The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-02-06
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. 2. '91.

Special
The question of the succession in
the Treasury Department is being
discussed ia political circles with I'M
usual interest. 1t is conceded on ali
sides that it is of the utmost impor-
lance just now that the right man
should be chosen as Secretary Win
dom's successor, and the general opin-
ion is THAT President Harrison will
have one of the hardest tasks of his
executive term to fill the vacancy sat
isfactorily. 1t is felt to be 0uncom-
monty important at the present time
that the new Secretary of the Treas
ury should be very skillful financier,
as well as a man of great firmness,
breadth of view and intelligence. on
account of the probability that in the
next Congress many new and danger
Gus financial schemes will be pressed,
which will serve to cOmplicate still
further the already OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ed business condition of the country.
A strong man at the helm of the
Treasury Department during the next
session of Congress would exert reas-
surfing influence on the business COM
munity and would seem to be prime
necessity. The Treasury Department
is the most important of the eXecu-
tive Departments that have to do
with domestic affairs. 1t requires,
more and more, trained talent and
great capacity for handling compli-
Gated and large interests. There has
been, perhaps, more men of first-rate
practical abilities at the head of the
Treasury than in charge of any other
portfolio. From Hamilton and Gal
latin to Sherman and Window the
finance minister has usually been in
feriOr to no man in the administration,
and he has several times been the
strongest officer of the executive
branch of the government
Although the House was engaged
practically the whole of last week in
the consideration of the annual APP
preparation bills, the measures are
still in an unusually backward state.
Only four weeks and three days re-
main of the Fifty-tirst Congress, and
not one of the thirteen regular approp-
ration bills has been finally passed
by both branches of Congress and sent
to the President. But one of these
bills has passed the Senate-the Army
bill-which went through Saturday
with number of amendments, on
which the action of the House is need,
ed. While the present condition OF
the appropriation bills is not encour
aging as compared with the state OF
progress in previous Congresses, ne
doubt is entertained by experienced
members of both the House and the
Senate of the ability of Congress tt
complete it's absolutely necessary leg
islation before noon of the Fourth O.
March.
The question of electing Senators by
the people has become prominent
one in political circles. The Califor
MIA, Washington, Oregon, and Nebras
ka legislatures are pledged to do theil
part in securing this reform, and il
has even been suggested that the
matter be made Democratic issue il
the next campaign. While there is nc
possibility Of any action this session
the seed is being sown and Represen.
tative FeatherSton last week made ar
argument before the committee or
the election of President, Vice Pres.
ident and Representative in advoca
cy OF the proposition, On the Senate
side OF the Capitol the idea has 9
strong supporter in Senator Mitchell
OF Oregon, who made a logical anC
able speech in favor of it about yeal
ago. He believes that the movement
will result beneticially to all concern
ed, because it looks to the right of the
people to be heard directly in the
election of Senators.
Secretary Noble is taking active
measures to expedite the adjudication
OF claims in the Pension Bureau, par.
ticular attention being given to those
cases which are not represented by at
tOrneys, and to cases which, for one
reason or another, have been pending
in the bureau for a long time. In
this matter the Secretary is receiving
the earnest cooperation and aSSis-
lance of Commissioner Raum. Full
and complete justice is to be done in
every instance, and technicalitieS OF
construction or presentation of these
cases are not to be taken advantage
of, and the claimants are to be aSSiS-
ted, and not hindered in securing their
rights under the law.
On Saturday the death of Charles
Bradlaugh, the noted English free
thinker and radical was announced
through the press. Born in the midst
of poverty, he came, by observation
and contact, into perfect knowledge
of the condition of the poor and strug-
Cling masses, and eventually became
their champion. Though but slight
ly educated, he used his limited adj
vantage to the utmost, and became
a cOgent reaSOner and persuasive
speaker. On many questions his po-
sition was too radical to win the sup
port OF conservative people, but there
is no reason to suppose that in regard
to any OF them his purpose was other
than sincere and good. 1t is Just to
him to say that in his later days, he
became, as most radicals do. more con-
sentative. His last public speech was
against the principle of the eight-hour
law, contending that workingman
has a right to make his own contract,
and holding that the hour unit is the
fair unit of pay.
Bucklen's Arnica SaIve.
Tho host Saliva in tho would for C11ta