The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-11-22
AT THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
WILL THE PRESENT SESSION TAKE
 UP THE TARIFF.

Washington, Nov. 20.-The rumor has
 been freely circulated within the past
 few days and is rapidly gaining ground
 that almost at the beginning of the
 next session of congress the tariff agi.
 tation will be renewed. It is said that
 Senator Harris, as we'll as several other
 democratic senators. intend to at once
 call up and push the supplemental ta-
 riff bills as soon after congress con
 venes as possible. Unless this plan
 should be changed 1t means a clash on
 the tariff questions and possible ses-
 sion Of debate without action, which
 made people so disgusted with the past
 session of congress. Such action, how
 ever, would be but the carrying out of
 statements made on the floor of the
 senate last summer when these tariff
 changes in the nature of pop-gun reso-
 lutions relating to free sugar, iron ore,
 coal and barbed wire were referred to
 the finance committee. The three lat
 ter bills came back from the committee
 practically as they were before being
 sent there, but the one placing sugar
 on the free list was ignored, and a sub-
 stitute bill reported by the committee,
 placing uniform duty of forty per
 cent on all sugars, thus doing away
 With the differential one-eighth duty
 that operates to the advantage of the refiner, and the discriminating one tenth duty that operates against the German exporter. Of course such an eHort to make sugar free would be op- posed by the republicans who would no doubt be aided by the same demo- cratic senators who stood by the su- gar people in the last fight, as well as by the conservatives among the latter party who do not wish to see the ta- riff question again under debate, which would mean the exclusion of other i'm portant matters which will claim the attention of this, body. It is stated also that Secretary Carlisle would be ad- verse to any change in the present schedule, or any action that would re- suit in making sugar free and thus cutting off the receipts, which even un- der the new law have been very small. Representative James P. Pigott is in this city, and I am informed that one of his missions while here is to look af- ter the appointment of collector of cus- toms for the district, which is still in the hands of MT. Winchell, a republi- can. MT. Pigott, understand, is here in the interests of Harry Babcock, who was deputy collector during the last Cleveland administration. A Connect icut man who keeps himself pretty we'll posted on the politics of the latter state, when asked about the probabili. ty of MT Babcock getting the appoint. ment said: The situation, as I under. stand it is just this: When MT. Pigot1 first came down here last winter he en dorsed Mr. James McGann, of New Haven, an ex-saloon keeper, for thi position. At the time MT. McGan1 started in the race for the position
 was told that MT. Babcock also started for the place, but upon failing to ge the endorsement of MT. Pigott al agreement was made that he should draw out, and if McGann secured tn, prize he was to become deputy. Then came objection in the shape of pro- tests from some of your leading Con- necticut importers against the ap- pointment of McGann. This started into the field as candidates Senator Joseph D. Plunkett and one or two others who since that time have been making strong fight for the place. When Secretary Carlisle came to con- slider the appointment, after careful inquiry into the state of the case, I am informed that he f1atly refused to appoint McGann, but inferred that some democrat who was properly en- dorsed could have the place. For a long time MT. Pigott refused, to listen to the endorsement of any one else and insisted on the appointment of MT. Me Gam. MT. Pigott finally weakened and it is said agreed to endorse MT. Babcock on condition that McGann's brother should have the deputy col lectorship, thus keeping one of the best plums in the family of McGann. Who will get the appointment I am un- able to say, and it may go to some dark horse, or perhaps, what is more likely, be tied up for some months longer and let MT. Winchell remain in the office, who as a collector Is a good man and all that could be desired. The people at this end of the line are somewhat disgusted with Connecticut appointments, and before the plum is given out it will be pretty well looked into. Both MT. Babcock and Senator Plunkett are good men, and although the former has never been active in politics, while MT. Plunkett has worked hard for the party all his life and think should get the offlce The case will, however, be thoroughly investi- gated and the right man selected if possible by the administration when the time comes.
 I stepped in to see the commissioner of patents a short time ago and found him busy as usual over a patent deci- sion. MT. Seymour, who has made many improvements in the conducting of the office since he acquired control, is at present trying to figure out how he will get an appropriation from the present congress for the purpose of es- a classification division, that patents may be better classified, thing which the office badly needs. The office now has a surplus of some four millions in the treasury, but with out an act of conoress if cannot he used by the office. Mr. Seymour still