The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1893-07-20
'W'ASHINGT'O N LETTER.
Rost's Regular Correspondent
WAsalxaroy, July IL, 1893.

name for obvious reasons cannot be
mentioned, "not 70 be too fast i'll rid
iculing the reports that Great Brit
ain is preparing to resist by force the
decision OF the Behring Sea arbltra-
ton tribunal. if it be against her.
which now seems probable. The de-
cision is bound to be unsatisfactory,
and am sure that many influential
people in the United States would
advise the administration not to give
up American rights in Behring Sea,
even if the arbitrators should decide
that there were no such things as
American rights in that sea. The
presence of Russian feet of war yes
sells in the New York harbor and the
announcement that the vessels would
remain permanently on the Atlantic
coast furnishes good presnmptive ev-
idence that our Government is taking
precautions TO strengthen its floating
fighting force; for, even if there we're
no special alliance in existence be-
tween the two governments, Russia
would be our natural ally in case of
trouble with England over Bchring
Sea matters, and 80 far as Great
Britain is concerned the Russian war
vessels in New York harbor are so
many additions to the American
Navy. Understand me, am not
predicting trouble. Still / should
not call man silly who talked of
the probability of trouble growing
out of the arbitration.
An attempt is to be made, accord
ing to silver men now in Washing
ton, to unite the silver Senators for
the purpose of hitting back at Presl-
dent Cleveland by refusing to con-
firm every one of the large number
of recess nominations who is known
to be an opponent of silver. Such a
combination might easily be formed
if there was anything to be gained
by it. but there isn't. 1t would prob
ably worry Mr.. Cleveland a little,
but he could if so disposed keep on
nominating the rejected men, and as
they are already holding their places
they would continue to draw salaries
notwithstanding the rejection of
their nominations by the Senate.
Besides, even if the Senators succeed
ed in getting some Of them out of Of
flee that would not be of the slight
est benefit to the silver men. For
that reason your correspondent does
not think such combination will
be made.
How little the general public
knows about government finances
was illustrated the other day by the
experience of a member of Congress
who rendered local bank, in pay
ment of small note, silver certif-
Gates issued under the Bland act OF
1878, which are in general circula-
ton. The bank official Informed
him that those certificates were not
legal tender and that the New York
clearing house had refused to accept
them. And the official was right
The silver dollar coined under the
Bland act are legal tender, but the
certificates issued upon the deposit
of those silver dollars are only Gre
ceivable for custom, taxes and other
public debts These certificates
are still issued by the government
and on July l. there were 1926, 1885,
165, of them in circulation and $4,
1853 in the Treasury. That
member of Congress says he will in
troducc bill to make these certif
Gates legal tender. Certainly there
should be no two opinions about
that bill. The silver dollars upon
which they are issued are full legal
tender, and the certificates ought also
to be.
Those who hereafter receive seeds
from the Agricultural Department
need not be afraid to plant those la
beled cabbage" for fear of propegat-
ing crop Of double jointed, never
get-rid -of-them suntlowers. There
is to be no more travelling under
false names, unless there is slip-up
in carrying out the Secretary's new
order, which says that every seller
Of seeds to the Department shall
guarantee their growth and correct
labelling. The Secretary was for a
time inclined to abolish the entire
seed distributing branch Of the De-
partment, but he learned upon invcs-
tigation that he lacked the authority
to do SO.
1t is stated here that Representa-
tive Bland, of Missouri, father of the
Bland Silver Law of 1878, and chair
man Of the committee on Coinage in
the last House, has almost promised
to voluntarially relinquish his claim
for the craftsmanship of that commit
tee in the next House. The reasons
are said to be that President Cleve-
and has made it plain to Mr. Bland,
that he wished man whose fnan-
cial views were nearer his own to be