The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1891-08-01
Commissioner Mason.

Hon. John w. Mason, Com mis-
sioner of Internal Revenue, has been
moving among his friends in town
for few days, shaking hands in his
most genial fashion.
The New DOMINION scribe cornered
him for few minutes and proceeded
to remark upon his health as ipdi-
Gated by the conspicuous prominence
of his ebay window"
From the common eourtesies the
scribe glided, in guileless way, into
matters of public interest; and the
Commissioner being very unsophis-
ticated parsonage { y submitted, out
of the goodness of his heart, to the
gentle application of the probe.
What, asked the scribe, are you
doing in the internal Revenue De
partment of interest to the public?
1--WE have just about finished ma
king up the estimate of the sugar
bounty to be paid by the govern
ment."
How much will that amount to?
About ten millions of dollars"
Goodness, gracious! exclaimed the
scribe, do we raise that much sugar?
Eyes, about eight ninths of that
goes to Louisiana. There are few
others making beet sugar.
Well, said the scribe, while you
have reduced the price of sugar by
taking off the tariff, you make the
people pay the reduction in the
shape of bounty. You are taxing
Peter to pay Paul Cheap sugar is
therefore somewhat of delusion.
1t is as if a merchant should reduce
his sugar one cent per pound and
add one cent to his coffee.
Be square now, Mr. Commission
er, and tell me, is the tariff tax?"
"Well it is and it isn't 1t is a
tax when the foreign maker fixes
the price, but not when we fix the
price"
The Commissioner here went into
an exhibition of his theory, but the
scribe got beyond his depth and
Wdueu OUT.
Tell us about Harrison, said the
scribe, is he as cold blooded as he is
reputed to be?
"No, Harrison is very genial man
when you know him. He is very
cautious and deliberate, and wants
to hear the other side even when it
is his best friend in question, which
sometimes leaves the impression that
he is heartless, but he is very So
cial and pleasant man"
Will he be candidate for re-elec-
ton?
''It looks that way now
Is he not setting it up for himself
very deliberately?
81 have heard him say that he
could not tell before the end of his
term whether he would be a candi-
date or not, but / think he would be
disappointed if, at the end of his
term, he would find that the people
did not want him"
How about Blaine?
81 don't think Harrison and Blaine
will ever have any conflict on that
point"
Do you think Blaine will not be a
candidate?
mo, / don't believe he will be. /
don't think his family will permit it.
They are unwilling that he should
again go through the turmoil and
labor of another campaign. He is
probably not sufficiently robust in
health to stand it.
Do you not think he is stronger
now, politically, than he ever was?
"Yes. And l think he is the
brainiest man in America. l have
never met man who impressed me
as being so we'll informed on all mat
tiers that would concern public
man, and who, in fact, knows SO
much generally and knows it so ac-
curately. He will surprise you often
with his information about matters
that you would suppose he had not
thought of at all. For example, he
said to me one day, 4 never look
upon West Virginia as Southern
State. How far South of parallel
line with Connecticut do you sup
pose it to be?' Gen. Golf, who was
present, guessed $50 miles. guess
ed rs. We'll, said Blaine it is just
%, measured it the other day on
the map. Yes, said the Commits
sioner, "Blaine is u very brainy and
a very wise man. He studies sub
ject very intently, and has in this
way forgotten his health and injur-
ed himself"
The Commissioner had good
deal to say about whisky, its adul.
terations &c. &C., before we let him
out Of his corner, but as this is an
anti license town and our people
don't use it, the information would
be Of no practical advantage to us