Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-12-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.
written and compiled for the HrRAIl

written and compiled for the HERALD. ]
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. S--The Pres
ident is devoting considerable portion
of bis time to careful and comprehensive
consideration of our present financial
system, which he, in common with many
other profound thinkers, believes the
country has ontgrown. That something
is needed he has long ago become con-
WINGED, but Just what that something is
and the best way to obtain it is
what has not been deci ded. 80
1t was because no decision had
been arrived al that neither the Presi-
dents message nor Secretary WINDOWS
annual report contained any specific
recommendation on this subject. Wheth-
er the President will later send a special
financial message to Congress or will, with
the aid of Senator and Representative,
embody the result of his thinking IN a
bill to be simultaneously introduced In
the House and Senate is as yet problem
atical. But something must be done
soon, for the clamOr for more money be-
comes louder and louder every day, and
the believers in a free and unlimited
coinage of silver, who constitute ma
jOuty in Congress, are growing more and
more restless.
Congress has lost no time to speak OF
in its firs5 week. The House has passed
the International copyright BILL the regu-
lar annual pension appropriation bill, and
several others of minor Importance,
while the Senate is working away at the
Federal election bill IN way which in
dieates that 1891 will still be very young
when the measure, slightly modlhed,
shall have become law of the land.
Senator Stanford has introduced bis
bill TO loan GoyerOm0nt money to farm
ers at low rates of interest upon mort
cages upon their real estate. He asked
that the bill be allowed to lie upon the
table until he shall have submitted few
remarks upon it. The Senate Finance
committee made an unfayorable report
upon this bill at the last session, but Mr.
Stanford insists that the more thought
he devOtes to the subject the more be be-
comes convinced that it is sound consti-
tutional and practical method of supply
ing the national need for a sound clTcu-
lating medium.
No change has yet been made in the
Senate rules 20 limit debate upon the
Federal election bill, and none will be
made until the Democrats begin to resort
to fillibusteing. There is an interesting
rumOI floating around the Capitol to the
effect that the Democratic Senators had
decided not to tillibuster against a final
vote. This may I've taken with a grain OF
allowance, in fact several of them.
Secretary Noble has been looking pref
ty closely into the business of the pension
office of late, and one of the results is
that bill prepared at his request has
been introduced in the House by Repre-
sentative Belknap, of Michigan, reducing
the fee of pension attorneys for obtaining
increases of pensions from SO to ST.. This
has raised howl among the pension at
torneys, whose fees for the month OF No
vember for increased pension cases alone
amounted to $50 600. Secretary Noble
says there is no need for an applicant for
an increase in pension to employ an at
torney to exact fee of $l0-for the NOM
inal service performed in such cases Mr.
Noble is understood to be considering
other changes in the methods of doing
business with the pension office that will
be beneficial to the country and to the
deserving pensioners.
The country has long ago become con-
WINGED that Mr.. Blaine is one of the
ablest, if not the ablest Secretary of State
we have eyer had, and the correspondence
in the Barrundia affair, which resulted
In the recall of minister Miner, just sub
mitted to Congress, adds another proof
to the strong ones already existing of Mr.
Blaine's aptitude in dealing with cOmpli-
Gated international questions. Democrat
ic Congressman vie with the Republi-
cans in complmentihg Mr.. Blaine for his
management of this matter. Ex-Govern-
or Pacbeco, of California, has been NOM
mated Minister to the Central America
States to succeed Mr.. Miner.
The House Census committee has prac>
tically agreed upon an appOrtionment
bill making the membership OF the House
1856, an increase of "a.
Senator Paddock on Saturday presented
to the Senate the protest of the conven-
ton of the National Farmers Alliance
against the passage of the COnger lard
bill. 1t is believed that the Senate will
pass Mr. Paddock's Pure Food bill as
a substitute for the lard bill.