The sun., 1890-01-23

against any increase Of duty on apeotacles and
steel speotacles and eyeglasses, .as well es on
the lenses for the same, should be reduceo
from As per cent, cd yalorem; to 20 or ~ per per
be less than 80 per cent.
Grand Rapids is the second largest city in
the State OF Michigan. and boasts Of populR-
tion VI about 10000. A very large share OF
these people have boon for several weeks past
engaged in q wrangle among themselves over
the appointment OF n PostmasteE. The con-
and President Harrison and Postmgster-Gen-
eral Wanamaker are giving up much Of their
the iS various T visiting. delegations The contest
involves the right OF a Congressman to name
the in the city WHERE he T9sass
man who has the honor of hailinR from Grand
Raplds lie, Charles y. Belknap Nepublloan,
tho little giant. Ford, who made such stir in
the Forty-nlnth Congress as Chairman OF the
The term Of the Democratic Postmaster at
Grand Rapids expired some week ago. and
Belknap recnmmended the appolntmesnt s. Oh i: ooI:
went by, and Belknap was greatly annoyed,
not only because Pierce was not appointed,
rS%son S%s 9eSSSs' %hS the PTesdent s and The POST
master General were always smiling and
agreeable when the Congressman rt called hda PHt
After some research Belknap learned that the
cause of the delay was the interference ot Don
j. Leathers, q millionaire Republican OF Grand
Raplds, who has candidate in the person OF
Fred Clark, Chairman OF the Republican County
i the assiStence s of First Assistant A Postmaster
Administrstlon, and cIarkson auietlSy, hung up
the case. Then the fight grew more bitter. ana
assumed such proportions with the growth of
a few weeks that it now threatens to aIect the
Ing to the bad blood enGendered between lead
ing Republicans Is almost certain @ 10 Svs ss tRe ne
tbs Shs RSDS dS bs KsSean rs S9' have
within the past few days received Q bnshel OF
telegrams urging them to take hand In the
however: they say that ,anot|s The SISPt GSPt
e50ssmSn eo name the "f post@astor @ Gp the
Leathers wing Of the party has the best OF the
fight and the Congressman has pee become very
turn him down as they did Congressman Dal-
Hell when he ATTEMPTED to name Postmaster
one or or two Of his friends have been in Wash
inGton for month fighting the Congressman.
dent aet ESathers ca at fHdapapos
campaign and took fancy to him. He gives
him admission to the White House at all hours,
SrranGement by boldly attacking; the moral
den Sr Harrson en' eVdenty did not place
much faith In the story: as he has since been
than TSa bS Mchsan
cans came here in behalf OF the Congressmi}an's
candidate. They ATTEMPTED unsuecesstully to
ing him that unless he backed up Belknap
and his candidate his chances Of ,re re-
W0H6 eS to be SeaPt
the other fellow, but remained ilrm N MS de-
termination not to appear In the light. Sena.
tor Mcmillan. who represents the eastern part
Of the State and who has full term ahead of
him tempted fate sufficiently to Introduce the
other delegation will be here to give the. the other
side OF the case. 1t is understood that Con-
gressman Beknap has said that II the the res Presi,
his seat in Congress. He even intmated this
to the President who. 1t Is understood. gully
replied that he was the appointing power; Ihls
made Beknap feel uneasy. and he Is not happy
over the prospects OF getting his man In.
Senator Blair had streak of luck to-day.
which came to him as an entire surprise. and
which is not at all pleasing to his Senatorial
colleagues. While a dozen Senators were
dosing at their desks and the others were about
The building n bSS baae The the
of the Senate for several years. slipped INTO q
place In the order of business where nothing
can dslodge it. and whore 1t must remain until
the unfinished business has been disposed OF,
or until Mr.. Blair gives up the struRgle- Early
yesterday afternoon the Senate found that 1t
had nothing to do. so a motion was agreed to to
proceed to the consideration OF bills on the cal
endar. and large number OF bllls were passed.
To-day the same programme was gone through
with. The Senate was working under rule 8:
by which any bill can be taken up by vote OF
ed debate until disposed Of Entirely by aeci-
dent. and when nobody. except, perhaps Mr.;
bill for the education Of the million at Govern
ment expense was before the Senate. AS soon
as it was read half a dozen Senators I simulta-
neously realized the awful situation. Three or
four promptly came forward with propositions
for getting the bin out Of the way. and M.
Plumb and Frye slyly and insinuatipgly pro-
posed various schemes to Mr.. Blair Tor post
ponng the 8 hs 6 Bar NE sbnnS
for sos some future day. but Mr. Blair was not to
told his colleagues that he greatly appreciated
their exceeding kindness and solicitude for the
fused e a. to o Yield to any Of their 6landshments
He preferred toIhavelthe bIlhe said,Iustiwhere
it was, the unfinished business to come up day
after day until a vote was had. Tho Senators
on both sides Of the chamber were appalled, at
the prospect but at once realized that MIR.
Blair was master of the situation. Finally, out
over until Feb. 8. 1t Is now before the Senate,
however and will be the uHinShed m 6S business I
posed to let 1t be set aside for various matters
that come UP for consideration.
Among the Postmasters appointed yesterday
was Joseph A. Howells for Jefferson. Ohio, the
homo of Joshua r. Giddings and Ben Wade.
The new Postmaster is u brother of Novelist
W. D.. Howells. whose influence had much to
do with the appointment. W. /. THOMPSON
was made Postmaster at McKeesport, Pa. al
though Senator Quay favored the candidacy OF
W. L. Harrison, who was also backed by sew
eral wealthy New lork city firms with business
in McKeesport. Thompsons victory
Is triumph for Chris Magee over Quay. and Is
SO regarded by Pennsylvania politicians.
The Ways and Means Committee to-daymade
a very important amendment to the Mckinley
bill. and one that will be re-
garded with great interest by all importers.
The amendment. which was introduced by |
Mills. provides that hereafter
ImDOTtatlOlS
from the Collectors decision as to The amount
OF duty 10 be paid, shall lie In the Government
warehouse until the suit on the appeal is de- |
cided. Tho effect Of this amendment will |
be to prevent the refundng OF largo |
goods 10 consumers at prices commensurate
with the high duty paid 1t Is thought that the |
ing Of appeals, covering Al importations and |
restrict the suits to specific cases. thus ena- |
bling tho importers to take their goods out OF |
the warehouse Had such an amendment |
been in the present law the Government could |
not have been compelled to refund the six or |
seven millions OF dollars that 1t Is now required
.-lt