The Progress., 1893-06-03
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Notes Of Interest Gathered from About
the National CaDital.
WASHINGTON. D. C.. May. %. 1899

clans get quiet, a. they happen to be
just at this time. there i always some
thing to take their place in public in
terest. That something at this time is
the trial of DR.. Briggs. for heresy. by
the Presbyterian general assembly,
which has been in session here for ten
days and will probably continue all this
week. if no longer. This trial promises
to be very exciting, for nearly six hun
dred gentlemen. many Of them minis
ters. who are sitting as a jury have al
ready shown that they have high temp
ers and sharp tongues, just like the
most Of Us. There is little doubt that
DR.. Briggs will be found guilty. not
withstanding the great fight he is max
ing: that much has been made practi-
cally certain by test vote which was
taken on the question of postnoning the
trial for a year. Bat that only fairly
begins the battle. The hardest and
most bitter fighting Is likely to take
place over the question Of what his
punishment shall be. The records Of
this trial promise t1 become as famous
in church history as those of Bacon and
Hastings are in the history OF England
Secretary Smith has just made d very
important pension ruling. which repeals
the rule previously in existence as to
the construction which shall be pat up
on the disability not Of service origin
clause of the pension law OF 1890. Un-
der this ruling no pension VIII be grant
ed under that clause unless the diSabil
ity IS 50 great as to prevent the appll-
can't earning a living by manual labor.
It is estimated that this change will re-
suit in reducing the pension payments
nearly $50, 900, 900 a year.
a shrewd and close observing New
York politician who has just returned
! from an extended tour Of the 'far West
and is now in Washington has caused
considerable talk. not to speak of as
tonishment. among Eastern people by
giving his impressions gathered from
/ the people in all lines Of life OF the sen
timent in regard to silver which issn-
| tertaiued in the West. He says he
heard secession openly advocated more
than once by Intelligent men, and that
President Cleveland and Senator Sher-
man stand on a par with these people,
as representative gold bugs" Il be-
lieve" said this politician, who, by the
way. is a Democrat, that the Populists
will carry every State west of Missouri
at the next election if neither Of the
old parties advocate free silver
AS rule the big governments officials
do not care how much DELAY there is in
accepting their resignation when there
is change Of administration, but there
is at least one man who wishes his res
| ignation had been accepted when ten
dered on March Z, last. That man is
United States Treasurer Nebeker, who
as special favor to the incoming treas
urer, (Mr. Morgan), agreed to remain
in Office until June ]. His obliging dis
position cost Mr.. Nebeker just 81 ,055,
that being the amount that was lost,
strayed or stolen, in the redemption di-
vision, since his resignation was ten
dered, and which he has had to replace
from his own pocket. The secret SER
vice is trying to find out where this
money went, and if it succeeds Mr.. Ne
beker will get bis money back. The
money in each case disappeared from
packages of old money sent in for re-
demption.
The embassy business is catching.
Following the lead OF Great Britain and
France, Italy, which has for years kept
its minister to the United States housed
in cheap suit of rooms,
has notified the State De-
partment of its intention to
raise its mission here to an embassy.
This means another American ambas-
sador abroad, and it is expected that
Germany, which has just purchased a
new building in Washington for its le-
cation, will also send US an ambassador.
The next thing in order viii be de-
mand for increased salary to enable our
ambassadors to live up to their titles
Then look out for a general protest
against the whole business.
The gold reserve fund has been again
enroached upon TO the extent of nearly
5000, 900, but treasury officials treat
the matter lightly and say they appre-
hend no trouble.
There are soma very ugly rumors
floating around Washington about
combination between bankers and GER
tain politi clans 20 bring about such
financial stringeucy that Congress will
be compelled torepeal the Sherman sill