The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1890-06-11
Washington Letter.

w ASHlNGlON, ~. ", ult V, lCJt.
The senate finance committee has
been almost overwhelmed this week 10y
the crowd of wealthy importers who
have come down here hoping by the
half billion dollars which they repre-.
sent to awe the republican senators in
to taking certain clauses out of the Me-
Kinley tariff bill. These gentlemen say
that if the Mckinley bill becomes law
it will benefit the American manufac-
turers and drive the importers out of
business To which member of the
committee replies, That is just what
ought to be done; the importers are of
no benefit to any one but themselves,
while the American manufacturer ben
efits the whole community by reason of
the large amount of money they pay out
in salaries. The business of importing
might be stopped entirely without seri-
Gus injury to this country" That is
the whole question in IA paragraph.
The interests of the importer and the
foreign manufactures are identical, and
every concession to them means just SO
much taken from the American manu-
facturer.
The senate has passed resolution to
investigate the United States fish COM
mission, and some very interesting
facts can be brought to light if the
right witnesses are examined. The
fish commission is run as an independ-
ent bureau, owing allegiance to no de-
partment of the government except to
congress, and some very rich stories of
the doings aboard the Fish-haw and
the other steamers belonging to the
commission have been whispered
around Washington for several years.
The unusually large number of allow
ances recently made by the pension Of
flee have made a deficiency in the funds
in the possession of the various pension
agents throughout the country, and il
is probable that quite number of pen
sioners whose claims are now due will
be compelled to wait until after the
first of July for their money.
The house has been stirring up po-
litical feeling by taking action upon
several of the contested election cases
and putting the men who were elected
into the seats which have been filled by
the fellows who stood in with the re-
turning boards.
The house and senate conferees have
failed to agree on the pension bill, and
the house has instructed its committee
to stand by the service pension feature
of the bill in the new conference which
is to be held.
Senator Henderson, who has been i'll
for several weeks, is again filling his
seat. He has entirely recovered.
Senator Sherman has offered the
wool schedule prepared by the Nation
al Wool Growers association as an
amendment to the Mckinley tariff bill,
Speaker Reed does not weary i'm well
doing. He has given orders that the
lunch, cigar, bric-a-brac and news
stands, which have for years disligured
the corridors leading to the house wing
of the Capitol building, shall get out by
the first of the month
The senate commerce committee ex.
pect to report the river and harbor bill,
which recently passed the house, to
the senate inside of zen days.
1t does not require mind reader to
tell the congressman who have been re-
nominated from those who have been
turned down by their constituents. The
last named gentlemen do lots of smil.
ing, but the smiles do not hide their
disgust. Several republican members
have been lost in the shuttle whose alb
sence will cause no Inconvenience to
the party.
The Maryland republican state asso-
citation has unanimously passed reso.
luton endorsing the McComas anti.
gerrymandering bill, and asking con.
gress TO pass it.
Senators Hale and Cockrell got into
little discussion about Canada that
has attracted a good deal of attention
here. Both senators seem TO take il
for granted that it is only question OF
time when Canada will belong to the
United States, Mr.. Hale believing that
the annexation would be peacably
brought about and that the United
States would assume the responsibility
of the Canadian public debt, while Mr..
Cockrell says that possession will be
forcibly taken and SO much of the debt
as may be held in Great Britain will be
repudiated. A verbatim report of the
debate was cabled TO the British for.
eign office by member of the legation
in this city.
Secretary Window, having waited
some months for the resignation oi
Chief Bell, of the treasury secret serv'