Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1895-03-07
Washington Letter.
From our Regular Core pondent.)
Washington, March l. 1895


dry Civil Appropriation bill-author-
izing the secretary of the treasury to
issue certificates of Indebtedness to
meet the deficit in the revenues, be-
cause of an agreement 'mong oppos-
| ing senators TO talk away the rest of
the session, if he didn't; but before
| doing so he made a speech in which
were some remarkable charges
against democratic secretary of the
treasury, to be made by democratic
senator. He said that the responses
of the secretary of the treasury to in
| quiries of the Senate. as to whether
this legislation was needed. were on
their faces misleading; that there
would be deficit for the fiscal year
of 500, 900, 900 and for the calendar
year of $50, 900, 600 that treasury offici-
ais had acknowledged to him (Gor-
mon) personally that there was mis-
| take of $50, 900, 900 in Secretary Car
| isles figures of the amount of money
now available to meet government in
debtedness; that the expenditures
had been underestimate by Secre-
tary Carlisle to the extent of $40, 000,
600, and he added: 1.-The truth is, that
they Treasury officials) made a mis-
take about year ago in making up
their balances of $50, 900, 600, and
they have been trying to adhere to it
ever SINCE Mr.. German did not
speak with any excitement but with
the calm deliberation of a man who
had personally gone over the figures
- 1. I, 10, l., l.. 1.
also, that he was somewhat of book
keeper himself. 1t is not strange
that there should have been excite
ment on the floor Of the Senate to such
an extent that the services of the
Sergeant-at-Arms had to be called for
by Vice President Stevenson to restore
order, something that the oldest habi-
tue of the Senate does not remember
to have ever before been done. Nor
is it strange that men say Secretary
Carlisle should be impeached, either
for incapacity or for violation of the
oath of office.
1t seems that whenever some gov
eminent wants something said to an
other government that it does not
care to say itself it calls on the United
States to say it, and if Secretary
Gresham has declined a single request
of that sort the fact has been success
fully kept from the public and buried
in the archives Of Che department OF
state. So far nothing serious has
come of the Secretary Gresham's at
tempt to do the parrot act. but the
incident is not yet closed 1t was the
insignificant government of San Do
mingo that made use of the ever pill
ant Gresham this time. 1t seems
that in order to force settlement of
long score against San Domingo,
France sent three war ships to the
harbors of the little black republic.
Now, this was none cf our business,
vet Gresham when requested by the
government of San Domingo, told
France that no hostile demonstration
must be made. The French govern
ment took this interference much
more good-naturedly than Japan did
a similar one, and even went so far
as to explain just what it was trying
to accomplish. But those war ships |
were not withdrawn. Gresham then
sent another communication to the |
French government intimating that |
those war ships would better be with |
drawn There the matter stands at |
present.
One of Gresham's little schemes
was too much even for the democratic |
House. He promised to pay the Brit
ish government 1928, 900 for damages |
sustained by Canadian sealers in
Bering Sea, but when an attempt was
made to appropriate the money, the
House very properly refused by a vote
Of 143 to 112 to do it. fifty democrats
voting with SO republicans against the
appropriation. Representative Hit
Of Illinois led the fight against the
appropriation, and it was his show
ing from the official records, that all
the claims for damages which have
been Jed by Canadian sealers aggre-
gated only little more than one-third
Of the amount asked for by Gresham,
that won the fight
1t has been a long time since the
Senate was in as excited condition
as it has been all this week. and the
nearer the day of final adjournment
gets the stronger grows the excite
ment. Whether all the appropriation
bills will be disposed Of even by ex-
tending Saturdays session right
through Sunday and sunday night is
still matter of doubt, although most
Of the senators believe they will be.
But they all admit that in the present
temper of the Senate some incident
comparatively insignificant may up
set all plans and end the session in a
leaving some OF the appro-
priation bills Enacted upon. How
ever the general belief seems to be
that the greatest danger lies in the
possible veto OF some appropriation
bill during the closing hours, because
Of some amendment objectionable TO
Mr. Cleveland.
There is no excitement in the House