Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1889-12-20
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, d. c.,
nac II 1890

and for next year several millions
more will be necessary. But Senator
Ingalls, evidently thinks this too small
an amount, for he introduced a bill
the other day to put on the pension
roll every soldier who is or may arrive
at fifty years of age and who served
sixty DAYS at the rate Of $Sper month.
If thew served over 800 daysa monthly
pension at cent day is to be sub
stituted. In addition to this monthly
pension for service there is to be - a
month for one-half disability and S12
for three-fourths disability. In fact,
there is to be no age limitation for
persons now disabled from perform
ing labor necessary to their support.
There are also to be arrears at 30
month. Female nurses during the
war are to have pensions hereafter,
and also arrears Of So month from
the date of their discharge. Then
there are sundry other provisions OF
S12 month for widows and others
In short, the bill of Mr.. Ingalls, is
masterpiece of lavishness. Then there
is the dependent pension bill and
several others of like reckless nature
which will be pushed, and the chances
are that $2O0,O0O,0O year will not
foot the bill.
At a special meeting Of the Woman's
National Industrial League of Amer
lea held here last week resolution
was passed declaring that in view of
the many defalcations of disburslng
officers in Washington all disbursing
agents of the government should be
women. The resolutions declare that
while man may enjoy his ill-gotten
money in Montreal, Quebec or Onta-
rio as well as if he were living in this
country, no temptation is strong
enough to induce all American woman
to expatriate herself. Congress Is
therefore asked to pass law giving
the preference to women IN the ap-
pointments hereafter TO be made OF
disbursing officers. From the very
many recent steals it would seem
that the women are about right, ana
should be given a chance. Matters
could not be much worse.
1t will be remembered that during
the last campaign in Ohio Foraker
the Republican candidate for gov
ernor, was caught trying by means OF
a forged contract to defeat Campbell,
but the forgery was exposed ana For
aker defeated. Only part Of the al
legged contract was published at that
time, the balance being withheld for
the purpose of killing off Senator
Sherman and Representatives Butter
worth and Mckinley at some future
time. On Thursday last the House
of Representatives appointed a COM
mittee to investigate the whole mat
ter, and the probabilities are that Mr..
Foraker will get more than he bar
gained for; but as it family fight
Democrats will enjoy it.
The President is just now having
an unpleasant time with the Sena-
tors and Congressman from Illinois
over the filling of the Federal offices
in that State, especially the collector
ship of the port of Chicago. The
President told Senators Farwell and
Cullom and Congressman Mason the
other day that he was tired of talking
over the Illinois offices, and was too
busy with more important matters
to give them any further attention
| Just now, and was said to have been
very short and emphatic about it too.
The Senators say that he treats them
like they were school boys, and there
is getting to be strong impression
in this city that the President will
have a row with the Senate before
long over the confirmation Of some of
his nominees, as the Illinois Senators
are not the only ones he has sat
down on lately.
More West Virginia farmers are
writing complaints to the police here
against bogus commission merchants.
They ship their produce to an ire
sponsible person or persons who offer
prices far above the market quota
tons, and the shipper never hears
anything Of the produce or receives
any payment for it. There is no re-
dress even if the guilty parties are
known, for there is no law known to
the authorities under which such
swindlers can be prosecuted. Farm
ers should ship only to responsible
firms, of which there are many here,
but who do not pretend to pay more
than the actual value of the produce.
The recent death of Jefferson Davis
has aroused much curiosity respect
ing the relics associated with his
| capture at the close of the war and
now deposited in the War Depart
ment. Many requests have been
made since his death for permission
20 see them, but in pursuance of Sec
rotary Proctor's determination to Off
cially ignore the death of Mr.. Davis
all such requests have been denied.
The Secretary says that the reason
the War Department flag was not
put at half-mast and the department
closed on the day of the funeral, as is
usual in case of the death of an ex-
secretary, is because that officially he
has been dead since 1861. y.
Boycotting the Sugar Trust.
The knights of Labor are about to