Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-05-22
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, May u, 1892.

Washington, May u, 1892.
The administration program is a
last completed, at least that is wha
those who usually speak for the Presi
dent say 1t consists of only foul
heads, and whatever else it may be i.
certainly thoroughly democratic. Here
they are: first, the repeal of the fed
eeral election laws, SO as to keep the
South solid in both Congressional an6
Presidential elections; second, the
levying of an income tax, to replace
the money that will be lost by lower
ing the tariff on foreign manufactures
third, the repeal of the Sherman sill
yer law and of the tax on state bank
currency; fourth, a complete revi
sion of the tariff, lowering the duties
materially on everything. This pro-
gram is the result of Mr.. Cleveland's
elaboration, and he says that he has
no fear of the refusal of Congress to
adopt any part of it Gexcept the tariff
bill; he fears that the demand for
protection for home manufactures
may be so strong that democratic
senators and representatives from
manufacturing states will not support
that
Others, however, think that he has
been led into being over sanguine by
the talk of senators and members in
tent upon pleasing him SO they might
pick up some crumbs of Patronage.
1t is very certain that an income tax
cannot be gotten through Congress
without the hardest sort of fight, al
though if it be endorsed by the demo-
cratic Senate and House caucus it will
in the end, of course, be passed. 1t
is not believed that bill for the re-
possibly be passed without republican
votes in both House and Senate, be-
cause that is the one question upon
which quite a number of democratic
senators and representatives will not
be bound by caucus; it was tried at
the last session of Congress; and it is
absolutely certain that not a single
in either House or Senate |
will vote for the bill if it be yoked to
the repeal of the tax on state bank |
as at present proposed; they
believe too strongly in honest money
to support a bill that if enacted into a
law would give the country an era of
Wild cat money. AS to the repeal of
the federal election law, unless the
next House adopts much more string
emit rules against filibustering than
the last one did, the republicans will
defeat the attempts by flibustering.
ALI of which makes it plain that it is
much easier to arrange program for
Congress to follow than it will be to
make Congress follow it.
At last the secret is out as to why
Raum was asked for
his resignation weeks before his sue
cessor was selected. AS long as he
remained at the head of the bureau
applications for pensions we're grant
ed just as rapidlydas they had been
since the new law went into effect,
nearly three years ago. One of the
first things agreed upon by the new
democratic cabinet was that the num-
Der of original pensions granted should
be largely cut down. and they have
been from the day that Gen. Raum
eft the bureau, the decrease being
about seventy per cent. And the
present understanding in the bureau
S that the average of original pen
,ions granted must not be more than
one- third of what it was under Gen.
Raum. That is one kind of pension
reform, but it will hardly be popular
with needy applicants.
Secretary Carlisle is the most popu-
ar member of the administration
with the rank and file of the demo-
cratic party, because he defes the
alleged civil service re-
formers and openly gives as his ex-
,use for asking for the resignation of
employees that he wants
heir places for democrats.
One republican has resigned that
Sec. Carlisle would have been glad to
have retained as a member of his
staff, but f1attering offer was made
20 Mr.. Edward o. Leech, by the
wealthy gentlemen, among them ex-
Secretary Whitney, who are to open
he National Union bank in New York
,ity on June 1, and he has resigned
he position of director of the Mint to
become cashier of the new bank. Mr..
1eech, although comparatively a
7oung man, has devoted years to the
study of finance, upon which he is ;
Justly regarded as high authority. :
In the death of the venerable CEN :