Omaha daily bee., 1889-07-15
AN OLD FAKE WARMED OVER
The OFT Told Tale About Blaine Re-
signing Revived.
AIMED AT THE SUGAR TRUST.
Minister Palmer Negotiating with
Spain for Reciprocity Between
Cuba and the United
states.
WASHINGTON BUREAU, THE OMAHA BEE.
b19 EoUKTEENTu SrRpET

ClO FOURTEENTH STREET,
WASHINGTON. ID. c. July IA.
Whenever there is u doarth of news in
Washington, 1t is the custom for anti-admin-
istrahon newspaper correspondents to work
on rumors. The latest effort in this line is In
harmony with others which have passed cur
rent before Yesterday one of the New
York papers had a paragraph to the effect
that Mr.. James c. Blaine is about to resign
his portfolio TO permit the president to select
new secretary of state The story is SIM
ply q reiteration of n similar one published
some weeks ago IL is scarcely worth de-
NAL and would not be worthy of even part
ing comment but for the fact that
IT. gives an opportunity TO explain
just what Mr.. Blaine is doing The secre-
tary of state has been hard at work upon
the routine matters of his office ever since
his appointment, and he is still hard at work.
AT Bar Harbor he is free from the oppress-
| i've heat and sultry air of Washington, but
| he is not free from the cares of his office.
On the contrary, he Is constantly busy and
has with him mass of papers bearing upon
the forthcoming congress of American
nations. Mr.. Blaine, as well as the prcsi-
dent takes the greatest possible interest in
| the promotion of American trade in the
South American states and they are both
earnest IN the hope that the congress will
be followed by great results Mr. Blaine
| has work enough in this connection to keep
| him constantly at work for two or three
months and he will probably be at Bar Har-
| bor throughout the entire summer 1t is this
| absence which Is the basis of the rumor that
| he intends to resign. His relations with the
| president are of the most cordial character.
| BAD FOR THE SUGAR TRUST.
The policy of the sugar trust in forcing the
| retail price OF sugar from 6% to 10l5 cents
per pound within year is likely to be fol-
lowed by executive action which
| will be extremely detrimental to the IN
| terests OF those gentlemen. Minister Palmer
with his credentials 70 the court of Spain
| received instruct 20 negotiate with the
| Spanish authoritie treaty which while
| out the payment of import duty, will also
admit to the ports of the United States the
products of Cuban plantations without ex-
port duty in Cuba or import duty In this
country. Although Mr. Palmer has been at
| his post but short time it is said he has
| been busy mt work upon the preliminaries of
the proposed treaty which will be based upon
| that negotiated by Minister Foster during
! President Arthur's administration, which
failed Of ratification in the senate. There
| is reason to believe that Mr.. Palmer
| will succeed so well that the
treaty will be ready TO submit to the senate
| early in the winter, and the greed of the
sugar trust is likely to materially aid in Sc
| curing Its ratification. Although negotia-
tions are understood to be pending between
the government and Great Britain for a
better understanding between this country
| and Canada, the work of Senator Palmer IL
| considered by far the most important diplo-
matic measure now pending and just before
he sailed MIR. Blaine said to him: 1--WE con-
slider senator, that your mission is far more
| important just now than that contided to
| either Mr.. Lincoln or Mr. Reid"
THEY WERE SKILLED MECHANICS.
Superintendent Meredith, OF the bureau Of
engraving and printing, had his first encoun-
ter with the civil service rules on Monday
| last. When the government surrendered to
| the knights of Labor and ordered the modern
steam presses taken out of the bureau and
the old fashioned hand presses restored, it
became necessary for some one to do the
| work. whereupon Captain Meredith applied
| to the secretary of the treasury
for two skilled mechanics. The requl-
stion was sent to the civil service
commission, VINO looked over the list of
skilled mechanics and sent down to the
| bureau two men who stood mt the head of
the list. One turned out to be u carpenter
and joiner and the other cabinet maker,
| but neither of them understood printing
| presses, and both had to stand idly by and
see the plate printers already employed in
| the bureau remove the machines. Captain
Meredith says that if he does not have bet
ter luck with the civil service rules at the
| next trial he will never be mugwump.