San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-05-20
The Daily Eight.
SATURDAY, MAY 20, 1898
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, May 10, 1898.

only four heads, and whatever else
1t may be is certainly thoroughly
democratic. Here they are: first,
the repeal of the federal election
laws, so as to keep the South solid
in both congressional and presi-
Dental elections i second, the levy
ing of an income tax, to replace the
money that will be lost by
lowering the tariff on foreign
manufactures third, the repeal
of the Sherman silver law
and of the tax on state bank
currency; fourth, a complete
revision of the tariff, lowering the
duties materially on everything.
This program is the result of Mr..
Cleveland's deliberation, and he
says that he has no fear of the re-
fusal of Congress to adopt any
part of it except the tariff bill; he
fears that the demand for protec-
ton for home manufactures may
be so strong that Democratic SEN
atOrs and representatives from
manufacturing states will not sup
port that.
Others, however, think that he
has been led into being over-san-
guine by the talk of senators and
members intent upon pleasing him
so they might pick up some crumbs
of patronage. 1t is very certain
that an income tax cannot be got
ten through congress without the
hardest sort of fight, although if
it be endorsed by the Democratic
Senate and House caucus it will
in the end, of course, be passed.
1t is not believed that bill
for the repeal of the Sherman
silver law can possibly be passed
without Republican votes in both
House and Senate, because 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 Republican in either House
or Senate will vote for the bill if it
be yoked to the repeal of the tax
on state bank currency, as at pres
ent proposed; they believe too
strongly in honest money to sup
port bill that if enacted
into a law would give the country
an era of wildcat money. AS to
the repeal of the federal election
law, unless the next House adopts
much more stringent rules against
filibustering than the last one did,
the Republicans will defeat the
attempt by tilibustering. All of
which makes it plain that it is
much easier to arrange a program
for congress to follow than it will
be to make congress follow it.
AT last the secret is out as to
why Commissioner Raum was ask
ed for his resignation weeks before
his successor was selected. AS long
as he remained at the head of the
bureau applications for pension
were granted just as rapidly as
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 cabi-
net was the number of original
pensions granted should be large
ly cut down, and they have been,
from the day that Gen. Raum left
the bureau, the decrease being
about seventy per cent. And the
present understanding in the bu-
reau is that the average Of original
pensions granted must not be more
than One-third of what it was I'M
der Gen. Raum. That is one kind
of pension reform, but it will hard
ly be popular with needy appli-
CantS.
Secretary Carlisle is the most
popular member of the admins
tratiOn with the rank and file of
the democratic party, because he
defies the mugwump alleged civil
service refOrmers and openly gives
as his excuse for asking for the
resignation of Republican en-
plOyes that he wants their places
for Democrats.
One Republican has resigned
that Sec. Carlisle would have been
glad to have retained as a member
of his staff, but a flattering offer
was made to Mr.. Edward O. Leech,
by the wealthy gentlemen, among
them eX-Secretary Whitney, who
are to open the National Union
bank in New York city on June l,
and he has resigned the position of
director of the Mint to become
cashier Of the new bank. Mr.
Leech, although comparatively a
young man, has devoted years to