The Forrest City times., 1890-12-20
OUR NATIONAL LETTER.

After many trials and tribulations
 the International copyright bill has
 been passed by the house.
 There isn't as much talk about Mir Blalne's reciprocity scheme as thef,
 was short time ago. and suspicion is arising that the administration isn't giving the secretary of state any earn
 est support in this matter.
 Representative Cr'in of Texas. has reported from the house committee ou pbstoiiices a resolution calling on the postmaster general as to the extent
 and grounds for complaints of ineffi- cient postoilicc service in Texas and | other states.
 | Mir. Harrison has. am credibly m | formed. made up 'is mind to send Il | special message to congress intimating what kind of financial bill he would 1 sign He has so llttle influence iit congress that it matters little what he | recommends.
 l Senator Vest has presented to the 1 senate n memorial from the National i Bankruptcy Convention, urging the
 i'amediate passage of the rurrey bank ruptcy bill. which passed the house at
 the last session. A number If peli- tons against it's passagc have been rr-
 ceived from the northwestern states. | The rrappurtioument bill, providing l for membership of 3s6 to the house
 of representatives. has been reported | to the house, and the republicans hay I ing tacitly agreed that New York i should have whatever additional repre-
 seutation it is entitled to should there | be Il recount in New York City and 1 Brooklyn, 1t is not thought that the democrats will oppose its passage. l The bill reducing the fee for ohtain- ing an increase in pension to g. has
 been tavorably reported to the house. 1 This is hard blow to the pension
 sharks, but Secretary Noble is trying
 to strike them still harder by gett,ug all the states to adopt the system now 1 in vogue in Massachusetts. Minne- sota and Wisconsin of having the at- l torney general of the state look after
 all applications for pensions free of charge.
 No nomination for the vacancy cn
 the bench If the supreme court has yet been sent the senate, and 1 am told by republican, senator that it is doubtful whether it will go in until l the force bill is disposed of. because MT. Harrison has rendered the ap pointment to Senator Spooner, and he Is afraid to have him leave the senate before the vote is taken on the force i bili-tle margin is too small to lose Il vote
 l The farce called an investigation of 1 the pension office has been resumed by 1 the house committee. The committee shows Il great deal more anxiety no: to find erookedness than it does to find
 it. An attempt will be made to get the eommittee to look into the meth
 ods by which sen of Commissions Ranm became attorney fer a large
 number If applicants whose claims l had been practically pigeoll-holed in | the office before he tuuk charge If them.
 Representative Dockery's resolution l providing fot an investigation of tbc charge that certain senators and repre- senatives entered T pool for tue piir- pose of speculdting in silver while the silver bill WAS pending at the last ses- l sion uf congress- aud that they poek-
 etea several million dollars in profits, l Is hung up in the house committee on rules ot which Speaker Reed is chairman, and 1t is said 1t will remain l there because number uf the speak
 ITS close friends have their pockets tull of the i'll gotten poodle" Secretary Noble has undertaken
 the task ot fighting tue pension sharks and bets are altraa, offered that they Will be able 10 dfise him out If the cabinet lie itIs aimed Il blow at
 their mnst valuable palnt the pock
 by having t bill introduced ln lhe house to reduc the fee ior securing an increase in peasian frum Sla tp II Corporal Tanger, wha has been gov. iug richer and richer ever since he was kicked out oi tie pension office and hung out his shingle as an attorney, k particularly bitter against Mf Nu- ble. wio he says, 1t thr b -siunBg of the trouhlr which lrd h hts retirement i from the head ui the peusian a,lIee ap- l proached him wltlg tHcse w,td>. Why, ! they tell ute. sir that ytni ale granting more pensions ali paying out mure
 moupy than Black did !"
 1 Mir. Harrison little scheme of push 1 ing he totcr bull far his own personal i benefit is tt last slowly beginning to ] percolate through the brains ot the other presidential candidates, and the result iS a decl led ctUlucss towards 1 that measure nu the part ot d number If leading republicans. It IS beiief ed : that Ir, Harrison is Iiguring that the I thousands uf supervisors aud deputy supery isurs, who would be appointed under this til. should it become d l law. might be utilized to form the ba- i sis of Il Harrison machine that might i eantr,l enough of the state deiega- 1 tions to the next republican national convention to insure hls nomination, i There is n very strong probability 1 that the force bin will be SteNed for goodahis week The administration
 and th. republican senators of the | lloar strike have heard from the peo- pie. and are n almost a panic ln'their
 anxiety to do something to satisfy the pubic demand for more money. and
 vel they arc mortally afraid that when
 one. a financial blll of any kind gets
 before ihs senate n substitute proyid- ] ing for free coinage will be adopted.
 1t was this fear which caused certain
 senators to attempt to get democratic
 senators to premise that if Il bill was introduced authorizing the secretary
 of the treasury to purchase anywhere
 from twenty tp thirty millions of dol | lars worth ot silver bullion they would
 not offer Tree coinage as Il substitute I for it. IL is needless to say that no l democrats made any promise; it is the | policy the democratic senators to
 keep clear of all entanglements, in or 1 der to be prepared to take advantage
 of any circumstances that may occur
 to secure legislation in behalf oi the
 people.