Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-05-21
Washington Letter.
from our Regular Correspondent
Washington, May 10. 1891.

the first session Of the last Congress. in
the campaign Of last fall, and during
/ the closing session Of Congress demo-
Gratis were continually saying that at
the end Of the present fiscal year there
would be a deficiency in the payment
of pensions amounting. according to the
Imagination Of the speaker, to from ten
to fifty millions of dollars. The repu5
lican commissioner of Pensions and
chairman of the House and Senate PEN
sion committees were greeted with dem
ocratic jeers when they stated their
belief that there would be surplus
instead of a deficiency
Now the proof is in sight, but if the
people depended upon the democratic
press for their news they would never
know it. Commission ar Raum has sent
an official communities On to Secretary
Noble stating that he has made a care
ful approximation of the probable pen
sion payments up to June 30, the end
of the fiscal year, and that notwith-
standing be has instructed all pension
agents to make as many payments as
possible between this and that time he
is satisfied that surplus will remain of
the pension appropriation for the cur
rent fiscal year amounting to at least
80, 769, 600. The cause of the large sur
plus is. Just as republicans in Congress
stated that it would be, the allowance of
the large number of claims under the
new pension law, which did not carry
with them such large first payments as
those allowed under the older laws.
When one considers that the Pension
bureau will have to wrestle with a demo-
cratic House for its next appropriation it
is almost matter of regret that Gen.
Raum cannot fix some way to pay out
that nearly S1O,0O0,00O of surplus in.
stead Of turning it back into the Treas
ury. as he will, or course, do.
Naval officials are delighted with the
test of armor plates made several days
ago at Annapolis, because we are just
in the condition to benefit thereby,
having n number of vessels almost
ready to be armoired. Further tests are
to be made of the armor which resisted
all attempts to penetrate it the other
day, and if 1t stands it, as the naval
officers are confident it will, all of the
vessels now being built for the Govern
ment will be amored with it, which will
give US a fleet, which though small in
number will consist of the most formid
able war vessels afoat. as the heavy
guns which we are now making right
here in Washington with which our new
ships are provided, are superior to any
in existence and easily capable of break
ing up the armor by which the war
ships of the navies of the world are at
present protected all of which adds an
additional swagger to the strut of your
Uncle Samuel, as with thumbs in the
arm holes of his vest he takes in the Sit
uation and tips wink TO the potentates
Of Europe while be advises them in a
friendly way to beware of attempting to
interfere with his plans for the CONNER
cial unfeation of the American CONT
nent.
This President returned to Washington
to-day from his nine thousand mile tour
looking somewhat better than he did
when he left here and feeling splendidly,
and greatly pleased with the cordial
reception he everywhere met with, as
well as with what he saw. He will
pitch right in to work on the important
business which has accumulated during
his absence. with the determination to
clear his desk rs soon as possible. Ii
will be a great drawback as well as a
disappointment to him in dealing with
foreign matters, of which there are
number awaiting his attention, if the
state Of Secretary Blalne's health shall
be such as to prevent his actively as.
sistiug, as Mr.. Blaine has all the points
in all of these more or less complicated
cases at his fingers end, and no one else
has-He has taken a special pride IN
personally mastering every foreign
question that has come up since he be-
came Secretary of state.
1t is believed that the President has
already selected the men who will occu-
py the bench of the new L S Circuit
Court. and that their nomes will be
announced in a few days.
1t is stated that Associate Justice
Bradley, of the L. S. Supreme Court.
who is well past the age Of legal retire
ment, will retire sometime during the
next eighteen months, and that the va