Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-04-11
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Regular Correspondence of the Standard.

| prOtectOn-a terrible drubbing He
said protective tariff is a curse and
not blessing. The farmers" he
continued, OF the United States do
not receive on an average more than
ten cela1s bushel for their corn, fifty
cents for their wheat and from two to
three cents pound for their hogs.
The time will Come, at no lar distant
day, when the farmer will look upon
the proposition to tax him and his
wife and children for the protection
and benefit OF other people, as he would
look upon law of Congress to estab-
llsh the army worm and weevil on his
wheat, or to infect his cattle with MUIR
rain and his hogs with cholera. Every
pretense of home market for the
farmer is fraud and every pretense
OF taxing wheat, oats and potatoes for
his benefit is q cheat and 4 sham. 1t
is u notorious and self-evident truth
that the tariff, as it now stands, in
creases the farmers expense account
from 80 to 100 per cent. on every i'm.
plement with which he tolls. do not
see how the hand of farmer can hoh
a Republican ticket at the next Presi.
dental election. In the last 25 years
the improved farm lands OF the United
States have decreased in value at least
33 per cent.
The Republicans of the House Ways
and Means Committee have finished
their tariff bill, and nice mess it is.
1t is claimed that it will make reduc-
ton of sec, 100000 per annum in the
revenues of the Government, and that
one-half of it will come off of sugar.
Republicans are kicking like steers"
and openly saying that they will not
support the bill, and that it is already
plain that the bill cannot be passed by
the House unless it is made a caucus
measure, and even then its fate will be
doubtful. Delegations from various
sections are coming on every train to
protest against some portion Of the
bill.
The Worlds Fair bill has been re-
ported to the House. 1t provides for
the dedication of the buildings on
April 80, 1892, but leaves the date of
the opening of the exposition to be
named hereafter. 1t is probable that
an amendment naming 1893 as the
time, will be adopted by the House.
The Republican Senators seem to
be ashamed Of the action of the Re-
publican members OF the Committee
on Elections in deciding to seat the
Republican contestants from Mon
tana. A conference of Republicans
was held on Tuesday night to discuss
the matter. 1t is hardly probable,
however, that they will be sufficiently
ashamed to do justice when the time
comes to vote on the committees re.
port.
A bill transferring the Revenue
Marine Service from the Treasury to
the Navy Department has been passed
by the House, and is likely to go
through the Senate.
Representative Norton, of Missouri,
has offered resolution in the House
calling attention to the reports that
Inspectors and Special Agents of the
Postoffice Department have been de-
voting their time to investigating the
claims of Republican applicants for
postmasterships instead of to the pub
lie duties for which they art. paid. and
calling upon Mr.. Wanamaker for an
explanation. It will not be adopted,
but it ought to be, all the same.
Mr.. Morton has returned from his
political jaunt-to Florida and is again
presiding over the Senate.
Senators Call and George have
asked to be relieved from further duty
on the Committee on Immigration,
OF which Senator Chandler is Chair
man. They refuse to associate with
Chandler or to serve under him on
the committee.
Some Of the members OF the Three
Americas Congress have disconcerted
the Republicans by expressing belief
that it would be impossible to build
up large trade between Central and
South America and. the United States
as long as the latter persists in main
tanning high protective tariff. 1t is |
an indisputable fact though.
Another Democrat-Mr. Compton,
of Maryland-has been put out of the
House to make room for Republican. |
1t was stated that quite a number of
Republicans would vote with the
Democrats in this case, but they did
nothing of the kind.
Interest in Silcott was renewed this |
week by the arguments in Represen-
tative Grains suit before the U. S. |
Court of Claims to recover from the |
his salary which Silcott |
carried off. This is O test case and |
upon it depends the action of the
other members who lost their salaries. |
WASHINGTON, d. c., March q, 1890.
Senator Sherman's alleged antitrust
bill which his Republican colleague,
Senator Platt, says is sham and de-
lusion, and nothing less than a hum
bugging of the people, has been over
loaded with amendments by the SEN
ate. OF course everybody here knows
that this bill, if it was a law, would not
hurt single trust. Mr.. Sherman
himsel: has admitted that the bill is
only intended as q warning to the
trusts, and he might have added, that
It would also if passed prevent the pas
sage of any other measure that might !