The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-03-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Mar. IL, 1904

SOndlly O)pOSSu W SOUc Ot Tue COanE
es made, are glad that the Senate Fl
nance committee has at last got the
tariff bill in a shape to make its pass
age by the Senate certain. 1t is really
surprising, in view of the radical
change made by taking sugar, iron ore,
coal and lead ore from the free list
and putting duty upon them, that
the democrats of the House are not
louder in their objections. But they
regard the matter from a common
sense point of view, knowing that the
Senate Finance committee yielded
nothing that it was not absolutely
necessary to yield in order to get the
votes necessary to pass the bill, and
also that they will have another chance
at the changes when the bill goes to
conference after its passage by the
Senate.
The republicans Of the Finance
committee would like to waste a month
or so by keeping the tariff bill in com.
mittee, but the democrats will not al
low any such time. If they will agree
to have the bill reported in week the
democrats will allow them that much
time if not the bill will be reported
sooner without their consent
Secretary Herbert's answer to the
House resolution asking by what auth
ority he ordered Admiral Skerrett to
obey Mr.. Blount when he went to
Hawaii as Special c Commissioner, was,
in short, that it came from the Com
mander in Chief of the Army ard
Navy-the President of the United
States and he cited seven precedents
for the action, dating from 1923 to
1881.
Senator Blanchard assumed his du-
ties to day and Justice White, his pre-
decessor, was sworn in as a member
of the Supreme Court. If Mr.. Blanch-
ard makes as good reputation in the
Senate as he leaves behind him in the
House the people of Louisiana will
doubtless rati.y the selection of the
governor by keeping him there.
Representative Kilgore, of Texas,
was not altogether wrong, although
rather too gene al, WI en- he said in Il e
course of the debate on the District
of Columbia appropriation bill, con
cerning the newspapers of Washing
ton "The newspapers of Washing
ton have never failed to advocate any
scheme, l don't care how infamous il
was, that looked to the expenditure OF
the public money in the interest OF
spectators in and around the city. !
never knew of an instance in which
they did not advocate such schemes
In reply to a protest from Represen
tative Blair of N. H., Mr.. Kilgore con.
tinued: "Well, | make the distinct
charge that the newspapers are Cor
rupt and that they advocate every cor
rupt scheme that has been introduced
into Congress to plumber the Treasury
in the interest of private interests"
Democrats in Congress are in thor
ough sympathy with the Department
tai Congressional Commission which
has been engaged for many months ir
looking into the business methods o.
the Government Departments, with &
view to recommending changes look
ing to a reduction of unnecessary rec
tape and of unnecessary officials
Every recommendation Of the Com
mission has been promptly acted upor
by Congress, the last one-for abolish
ing the Bureau of Customs of the
Treasury Department-having beer
passed by the House without an hours
discussion. Slowly but surely tht
leaven of reform is working. The re
suits of thirty years of extravaganza
and favoritism cannot be overthrow
in day, or year, but they will bt
overthrow in the end. This tht
democrats are determined upon.
Senator Mcpherson has this to sa,
about the charge that the sugar CLAUSE
of the revised tariff bill gives the suga
trust an undue advantage "As
drew the sugar schedule, | ought t.
know what it means, and certainly
know what it was intended to mean
The entire discriminating duty, accor
ding to my calculations, that rehne'
sugar is accorded by the bill is six
teen hundredths of one cent. Now
when you take into account the boun
ty paid by Germany for its exported
sugar, and the fact that German suga
is shipped in bags which are not dutia
BILE, and which can be used over ant
over again, it will be seen that tn
American reflner is given no advan
tage over his German competitors
In truth. the German exporter has one
hundredth of cent per pound advan
tage over the American Iefiner alte
he has paid our import duty. Now
if any one disputes these figures c
mine, and can show me where tn
American refner receives any create