West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1893-06-29
NATIONAL cApITAm
Our Weekly Letter From the Home OF
Uncle Sam
"I'cVIHI correspondence OF tho ARUU8.
WASHINGTON, ID. g.,

II thcre are any persons who
believe the silly stories now going
the round of the Republican press,
charging that President Cleveland
and the other Democratic leaders
have abandoned all idea of making
any radical changes IN the tariff at
me coming session of Congress,
they would better begin to prepare
themselves for a great disappoint-
me3t. There has been no change
in the programme mapped out by
the Democratic leaders before Mr..
Cleveland was inaugurated, except
that caused by the financial strin.
gcncy throughout the country,
which has given financial reform
the first place on the programme,
bnt has by no means displaced tariff
reform. Ever since President
Cleveland's election he has been
discussing these two reforms with
every man he met who might be
s1ppos ed TO have practical and val
liable opinions upon either, and he
has lost no opportunity to obtain
suggestions from those whose prac.
teal experience or special studies
have made them tariff experts. A
perfect tariff bill has never been
prepared and probably never will
De, but unless present indications
are all wrong the tariff bill to be
prepared this winter will be nearer
perfection, from the standpoint of
the Chicago platform, than any of
IT'S predecessors, and that it will be
radical change from the McKin.
ley law is as certain as that Con-
gress will meet. Tariff reform and
financial reform are to be the first
born children of the Fifty-thlrd
Congress, the first for more than
thirty years to be Democratic in
both branches while a Democrat
was President.
Presidents Cleveland has not and
Will not attempt to say what the
details of the bill for the repeal of
tlle Sherman silver law shall he
lie is satisfied that the law is a very
bad one and also that Congress will
promptly repeal it at the extra SEES
sion. He is also satisfied that it ia
perfectly safe to leave it 10 the WIS
dom of Congress as to how this
shall be done and what other fnan-
clal legislation shall be adopted in
order to undo the bad effect of the
sherman law. In conversation
with friend this week he stated
his belief that the partial polling of
the members Of the House and Sen
ate by newspapers furnished no
reliable basis to estimate what the
vote on the question Of repeating
this law would be, owing to- the
large number OF Senators and Rep
resentativcs who have not declared
how they will vote.
Ever since Secretary Carlisle took
charge Of the Treasury department
he has been quietly working to put
stop to the wholesale smuggling
Of Chinese and opium by way Of
Puget Sound. Reports from two
trusted men sent to investigate soon
convinced him that a number Of
the Government officials whose duty
y vas to prevent such smuggling
we're ID league with the smuQgIers.
He removed q number Of these
men and appointed their successors.
but did not make either the remov.
ais or the appointments public until
thls week. because Of his desire 70
secure The necessary evidence TO
eriminally prosecute tho crooked
sz-oiiicials. Large fortunes are said
to have been made by the smuqpIers
IN the last ten years, but Mr. Car.
Jisle intends to see that no more are
made while he remains 10 Office.
Not a few Republicans, among
Them some Congressman, have
openly commended Judge Lochren
FOR his vigorous efforts towards
carrying ont President Cleveland's
1dea Of making the pension roll a
Foll Of honor, and tho number IS
bound to increase az the good effect
Of the new methods become moro
apparent. The most audacious
Republican Congressman will hard.