Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-04-25
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER
Regular Correspondence of the Standard.

'ho ihliollll ioPort OIl the mckinney
tariff bill, and it is very strong ant
full statement of the position of the
Democratic party on the tariff. 1t has
abeut been decided that the Demo
Gratis OF the House will not prepare q
tariff bill of their own, but will Offer
such amendments to the Mckinley
bill as there may seem probability Of
passing with the aid of Republican
votes, provided that the Republicans
make serious attempt to pass theil
bill which nj this time seems some.
what doubtful.
The Senate has just completed the
absurd farce by passing the alleged
bill against trusts which was reported
from the Judiciary committee last
week as Il substitute for the Sherman
bill, which was itself fraud as far as
placing any real restrictions upon the
operations of the trusts was concerned.
OF course the people know better than
to expect any relief from a Senate
largely composed of millionaires who
have made their money by trusts or
similar monopolies. The Senate is
too far from the people to have a fel-
low feeling for them.
The members OF the House whose
salaries were carried off by Silcott are
happy. The Secretary of the Treasury
having decided not to appeal from the
decision of the Court of Claims that
the Government was responsible. A
bill appropriating $4,000 to make
good the stolen money has passed
both House and Senate.
The Montana contested election case
is still being debated as unfinished
business" between times by the Sen
ate. The Republicans appear to be
ashamed to carry out their program,
but by the time boss Quay brings out
his whip they will obey him as usual.
The Republicans of the House made
sly attempt this week to railroad a
modified pension bill, involving an es-
timated expenditure of $30,OOO,OOO a
year, through under suspension Of
the rules, but fortunately for the tax
payers of the country, the necessary
two-thirds vote was not secured,
though they came very near it.
Still another useless Office is pro-
posed. The Republicans, encouraged
by their success in getting Congress to
create Assistant Secretaries of the
Navy and War Departments, have in
troduced q bill for still another AS
sistant Secretary of the Navy at sal
ary of $500 a year, and this to in
face Of the fact that one can hardly
turn around in. Washington without
coming in contact with Naval officers
drawing salaries for doing nothing,
who might just rs well perform the
duties of Assistant to the Secretary of
the Navy.
The Republicans are now trying to
tickle the silver people by giving it out
that Iecial committee of the Senate
is preparing a bill that is to be more
favorable to silver than any of the
measures now before Congress-.
The lot Of the Civil Service Com
mission is certainly not a happy one.
An attempt is to be made in the House
10 defeat its appropriation. This would
be cruel way to kill the law, but
many people think it would be justiti-
able.
Mr.. Blaine's proposition to amend
the Mckinley tariff bill so as to make
it imperative in the cases of such
American countries rs will reciprocate
is not enthusiastically received by the
Republicans in Congress. They say
that the proper way to bring about
free trade, if it is desired with those
countries, is to negotiate separate re-
ciprOcity treaties with each and sub
NIT them to the Senate for ratification.
Perhaps Mr.. Blaine remembers the
treatment the Senate gave, not so long
ago, to a reciprocity treaty with Mexi-
co. Several reciprocating treaties are
believed to have already been nego-
tiated by Mr.. Blaine with Central and
South American countries.
The members of the Pan American
Congress leave here on the 18th inst.
for tour OF the South. They will re
turn May 10.
Early in the present Administration
Mr.. Harrison appointed an Indiana
negro to the responsible position of
Recorder of the General Land Office.
The other day patent for valuable
tract of mineral land was prematurely
and illegally, if not fraudulently,
issued by that office. Secretary Noble
publicly censured the negro recorder
and discharged white clerk through
whose hands the patent passed, but
Mr.. HarrisOn's protege is still Record
er, and it is said that Secretary Noble
dares not dismiss him. DEN.
The PRINTERS of the Seattle Times
are out on strike. The kick is over
the width of the Times columns, which
is one and half ems narrower than
the standard measure. They demand
ed that the columns be widened or the
pay increased seven cents per thous-
and. The Times now comes out on a
half-shell set up and printed by the
editorial force, some of whom are
printers.
A sBLOoN is to be established at the
town of Nooksack, where temperance
sentiment starved one out a few years
ago.
TACOMA Hotel ia tn have nm addi-