The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-07-12
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, JULY 6, 1888.

The Republicans of the Senate Ju-
dietary Committee did cowardly
thing when they reported the nomi-
nation of Mr.. Fuller to be Chief Jus
tice of The United States, without rec
ommendation, to the Senate. They
acknowledge, when spoken to individ
ually, that all the charges against Mr..
Fuller were entirely without founda-
ton, and yet, for political reasons, they
refuse to join the Democrats of the
Committee in making a favorable re
port upon bis nomination. If the re-
publican senators can, however, afford
to take such a position before the
county, the democrats need not COM
plain. Mr.. Fuller will be confirmed
without doubt, already four republi-
can SenatOrs-Messrs Farwell, Cullom,
Fry and Spooner-are known to be
willing to vote for his conf rmatiOn.
Postmaster General Dickinson has
written letter to chairman Blout of
the House Committee on POstOffices.
in which he vigorously opposes the
Senate amendment to the POstoffice
appropriation bill known as the ''sub
sidy amendment" which appropriates
So, 1000 to provide more efficient mail
service between the United States and
South America. The Postmaster Gen
eral says this legislation Is neither de-
manded nor required. and that the re-
sources and powers of the the Postoffice
Department have proved adequate to
afford citize ems of the United States a
mail service equal to and In most cases
superior to that of any nation in the
world. After showing that American
steamships are paid four times the
rates for which foreign vessels are
willing to carry American mails. the
Postmaster General says: With
great respect to the trainers of the bill
1 do seriously object to that provision
of the proposed legislation which
places the mail service at the mercy OF
any individual or corporation. While
indeed, the subsidizsd lines might be
dered, yet the Department should be
independent, and should at all times
be enabled to send the mails by the
most expeditions routes, and make use
of the best facilities afforded for that
purpose from among all the carriers
offering. The Department should be
free to take advantage of all sailings,
of increased facilities coming from in
better wrought by time. eXter sion OF
commerce and competition and should
not be tied up for q decade to single
lines of com unstimulated
to improvement and progress by the
existence of settled, iaordinate and
certain iEcou5e.n
Since the Postmaster Geners1s let
ter was written the House of Repre-,
amendment.
During the absence of Secretary
Fairchild this week, the Treasury De
partment has been ably presided over
by Assistant Secretary Thompson.
The Postmaster General has also
written another letter, one to the Pres
ident, in which he makes a formal
protest against the proposed extension
of the classified civil service to include
the railway postal service. .
One day was wasted in the House
this week by tllibustering against the
Pacific railroads bill and the Fourth
was holiday, So that one third of the
week was lost. Still considerable pro
gress was made with the Mills bill, and
it is now predicted by the mem beIs of
the Ways and Means Committee that
the tariff bill will be passed by the
House inside Of 80 days.
Senator Vest, and Representatives
Mills, Ford, Hooker, McC1esry, ,Shive.
ly, Marsh and Cummins went to New
York on the Fourth to take part In
Tammany's grand jubilee and ratifica.
ton meeting.
The President spent the Fourth at
his desk working at the bills which
have been sent HIN by Congress for
approval.
The Senate added S9l2, 900 to the
river and ne Dor bill In the shape of
amendments aud then passed in. The
total amount appropriated by it is $22,-
474, ,7s3 II.
The letter carriers law cannot be put
into effect until Congress passes an
appropriation to pay the extra men it
will make necessary.
About five hundred employees of the
Navy Department spent the Fourth of
July, with their families, at Grass.
lands, the county residence of Secre-
tary Whitney, near this city. They
were furnished with transportation
and lunch also by their host, whose
munificent hcspits 'tty has passed into
a proverb here.