Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-06-02
WASHINGTON LETTER.

w ASAlNATIO N LII Law
written and compiled for the HERALD
WASHINGTON, May 90, 1s93.-Wash-
ington always has something interesting
on hanc. When the politicians get quiet,
as they happen to be Just at this time,
there is always something to take their
place ID public interest. That something
at this time is the trial of DIR. Briggs, for
heresy, by the PSesby terrain General AS
sembly. which has been in session here
for fen days and will probably continue
all this week il no longer. Ills trial
promises to be very exciting, for the near
lv six hundred gentlemen, many OF them
ministers. who are sitting as jury have
already shown that they have high tenn
yers and sharp tongues, just like the most
of us. There is little doubt that Dr'
Briggs will be found guilty, notwlth
standing the great Hght he is maHlng
that mncb has been made practically cer-
tain by test vote which was taken on
the question of postpOning the trial Tor a
near. But that only fairly begins the
hattie. The hardest and most bitter
f,hting is likely to take place oyer the
question of what his punishment shall
be-. The records of this trial promise to
become as famous in church history as
+hosa If RacoI and Hastings are in the
history of England.
Sec. Smith has just made very I'M
portant pension ruling, which repeats the
rnle previously in existence as to the con-
strnction which shall be put upon the
disability not of service origin" clause OF
the pension law of 1890. Under this rul-
ing no pension will be granted under
that clause unless the disability is SO
great as to prevent the applicant earning
\ living by manual labor. It's estimated
that tins change will result in reducing
the pension payments nearly 100000
a year.
A shrewd and close observing New
York politician who has just returned
from an extended tour of the far west
and is row in Washington has caused
considerable talk, not to speak OF astonlsh-
ment among Eastern people bJ giving
his impressions gathered from the peopi7
in all lines of life Of the sentiment in re
card TO silver which is generally enter
famed in the West. He says he heard
secession openly advocated more than
once by intelligent men, and that Pres
dent Cleveland and Senator Sherman
stand on a par with these people, as
commemorative gold bugs" 81 believe"
said this politician. who, by the way, Is a
democrat. "tbat the populsts will carry
every state west of Missouri at the next
electiou. if neither Of the old parties ad-
vocate free silver
As a rule the big government 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 resigna-
tion had been accepted when rendered.
on March 6, last. That man is L.
Treasurer Nebeker, who, as special favor
to the incoming Treasurcr-Mr' Morgan
agreed to remain i'll Office until June l.
His obliging disposition cost Mr. NeOeker
lust 81 ,O55, that beng the amount tha'
was lost, strayed or stolen, in the re
demntion diyis lon, since his resignation
was rendered, and which he has had to
replace from his own pocket. The secret
service IS trying to find out where THE
money went, and if it succeeds Mr. Ne
beker will get his money back. The
money in each case disappeared from
packages of old money sent in for redemp'
ton. first a 81 900 note, next so ott
and last s. note.
The embassy business is catching. Fol
lowing the lead of Great Britain anC
Frahce, Italy. which has for years kept
its minister to the U. S. housed i'll cheaI
suit of rooms, has notified the State De-
partment of It's intention to raise It's
mission here to an embassy. This means
lanotber American Ambassador abroad
and it is expected that Germany, which
has lust purchased a new building III
Washington fo7 its legation will also senC
rs an ambassador. The next thing il
order VIII be a demand for increased
salary to enaLls our Ambassadors to live
I'D to their titles. Then look out for
general protest against the whole busl
ness.
The geld reserve fund has been agaii
encroached upon to the extent of nearly
s.. 900 OOo, but Treasury officials treat ih'
matter lightly and say they apprehend Il
trouble.
There are some very ugly Iumors hoat
ing around Washington about q combina
ton between bankers and certain pol
iticians to bring about such fnancia
stripgency that Congress will be com
PEELED to repeal the Sherman silver law
So very ugly are these numors that you
correspondent will not add to the unres
of the public by giving them in detail
such things are dangerous even to tall
about; they destroy the very corner ston'
of National prosperlty-public confidence
1irorinia School Statistics.