Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-12-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
IAL ooaaEspoNoRNcE OF THE MONITOR }
Washington, Dec. II, 1898.

Washington, Dec. II, 1898.
The democrats in the House are act
ing more like lot of badly democrat
lied school boys than statesmen. They
promised that the new tariff bill
should be reported to the House on
the first day of the session, and the
bill has not yet been reported, al
though Mr.. Wilson promises that ii
shall be this week. The democrats OF
the Ways and Means committee have
already made dozens of minor changes
in the tariff bill, thus acknowledging
that it was not properly considered
before it was made public. They are
now squabbling among themselves
about submitting the bill to caucus
before it is reported, and democrats
are openly saying that they will not
vote for the bill unless certain indus
tries in their districts are protected.
The House committee on banking and
currency, which has been wrestling
with that plank of the Chicago plat
form, which promised the repeal OF
the tax on state bank currency, a
plank, by the way, that Mr.. Cleveland
absolutely ignored in his message, has
arrived at no conclusion, although it's
chairman-the much sat upon Spring
er, OF Illinois, has made public a
hodge podge of absurdities that could
not possibly be carried into effect,
even if they were enacted, showing
what alleged progress the committee
has made.
The democratic members Of the
Ways and Means committee are at
daggers points concerning the items
that are to be included in the internal
revenue bill, which ought to have
been ready simultaneously with the
Cleveland tariff BILL A majority of
them favor a personal income tax, but
they hesitate about incorporating it
in the bill because of Mr.. Cleveland's
premature announcement, in his mes
sage, that the committee had agreed
to tax the profits of corporations only.
Meanwhile the holiday recess is in sigh
and nothing has been accomplished.
In obedience to the demand of the
Senate resolution passed last week all
of the Hawaiian documents will this
week be sent to the Senate.
Like master like man." Secretary
Carlisle has refused the request made
by officials OF the G. A. r. that they
be allowed to solicit contributions in
the Treasury for q Christmas dinner
to the INDECENT soldiers of this depart
ment. s5'-
The southern war claimants will
have snap if the bill which has been
favorably reported from the Judiciary
committee of the House ever becomes
a law. The bill provides for the re-
peal Of all laws making personal dis
loyalty bar to claims against the
government for property destroyed
during the rebellion, and gives all
claimants whose cases were by reason
of their disloyalty thrown out of the
Court of Claims the right to revive
their claims and to have the same
rights and privileges in prosecuting
them that would be extended to the
man who was always 10y al to the gov
eminent. Any person could recognize
the jobbery in this bill, even if the
southern lobby, headed by ex-Con-
gresham Hemphill, of South Carolina,
were less conspicuous in its advocacy.
That "there are millions in it," if it
can be made a law is apparent to all.
Democratic reform will come high,
but it will not last long.
The democrats from the south voted
almost solidly against the bankruptcy
bill which was last week defeated in
the House. 1t remains to be seen how
they will treat the voluntary bank
ruptcy bill fathered by Representa-
tive Bailey of Texas, which that gen
tleman will endeavor to push to the
front this week.