The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1890-08-01
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.

Nrfom ouI hcs ulhI correspondent.
Washington, July 23, 1890.
The republicans in Congress could
not possibly be in more demoralized
condition than they are, e,prominent Sen.
ators are openly protesting against the
tariff bill, and no republican Senator
has so far dared to rake speech up
on it for fear that the bill may be so
radically changed that the speech could
be quoted against the party in the
campaign.
The fight between the friends of Mr..
Blaine and of Speaker Reed grows
more bitter every day, and will with
out question be to the death; the anti
Blaine republicans are openly sneering
at the foreign policy of the Govern
ment, which writes "jingo" letters to
foreign ministers for the public per-
usal and sends secret orders to disman-
tie the Revenue cutters which had
been fitted up, especially to carry out
our alleged policy in Bering Sea.
Mr.. Harrison has been appealed to to
come to the rescue and it is stated that
he has promised to send special mes.
sage to congress suggesting a compro-
mise upon which his party may agree.
Commissioner of Pensions Raum is
to receive coat of whitewash from
the House committee on Pensions, the
republicans having decided that to be
the easiest way of stopping the ugly
talk about the fsvoriteism and other
crookedness in the Pension Office. The
public will not be SO lenlent if Repre-
sentative Cooper can substantiate his
charges, and he is positive that he
can.
1t having already become apparent
that the high price of bullion silver
will make the new silver law dead
letter, Senator Morgan has introduced
bill for the free coinage of silver. 1t
is the same bill which the Senate has
once passed: but it is by no means Ger.
tain that the republicans will again
support it.
Senator Frye has received another
letter from Mr.. Blaine on the recipro.
city question. The protection" theory
seems to be playing out. What the
republican party will scare up for an
issue at the next election is not appar-
ent. Mr.. Blaine's letter was an abso-
lutte free trade document, although not
to be too sudden, he suggested the ex-
tension of commercial liberty only to
the countries of this continent. He
gives Senator Frye the credit of having
more sense than the other republican
senators, and thus excuses himself for
addressing his letter to him. He says
that this nation is fond of sugar, and
that the revenue collected from that
article last year was $5S,000,O0O. It's
the subject of debate in the Senate at
present, and Senator Aldrich and his
colleagues on the Finance committee
are trying to agree on a reciprocity
amendment to the Mckinley tariff bill,
but do not want to have it labeled
"Blaine's scheme"
1t stands there yet as unfinished
The most common sense view of the
matter was rendered by Senator Vance
He said that the removal of unneces.
sary taxes vas a matter of wisdom,
and that to continue to collect them
was not to be thought of for moment.
But those who would thirk so ''would
reckon without their host That had
been proved by the history of the
tariff commission of 1882, which had
utterlS ign bred the wants of the people
and thought only of the wants and
wishes of the manufacturers. What
the people desired was a common sense
reduction of the revenue, and a CORES.
ponding relief of the payment of taxes
but the taking off of two cents pound
to the sugar producer, on the other
was not the way to do il, under tha,
system the taxes remained and the
people had 10 pay them. Agriculture
supplied rs per cent of the foreign ex
ports of this country, and the arrange
meat of the tariff prevented such trade
from being quadrupled, by precludipe
other nations from exchanging theil
products ioI those of America; anc
that the only possible effect of tn,
Mckinley bill was to aggravate tn,
evil.
But referring to Mr.. Blaine's letter
he said that il it were important to ex
tend American trade to Central anC
South America, it could not be unim
portant to extend'it to the European
continent, where the wealth and pop
ulstion was ten times as great.
The poor old Mckinley bill canno
fiud friend. Senators Allison ant
Pierce are down on it, and everybod,
is ashamed TO be identified with I.
The Lodge federal election bill i
also knocked out. The Sub-committe
of the Senate have mutilated it will
amendments that it will hardly be re
icognized.
The nice little scheme which Nj
Blaine hatched up to have Congress
charter an International America
bank, with his personal friends an
political supporters as officials, stand
very little show of being endorsed b
Congress.
Senator Morgan, member of th
Senste committee on Foreign Affair.
says, there will be no war wit
Rpgland; but that if there should bt
Russia would, in honor bound,
compelled to become our ally.