these republicans. If there
was a liberal tariff majority in the
house they would probably repeal
the tobacco tax, repeal the duty on
wool, lumber, salt and raw materials,
reduce the tariff on sugar and iron,
but such ill would be refused con-
currenco in the seuate; its real re-
forms would be emasculated and then
II would die IN the committee of con
ference.
The WallG Wslla Statesman IS going
to some over and mop the ground with