The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1893-05-25

from Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON Nav 10 1879:


wAsHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent
Washington, May 10, 1898.
Pension Commissioner Lochren has
this week given the country an exhibit
tion of extreme political partisanship
that was never surpassed even during
the administration of that most part1-
san president. Andrew Jackson. This is
all the more surprising Because from his
judicial training fairness at least was. ex-
pected of him. 1t has been the custom
ever since there have been medical
boards to examine applicants for PEN.
sions to make those boards non-parti-
san by having them composed Of two
members of the party in power and one.
of the opposition, but this custom has
heen Overturned by Lochren who boldly
announces his purpose to make these
boards entirely democratic, and to add
insult to injury he has the audacity to
call this rank injustice to the Republican
party and the veterans reform" Verify
democratic reform is but another name
for partisan narrow-mindedness.
The administration is itself solely re-
sponsible for the unique positionit found
itself in when the Chinese exclusion act
was declared constitutional by the SUI
preme court. It had allowed those. who
control the actions of nine-tenths of the
Chinese in this country to know that it
expected the law to be declared uncon-
stftutional, and that it was opposed to
enforcing it anyway. With that knowl-
edge it is no wonder that these people
advised the Chinese not to register, nor
that the Chinese so largely followed that
advice. Had the Chinese registered, as
they probably all would have done if
satisfied that the authorities intended to
enforce the law, the administration
would not be in'the present embarrassing
position of being unable to carry oat
the law, even if SO disposed, for lack of
funds. There is only one redeeming fea-
ture about the situation nobody here
wants the Chinese already in this coun.
try forcibly driven away; and nobody
seems to expect that congress will appro-
pirate the five or six million dollars that
would be necessary to send away those
who did not register.
Much amusement has followed the re-
fusal of Mr.. Cleveland to appoint
Georgia editor. backed by ex-Speaker
Crisp, to a position because the afore-
said editor had once said in his paper
that Mr.. Cleveland was mugw Jump.
Il will appoint no man to any Office"
Mr.. Cleveland is reported to have angri-
ly said, "who has ever accused me of be-
ing a mugwump" No man is to be
blamed ior Directing to being called
but it had been generally
that Mr.. Cleveland took
sort of pleasure in being classed with
them. The amusement is caused by the
knowledge that some of the very best
places at his disposal have been given by
Mr.. Cleveland to those who have openly
charged him with mugwumpery. ex-
Senator Eustis, of Louisiana, for in
stance, who is now ambassador to
France. The real reason for the failure
of the Georgia editor to get the office he
is believed to have been his re-
fusal to recognize and bow down to the
greatness of Hoke Smith.
1t was long ago predicted in this cor
respondence that Representative Spring
er would not be at the head of the Ways
and Means committee of the next house,
tie committee which will have the very
doubtful honor of ratifying and report
ing to the house the tariff bill that the
administration is now having prepared
by such eminent free traders as David A.
Wells, and that prediction was verified
this week by the semi-oficial announce
ment that Mr.. Cleveland had decided
upon Representative w. L. Wilson, of
West Virginia, as chairman of that com
nittee. When the house has been repub-
ican the man who was elected speaker
has had the naming of the committee
,hairmanships, but the Cleveland idea is
that all authority is vested in the Presi-
dent. and the Cleveland idea is lust now
very much on top.