The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-07-03
Washington Letter.

WAsIIIN6ToN. ID. c. June 70, 1871.
Mr. Harrison and his cabinet have had a
time to-day over the present and pros
pectiye condition of the treasury. They
have got a temporary breathing spell,
and the deficit which existed a few days
ago has been succeeded by small,
available cash balance; but soon after
the first ef July calls will begin to be
made for cash to meet the appropria-
tions made at the last session OF the
billion dollar Congress and the ques-
ton il, where TO get the money to pay
them? The revenues OF the Govern
uent both from customs duties and IN
ternal revenue are falling off at an ap-
palling rate The extension of the S5O,-
600, 900 Il per cent bonds. while little
help, can hardly be considered drop in
the bucket when the amount that will be
needed is considered.
Something has got to be cut off; that's
as certain as anything can be. But to
decide what is driving the administra-
ton wild. All this month thousands of
pension certificates, all ready to be Is
sued, have been piled up in the Pension
Office in order to stave off the payment
of the money for which they call. An
apparent gain of a few millions is to be
made by changing the form of the
Treasury statement so as to Show the
money on deposit with National banks
as available cash. in the Treasury, and
Secretary Foster is credited with intend
ing, if he can get the Attorney General
To give an opinion that it will not be ille
gal, to issue certificates for general cir
culation against the twentyodd mill
ion dollars of fractional silver now in
the Treasury. 1t looks at this time
very much as if the Democratic House
of Representatives will find il necessary
to investigate some of the contemplated
financial Juggling, and as if there was
going to be serious trouble, perhaps i'm
peachment for somebody.
So many of the candidates for Speak
er of the House have been in town this
week that every body was saying ''Well,
the next Speaker of the House is in
town" The sentence was originated by
bright newspaper man when McMill-
en- Joined Mills, Springer, Bynum, VIII
son and several others already here.
Representative Breckenridge, of Ar
kansas, has some interesting, views of
the present political condition of the
country. He says: ''At present the
thirty years the public mind has
been clouded by the smoke of battle;
public sentiment in all matters of poll
tics has been more or less influenced by
the remembrance of the war, and preju
dice has entered into every process of
reasoning. Now the people are beginning
to think for themselves, and economic
questions, not sentiment, are occupying
their attention. The people are not sat
isfed that things should stay for all
time as they are; they know that there's
something wrong and they are deter
mined to right IT. They will 60 at it
awkardly. not being used TO dealing with
such questions, and they will make some
mistakes and do things that will be hurt
full, but in the end they will accomplish
the reforms they seek, and can see that
the final result will be triumph for
Democracy, which is and has always
been the party Of the people"
Few people could, guessing off handed,
come within many million dollars of the
amount paid out in pensions by this
Government since July /, 1861. The
figures We're this week made up at the
pension office and here is the total foot
ing: 81, ,2S4, ,716, 900. Just think! One
| billion, two hundred and eighty-four
| million, seven hundred and sixteen
| thousand dollars. If this money was all
| in fifty dollar bills the average mans life
would not be long enough to count it.
not even if il were possible for him to
work continuously at the task
Col Robert c. Ingersoll and Mr. ]. W.
! Mackay, known to fame as one of the
! Bonanza Kings, were closeted with Mr.
| Harrison for nearly two hours one day
/ this week, and there is reason for be-
! icving that the subject under discussion
was silver. 1t is somewhat puzzling
! why these gentlemen should have at
| tempted to surround their visit to Wash
ington with so much mystery. At the
hotel where they stopped the name of
neither of them appeared on the regis
| ter. Such precaution was absurd when
| both of them are well known to every
! newspaper man of any prominence in
! Washington.
/ "Lige" Halford, the Presidents pri-
vate secretary, is now regarded as a DO.
| litical boss. The Commissioners of the
| District of Columbia, one Democrat, one
! Republican and one army officer, who
/ is supposed to have no politics, decided
to remove the Health officer, Republi-
can against whom charges had been pre-
ferred, and to appoint in his place a
Democrat, and their intention was an
nounced in the local papers before il
was officially consumated. ''Lige''
I called halt, because the new man was
a Democrat, and Mr. Harrison when he
arrived the next day endorsed 'Lige, u
and no change was made. NJ.