Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-05-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.
rrrom our regular cOus,pOOdsD,.I
WASHINGTON, May 4, 1891.

WASHINGTON, May 4, 1901.
Senator Reagan resignation to accept
the Craftsmanship Of New Texas rail-
road commission. while II had been dis
cussed among his friends as a possibili-
ty ever since the Commission was Great
ed was never the less genuine surprise
20 the public, and the naming of Mr..
Horace Chiffon as his successor was a
still greater surprise. Texans now here
speak in the highest terms of Mr.. Chill
ton, but they do not disguise their dis
appointment at his selection. They
think, and say, that the national rep
utation of Mr.. Mills Is such as should
have entitled him to a refusal OF the
position. Owing to his candidacy for
the Speakership his friends express a
doubt as to whether he would have
accepted the appointment.
General John G.. Black, eX Com
missioner of Pensions, is visiting WASH
ington, and he does not deny that in
certain contingencies his name may be
presented to the Democratic National
convention next year by the Illinois
delegation. The program as outlined
by one of his friends is something like
this: Senator Palmer having denied
the use of his name under any CIR
cumstances, it has been determined by
some of the leading democrats of the
State, with the concurrence OF Senator
Palmer, that in case it becomes evident
that the head of the ticket will go to the
West : they will present and urge the
claims of General Black for the NOM
ination, and if an eastern man heads
the ticket General Black will be press
ed for second place. He was candidate
before the convention for Vice-Presi-
dent in 1888.
If you presented check at q bank
and it was paid in dimes and nickels
you would naturally suppose that the
cash in that bank was running very
low. Well, the Treasury, which when
il came into the hands of the repub-
Iicans little more than two years ago
contained cash surplus of more than a
hundred million of dollars, is now dep
ositing in National banks subject to its
checks for current, expenses the small
silver currency that it has accumulated
during several years, and it has to pay
the banks to take it too. And even
with this it is feared that when the
quarterly payment of about S3O O0,O0O
for pensions is made on July /, that the
Government strong box will be entire
ly empty.
Secretary Foster is beginning to real
ize the situation, and he has become so
alarmed at the failing offin the receipts
from customs duties and the consequent
lessening of the already almost wiped
out surplus that he has decided to allow
the holders of the $42,000,000 Al per
cent, principally national banks, which
will mature Sept. l, to have them
indefinitely extended with the interest
reduced to two per cent. But not even
this and the suspension of payments
into the sinking fund can stave off that
deficit, which long-headed democrats
in Congress predicted more than year
ago. This is wealthy country but
billion dollars in two years is rather
more than it can stand as regular
thing.
When the bargain is completed
whereby Secretary Proctor leaves the
cabinet for the Senate there's going to
be a mighty lively row in the republi-
can ranks as to his successor in the cabi-
net. New England will of course, think
she is entitled to the place, but the
Northwest will demand that the man
to be taken from that section, and then
the fun will begin, Mr.. Harrison's
natural inclination will be to put the
place where it will make the most Har-
rison votes in the nomination conven-
ton, but he will have to play it very
fine to keep from losing as many as he
gains.
The Secretary of War has given the
contract for improving the entrance to
Galveston, Texas, harbor to a Dallas
firm. The price for the work is So, ,469,7
which is the largest amount ever paid
on single contract for rborimprove-
ments.
Somebody succeeded in stealing copies
of the Attorney-G Generals brief in the
Sayward case, which by the way has
been postponed until the October term
of the Supreme Court, several days ago
but it wasn't of much use to the thief
for no newspaper would buy it at any
price, and the opposition lawyers had
been furnished with advance copies.
An investigation is being made.
No sooner did the Dispatch, which is
now the official junketing boat of the
administration, return with Secretary
5laine than it was boarded by Secretary
Tracy and steamed away for pleasure
rip from which it has not yet returned.
Seventy-five Treasury employees to-
lay began the count of thu lash in the
'aults made necessary by the change
n the IT. s -TrpasurerShiu