Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-28
LIVE NATIONAL NEWS.


ing Matters
WASHINGTON, Dec. N.-Two years ago,
at speech at Portland, in his town, Sena-
tor Frye prophesied q condition of affairs IN
relation to the Panama canal scheme that
has been fulfilled almost to the letter. In
that speech Mr. Frye said that time would
show that the whole scheme was corrupt,
and that within year or two, at least, light
would be thrown upon it and the fate OF the
Republic would tremble under the shock.
That condition exists to-day. There mas
boon some talk to the effect that the ran
anna and Nicaragua canals are parallel, aid
that the disaster that has overtaken
the French people will cause pubic
men in this country to hesitate
in giving their votes to sanction
the guarantee OF the Nicaragua bonds. that
Q scandal might result. Mr.. Frye can see
nothing of the kind, and is emphatic in MS
declarations to that effect. Says he: "There
Is every good reason to advance Wny thIs
over the Nicaragua canal and control all
that is done there; and there is no reason
why any legislator should be afraid to cast
his ballot for the bill which hns this eno IN
view. believe this measure will pass the
Senate, but, of course, prediction cannot
be made as to its chances in the House. "
can hardly be supposed that the bill Will
meet with favor there, inasmuch as 1T con-
templates an expenditure OF public money,
and such expenditure, however meritorious,
is opposed on that side OF the Capitol"
Counterfeiting the Columbian Coins.
Chief Drummond, of the Secret Service
division. has cautioned his agents to exer-
else the closest possible scrutiny to prevent
any coun terfeiting of the Columbian souv-
enir coins souvenirs will be plentiful as
blackberries in summertime" said prom
inent official OF the mint bureau, this morn
ing. sit will be impossible to prevent them
from being counterfeited, and the fancy
prices they are briD ging are an incentive to
counterfeiters. They can, too put as much
silver in the counterfeit as is contained in
the original coin, and still make 80 per cent
on each coin." This view of the situation is
not shared by the Secret Service people.
Chief Drummond thinks it will be almost
impossible to counterleit the souvenir coin
on an extensive scale. The machinery
necessary to compress the silver to the den-
sity of the souvenir coin could not, he says,
be confined in a small room, and it would,
too, require a half dozen or so men to oper-
ate it,so that the chance for detection would
be too great tor ordinary counterfe1ters to
run. II made from dies the coin would be
about two-thirds the weight of the souvenir
coin, and would be easily distinguished from
the genuine.
Dalton as a Deputy Marshal.
Attorney General Miller is somewhat dis
turbed by the report that Bill Dalton, the
notorious outlaw, has been appointed Dep
uty United States Marshal at Coffeyville, Kas.
He said to-day that the first intimation he
had received in regard to the matter was
when Senator Vest alluded to it in his
speech in the Senate last week He at once
applied to the United States Marshal in
Kansas and Indian Territory for lniorma-
tfon on the subject, at the same time ex-
pressing his surprise and disapproval at
such an appointment. but so far he.had re-
celVed no response from either officer. He
explained that the department never inter-
fered with Marshals in the appointment OF
their deputies unless there were special rea-
sons for so doing, but indicated very clearly
that he would not countenance the appoint
ment of a man OF Dalton's stamp. No fur
ther action will be taken until the two Mar
shals have been heard from.
Drifting Toward Commercial Union.
81 predict that within so years, and per-
haps within % years-for you can't tell how
quickly such movements go-the tendency
will be toward a commercial union of the
whole American continent" said Repre-
sentative Holman to-day. Mr.. Holman
added that he did not mean political.
union, though Of course a commercial union
would have its political effect, but that he
looked to see one tariff in effect from Alaska
to Cape Horn. There is no reason" said
Mr.. Holman, "why Canada should not now
have commercial union with us that would
O0 SaLlS!uCUOty, anu M6XlCO, dlSOs
should have such an arrangement"
More Indians Going to School.
Notwithstanding the difficulties expert
enced by the Indian Office in securing the
attendance of children at the Indian schools,
reports just received show that the enroll.
ment OF the quarter ended September so.
1892 in Indian schools of all kinds was 5495,
as compared with IA, 4S5 for the correspond
ing period of last year, the increase being
1,0l0. The increase in the Government and
the public schools for this period was
1900 while in the contract schools con-
Quoted by religious denominations there
rollment i'll the Government and public
schools for the quarter was l0,3l7, while in
the contract schools the number was 517S.
The total enrolment for the year is, how
ever, expected to reach 10000.
The Sherman Act VIII Not Be Repealed.
The House Committee on Banking and
Currency will be called together soon after
the holiday recess to act on the bill intro
duced by Representative Andrew, of Massa-
chusetts, proposing moro liberal legislation
in behalf of national banks and peal Of
the silver bullion purchase of the Sherman
act. Representative Bacon, of New York,
said to-day that in his opinion the commit
tee would report back the Andrew bill with
some notifications. The committee had
one meeting at which it considered this
bill. Only bare quorum was present. The
members who did not attend were substan-
TALLY agreed on the bank features of the
bill, but when they came to the Sherman re-
peal section they were hopelessly divided,
and, as there were SO few members present,
did not attempt anything beyond an in
formal discussion of the situation.
The majority OF the committee is disposed
to recommend the first section of the An
drew bill, which authorizes national banks
to issue circulating notes up to the full par
value of United States bonds deposited.
Section reduces the amount of Donus re-
Quired to be deposited in the United States
Treasury by national banks to a merely
nominal amount. This section will have to
be modified, as the committee is hostile TO
it and believes in requiring banks to de-
posit a considerable amount of bonds. Sec
tion relates to the tax on circulation. The
Committee is Ill favor OF reduction of the
rate of tax on national bank circulation, but
is opposed to wiping out the tax entirely on
the ground that the banks should bear
their share of the expenses of the system.
Section 1 repeals the Sherman silver case
provision, and whether this will get the
favorable Endorsement of the committee OF
not cannot be predicted in advance of q full
committee meeting.
White House Still Quarantined.
The White House is still in a state of
quarantine, and bids fair to remain SO for at
least three weeks to come. Red cards say
ing scarlet fever within" are conspicuous
on the entrances to the private part of the
mansion on the first and second floors, and
the outside doors display small notices to the
effect that the house is closed to the public.
The office part OF the building, however, is
open for business as usual, and the Presi-
dent, Secretary Halford and their assistants
will be found at their desks by any one
whose business requires their attention. 1t
is hardly necessary to say that there are