Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-02-21
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our Regular Correspondent
WAauINcroN Eah IA 1E


WASHINGTON, Feb. IA, 1890.
The majority of the ways and means
committee hope to get their tariff bill
into the House by the LIST of March, but
it is probable that they will not have it
ready so soon. They are finding some
difficulty in fixing upon any place
where the cut of duty can be made.
From present indications it seems not
likely that there will be any reduction
of customs duty except on sugar, and
that, on the contrary, in many cases
there may be an increase. The only
material reduction of revenue that
there seems to be any agreement upon
is tobacco and whisky used in the arts.
The sugar question is giving them con-
sid cradle trouble. The proposition to
take off considerable per cent. of the
duty and make up the difference to the
producers by bounty does not meet
with the approval of the sugar men,
and il is possible that the clause will
be stricken out of the bill in the House,
or that it may finally defeat the whole
measure. There are understood to be
ten republicans in the House who will
vote against any considerable reduc-
ton of the sugar trust. and six of them
declare that they will vote against the
entire bill if the clause is retained when
the question comes to be finally voted
on in the House. This opposition in
their own party perplexes the major
ity of the committee in making up
their bill.
The common saying that republics
are ungrateful cannot be applied to this
republics treatment of those who have
been disabled in its military service.
The pension fund is seventy millions,
with the prospect that it will be in
creased during the present session by
the small bills and general pension
legislation-not including measure
presently to be considerable an
amount above one hundred millions
per annum. The proposition supported
by Gov. Hovey of Indiana for the pay
ment of general service pension will
largely increase this amount, if enact
ed. There are about twelve hundred
thousand pensioners, and at the pre-.
posed rate of eight dollars per month
the sum per annum would be $1l5, 200,-
600. A separate measure providing
for arrearages carries about $600,000,-
600 additional. These various sums
when added transcend the ability of
ordinary minds to comprehend and the
average citizen cannot discover the
ways and means for raising the sum
total, let him ponder the problem ever
SO long But the people elected the
Congress of the United States and the
wholesale increase of the pension list is
all right if the people agree to it. If
the taxpayer cannot stand it his voice
will surely be heard in the land and
that before many days.
The amusing farce popularity known
as an executive session in the Senate,
was particularly humorous during the
discussion of the nomination of Gener-
al Morgan to be commissioner of Indi-
an affairs. On all hands were visible
and cumbrous evidences of attempted
secrecy The doors were closely shut,
the stairways were guarded to prevent
intrusion of the public, and pages and
employees loitered around the building
not being allowed within the sacred
precincts. A so-called secret session
was in progress. Secret? During the
afternoon groups of interested people
sauntered along the lower corridors.
The word would be passed around:
Henderson has just quit talking and
Spooner is on the floor" "What is
Spooner saying?" "He says Morgan
ought to be confirmed, though person
ally he does not care whether he is or
not" Later in the proceedings the re-
marks of Senator Dawes, Reagan,
Evarts and Dolph were duly discussed
in the corridors, and the Commissioner
himself stayed at the Capitol through
out the afternoon learning at intervals
of five minutes or so just what was go
ing oil within the closed doors. The
&c irNh
President Harrison and Secretary
Blaine are taking active steps to con-
tinue in operation until more perma-
nent agreement can be determined up
on the modus vivendi under which fish
ing vessels of the United States are all
lowed to enter Canadian ports to pur-
chase bait. This modus vivendi ex-
pires to-day. Several conferences have
been held this week between the Secre-
tary of State and Sir Julian Paunce-
fote, the British minister, at which the
matter was discussed in all its details
1t is probable that some official an
nouncement as to the status of the
matter will soon be made.
Col. Daniel 5. Lamont, looking the
picture of health and prosperity, called
at the White House Wednesday after
noon, and after short chat with his
successor was presented to the Presi-
dent, with whom lie spent half an hour
very agreeably. There was quite a
levee held in the telegraph room at the
White House, for as soon as it was
known that Col. Lamont was in the
house all the attaches flocked around
him and were greeted in the cordial
manner for which Daniel is noted.
There was never but one organiZa-
ton in Washington that carried on an
extensive business in the line of office
brokerage, and that is now the subject
of Congressional investigation. Even
the cloak of civil service commission
cannot popularize the political bunko
game. IL.
A Quaker Printers Proverbs.