Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1891-06-18
Washington Letter
FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT
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WASHINGTON. DC, JUNE 10, 1891.
Mr.. Harrison is said to be deeply
concerned in the silver question and
very anxious to acquaint himself with
the sentiment of the people in all Sec
lions of the country upon this very i'm
portant question. According to my
information, which is unquestionably
reliable. no man o. prominence calls
upon MIR. Harrison without having his
opinion asked about silver and being
questioned about the sentiment Of the
people in the section from which he
comes. 1t is supposed that this active
interest is caused by recent statements
Of those who will have much to do with
the shaping of legislation in the next
Congress that II free coinage bill would
be among the first passed after the Fiji
ty.second Congress meets. Both re-
publcans and democrats would like to
get this silver question decided before
the Presidential campaign, and it may
be, although it is extremely doubtful,
that Mr.. Harrison intends springing
surprise on the country by signing the
bill after it is passed.
II there has been a single adverse
criticism upon any one Of the judges
named by Mr.. Harrison to sit upon the
bench of the new private land claims
court it has net been made public here.
They are all lawyers of high standing
IN their own States, and every one of
them haye been upon the bench of their
State courts. The fact that two ont of
the five are democrats has also served to
prevent criticism. The new judges are
J. NJ. Reed of Iowa, ". F. Stone of
Colorado, II. c. Suss of Kansas, T. c.
Fuller of North Carolina and W. W.
Murray of Tennessee.
The way to reform abuses is 70 put
an end them. Such evidently was the
opinion of Commissioner of Patents
Mitchell when he issued his recent or.
der amending the rules of the Patent
Office so as to absolutely prohibit any
attorney or agent, who had been al
employe of that Office, appearing in be-
half Of aay application upon which he
had in any way acted while Govern
ment employe. The full significance of
this reform may be better understood
when it is known that for many years
Examiners in the Patent Office have
rejected thousands of applications, par
ticularly from those who they had rea-
son to suppose could not afford to put
up sufficient cash to appeal from the
Examiners decision, for no other rea-
son than that they might afterwards,
as attorneys, get IA fee for getting the
same allowed; thus, not only robb!ng
the inventor to the extent Of the addi.
tonal fee, but keeping him out Of his
patent until, in many cases, it had be
come worthless on account Of later in
ventions. In future Examiners will
have to decide applications solely on
their merits, and not as many Of them
fortunately not all Of them-have SO
long done, with view to their own
future profit.
Secretary Foster has by no means
lost interest In Ohio politics since he
entered the Cabinet, and he has gone
to Ohio to assist in nominating u re-
publican candidate for Governor, and
he will also proba ably take advantage Of
the gathering of men from all sections
of the State at the convention 10 put in
some licks for 81, and to find out how
much danger there is for the republic
can party IN the growth OF a third par
ty IN the State.
Col. w. W.. Dudley, who Is usually
classed as an anti Harrison man, hash t
a high opinion of the anti Harrison
gathering at indianapolis. lie says Of
it They are acting like a lot of fools
The idea of their trying to do nything
like that eighteen months before the
convention. The thing is not impor
tant or significant. 1t Is simply move
of some of Gresham 8 friends to bring
him out as a candidate. There is al
ways opposition to Mr.. Harrison in In.
diana. Whether that opposition is
strong enough at this time to prevent
his getting the delegation no man can
tell. - The democratic view of the |