Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-12-13
OUR WASHINGTON LETTE'
SiIcott is a Forger as we'll as a" EN-
bezxler.
General Notes From the Capital.

Special Correspondence IoT ihis PaPS''
Although congress has assembled. the
speaker OF the house chosen anu 'ar ,',,,
other preliminaries arranged, the pubic
need not expect that any Legislation ior us
good will even be attempted until aiter inc
holiday recess After the President mas
presented his annual message, ana untii .ho
time TO adjourn for the holidays, the utne
of the senators and representatives, 20 occu
pied in arranging the various irons wnlcn
they are 70 have in the congressionai nio
for the next few months.
While there is a strong under current Oh
activity, the surface Of affairs at the CAPT
tai appears very smooth and serene MS
quiet and serenity has, however, peen
greatly disturbed the past week by the uis-
closures made OF the defalcation OF Cdshic'
Silcott of the office OF the sergeahtae-
arms. Not only has Silcott MADE way
with good many thousands OF Uncle
Sans dollars, and defrauded number OF
congressman out Of a part OF their salary
but he is also guilty Of forgery, SUCCESSFUL
ly initiating the autographs OF some tnlrty
five members of the house The speciai
committee appointed by the house is max
ing thorough investigation OF the ahair.
In the meantime, Silcott IS recuperating
in Montreal, carefully guarded from
dangers seen and unseen by private detec-
tives until the arrival OF United States
officials.
Since that little domestic affair in the
Garden OF Eden, woman has figured con-
spiCuously in mans sintulncss. and the
case of Silcott IL no exception. Inc
woman in this case is Louise ThiDault,
native OF Quebec, who went To WASH
ington, met Silcott, and so eniatuated the
man that his own cash was not sumclent I'd
enable him 10 do justice 10 his inamoraiu,
and he used the governments cash.
While several members of the house are
mourning the loss of their salaries be
cause of Silcott's crookedness Congress
man Wheeler Of Michigan, is happy over
the fact that he did not sign the voucher
for his November pay, and so he is not
caught in the same box The loss 10 the
members is only temporary stringency,
for they may be safely trusted 10 speedily
pass some measure Tor their own relief
OF course il is too early in the session to
predict what will be done, but il is abso-
lutelY certain thJt the tariff question Will
be discussed, and il is 10 be hoped that
something may be accomplished. Apro-
pos OF this subject, Senator Allison OF
Iowa, the author of the senate tarif bill
considered at the last session of congress,
says: There will be some legislation on
the tariff, but whether it will be on the
lines of the bill prepared by the senate
finance committee OF the last congress is
too bread question TO answer now. The
house in the last congress sent US tariH
bill, aud we did with II the best that we
could The house has the matter in its
hands now, and must originate whatever
leg station there is. D."
number of important measures have
already been introduced, among others a
bill prepared by Senator SpOoner TO secure
freedom Of voters at the polls. The provis-
ions of the bill are far-reaching in their
scope, and the penalties provided for viola
ton of any one of them severe enough to
deter the most reckless ward politician.
Michigau's new senator, Mcmillan, was
on hand early in the session with bill for
the payment Of the Knaggs claim, which
grows out OF the use by tue government of
some Of the knaggs buildings in Detroit
during the war of Isle Senator Mcmillan
has also introduced bill TO pay Mrs. Trip
Ter $1,000 for the use by the medical de-
partment OF the government of the manual
prepared by her husand and in constaE:
use by the medical departments of govern
ment work.
Through the exertiors of Congressman
Belknap OF Grand Rapids, Miss Jennie
Harrison, "a second cousin of President
Harrison, has been appointed TO a place in
the government printing Office. Miss Har-
who has had TO battle alone with the world
ever since her father and her brother were
carried to the bottom of Lake Michigan
with the ship which her father sailed. Un-
like many OF the branches Of the Harrison
family tree, she has never made herself
known TO her exalted kinsman and unless
he reads this item he will never know that
his cousin is folding papers in the govern
ment printing Office.
The question was raised as to whether
the war department would take any Off
cial action because Of the death of Jeffer-
sou Davis. large oil painting of the
leader OF the lost cause hangs on the
wall of the chief clerks room, and bears
the following inscription: Jefferson
Davis, secretary of war, lS5357, Pierce's
administration" When asked what
course the department would pursue, Sec.
rotary Proctor said II see no occasion
for any action whatever. 1t would sub
serve no good purpose that can see. 1t is
better TO let the matter rest in oblivion's
sleep, If it will, and TO relegate it to the
past, than to do anything that would re-
vive memories better forgotten" The
mantle OF a noble charity is thrown over
the errors of the man who acted from
conscientious motives, and representative
men Of both north and south speak only in
kindly terms of the dead
little over ~ years ago there was or
gained in this city an organization OF
Michigan men either temporary or perman-
ent residents of the city, for the purpose Of
aiding Michigan soldiers During the past
quarter OF century the society has been
alternately partisan and social club. The
members OF the society have decided TO
abandon the pc rtical features of the organ
ization and are planning for a number OF
social entertainments during this winter
The president of the organization is Col. G..
II. Lincoln of Coidwater, and the secretary
is f. g. Barnard of Adrian