The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-07-15
The DEMOCRATIC PRESS.
WASHINGTON LETTER.

WASHINGTON, D. c.. July 10. 1891
The administration is in peck of trouble |
and kilograms have been flying thick and fast |
to and from Washington and the Presidential
cottage at Cape May Point, but for the very
good reason that had Mr.. Blaine's advice been
taken the administration would not have been
In its present very unpleasant predicament, no
kilograms have been sent to Bar Harbor. The
cause of all this is the Chilian insurgent steamer
Itata. which it has cost to bring into the harbor
of SanDiego. California, 100000. 1t is now
feared by AttorneyGeneral Miller and Secretary
Tracy. upon whose opinion as lawyers Mr.. Har-
rison was persuaded to sanction the orders
which sent the Charleston in pursuit of the Itata
in spite of Mr.. Blaine's opinion that this gov
erhment had no legal right to take possession of
the steamer after she had gone outside of the
three mile limit, that mistake has been made
If, as is now believed here. the court shall de-
eide that the Itata has not violated our neutral
fty laws, the Gillian insurgents, whose agents
and attorneys, now here. claim to represent the
only constitutienali government of Chill. will
demand that the United States pay heavy cash
indemnity for having interfered with their sue
cess by refusing to allow the Itata to deliver the
arms which she carried. There is some ugly
talk here about bribery by the agents of the
Balmaceda government, and maybe before the
thing is finally settled somebody's reputation
will get badly smirched.
This incident has again strongly shown that
Mr.. Blaine is the brains of the administration.
Everything that he has opposed has turned out
disastrously for his party, He was opposed to
the outrageous usurpation of power by Speaker
Reed, the force bill. and the Mckinley bill .
which by superhuman efforts he succeeded in
having modified by tacking on as an amend
ment the good old democratic doctrine of trade
reciprocity. although it was so restricted in the
bill as enacted into law that but little benefit
further than showing the benefits which would
naturally follow general extension of our trade
with foreign countries. the trade of which is
really worth having, and the wisdom of that
opposition was unmistakably demonstrated by
the cyclone of last November.
Secretary Foster has announced his intention
of calling in the Government deposits in ma
tional banks except about SIS. 900 600. which is,
of course, to be left where it will be of the most
benefit to the republican party. Nothing that
ne can DO will. however. be surprising after his
audacity in putting the SlO0.0OO0OO of gold re-
serve redemption fund and the fractional silver
on hand, which is by law only legal tender in
sums of ten dollars and under on the Treasury
statement as available cash to meet the current
demands on the Treasury.
Hon. l.. L. Neal. of Ohio. was in town this
week. having been called here by the sad duty
of attending the funeral of his sister Under
the circumstances he. of course. would not talk
politics, although an attempt was made by an
unfeeling newspaper man to interview him
There is law on the statute books of the
statute books of. the United States which pro-
yides heavy penalty for any person or persons
in the employ of the Government, who gives or
subscribes money to purchase anything to be
given to any other employe of the Government; !;
but. like many other good and sensible laws, it
is constantly violated and nobody ever suffers
for it, The latest violation of this law was the
presentation to Major Rathbone. who has just
been promoted from Chief Inspector of the
Postofice department to be Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General. an office, by the way Gre
ated solely for political purposes by the billion
dollar Congress, by the Postofice Inspectors
who had been his subordinates. of $3.50 gold
watch and chain. 1t is claimed by the Inspect
ors that Major Rathbone's resignation as Chief
Inspector was accepted TO take effect on the 1st
of July. and that ct the time of the presenta-
tion he had not been sworn in fourth Assist
ant Postmaster General. and that the presenta-
tlon was no violation of the law. These post
office inspectors are adopts in quibbling, but it
Is dollars to burnt matches that when Major
Rathbone draws his first months salary the
books of the discussing officer will show that
his pay in his new Office began the first day of
July; and if it did somebody ought to take the
trouble to see that the men who made the pre-
seDtation are duly prosecuted; but what's ev-
erybody's business is nobody's business and
it isn't at all probable that anything will be
done.
The fact that Mr.. Wanemaker proposes max
ing big cut in the amount allowed the south
ern railroads for the fast mali service between
New York and Tampa, Florida, which was or.
iginated under the Cleveland administration,
is exciting a great deal of unfavorable COM
ment.