The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-03-23
Current Events.


9Th Dlst-Boissenins store, Tuesday evening.
-
Current Events.
The only business of Interest at Wash
ington Is Office seeking; and the only busi'
ness transacted by the senate Is approving
appointments made. Several plums OF
greater or less degree OF succulency have
been distributed to the chief men. White
law Reid Of the New York Tribune, gets
the mission to France. He wanted that to
England, and Blaine wanted II for him ;
but both had to yield, and Mr.. ke!d goes
70 Paris, where he can do the host with
less remarks about his presence than he
could at London. Fred. Grant wanted the
China mission, but got the consul general
ship at VIENNA sinecure with lat sal.
ary. Fred. had to be taken care OF, OF
course, but II was thought he Isn't quite
equal to the China case, which has consid.
able responsibility and a good deal OF hard
work connected with 1t. John G. New OF
the Indianapolis Journal, goes TO London
a. consul general-anOther fiat take,
without any too much work attached.
John w. Mason of West Virginia, has been
made commissioner Of internal revenue-a
place Illinois asked for, on the ground that
che paid the greatest amount OF taxes OF
that kind into the treasury, but got left
as usual. Mason's appointment shows that
the famous Steve Elkins Is not without his
influence.
Il Is expected that the President will
soon issue his proclamation declaring the
Oklahoma lands open TO settlement. The
tract comprises only 100000 acres,
touched by the G. X. a. N. Road Crock
Island ROute) in Its southWes border
This does not include the Cherokee lands
"A commission to treat for which will be
appointed later. or course, the proclama.
ton Is anxious!y awaited by the land grab.
beers, a vast Dody Of whom are now en-
camped on the line ready to jump In the
moment the proclamation IL issued. But
for the fact that the law expressly prohibits
settlement before the proclamation appears,
and debars anyone who makes a settlement
before that time from ever holding title to
lands there, the country would long since
have been overrun The scramble shows,
II anything, how scarce good government
lands have become In the last ten years,
II will not be long before all will have
been disposed Of, when the railroads, who
In the palmy days of republicanism, swal-
lowed up so much of the public domain,
which should have been held forever for
the people, will hold the situation In their
own hands and make millions of profit out
of an Investment of-Dothing legitimate.
1t Is just barely possible the binder
irvine trust may prove good thing In dis
Il l,,., Of N n nrnnnrttnnl
the Irvine trust Is entitled TO blue ribbon !;
but IL is not without rivals 1t is but one
of many most notable entries OF which the
sugar trust, and, not 10 mention hundred
or more others, the proposed steel and salt
trusts are not the least promising. They
are all Of the same breed and when their
pedigree Is run down they all come from
the same stock the protective tariff
That gave them existence and sustains
their life now. Az said. the bindertwine
trust may be good thing in disguise-it
may possibly, open the eyes of the farmer
10 the fact that this protective tariff may
be something different than he thinks
that while II protects the twine man, the
farmer is left unprote cted while the trust
goes through his pocket book like an Iowa
blizzard through his apple orchard. The
VARIOUS IntetlDRS uoiu w piotOoe
against the behavior Of the manufacturers,
while considerable waste of vital force
as respects the direct object of the pro-
test, are, however, developing some curious
facts in regard TO the manufacturers meth
dds; showing how, when they feel ike 1t
and they are feeling very much like 1t
the manufacturers can take advantage of
the situation the tariff place. the business,
a. Al. e. For all to In N
For instance, last season, when sisal twine
was held at IS to Ia cents per pound, one
ausrter inch rope made of exactly the
same material, In the same factory, by the
same machinery, was sold at 8 to I'D cents
per pound Another peculiar thing Is that
dealers say that the unsold twine returned,
for which they asked IA cents, was re-
manufactured by twisting four lengths OF
twine together and making quarter-inch
rope. IL was then sold at cents per
pound, or 5 cents less when II was called
rope than when II WAS bought as Irvine.
This year the manufacturers have things
fixed so that the wholesale price of Irvine
and rope Is the same. The agitation OF the
Irvine question has already resulted how
ever. in com sratively few contracting for
irvine for this year both among dealers and
IhTUtIs, anu IL 10 Juoe pooSiuio 'hO hoS'
may upset their trough by overriding the
robbery, for II appears certain that If the
present determinations of the trust and of
the farmers are held to, considerable grain
will be cut loose and the old fashioned
cradle again used.
The lower house of the Legislature on
Saturday took up the Drainage Bill and
advanced the time for Its consideration
from April 18th 10 April 4th. In the SEN
ate on Wednesday the Mcmillan bill to re.
move the dams In Illinois river, considered
a part of the drainage scheme, was taken
up and passed. This bill is entitled "An
act to cede certain locks and dams In I'LL
nois river to the United States" 1t pro-
vidas for a cession Of existing State dams
at Henry and Copperas creek to the gen
era government on condition that that
power shall remove the dams and create
q nav.gable open channel from Chicago to
10 the Mississippi Of not less than seven
feet In depth. II also provides that In case
of the non acceptance Of the gift by the
general government within four years, the
canal commissioners shall be authorized
and instructed to remove said dams.