The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-01-18
MashingtOn Letter.
IFrom.our regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan llth, 1S9:

now the cry of the administration to
the House. Just why Cleveland should
be so anxious to have the House pass
a currency bill of some sort, when he
must know, as everybody else does,
that no currency bill that can be put
through the House will stand even a
ghost of a show to get through the
Senate, is not apparent but the fact
remains that he is. 1t was this anx-
iety that caused him to make friends
with Senator Hill, who is now using
his influence with democrats of the
House to get a bill passed, going so
far as to tell the silver members that
the Senate will pass the bill and re-
turn it to the House with an amend
ment providing for the coinage of
seigniorage on the silver bullion now
in the Treasury. TIE democratic
House caucns settled nothing, because
it was agreed beforehand that it should
take no action that would be binding
upon anybody. bat 1t begins 10 iook as
though the House would pass a hill.
| No man is in position to say,
however, exactly whst its nature will
lie, Or whether il will Le the Carlisle
bill or one of the substitutes that viii
I be offered in the House
The administrator i, beginning to
realize what a serious mistake Secre-
tarv Gresham made when lie wrote
that official letter saying that the dif-
ferential duty imposed on sugar from
countries paying an export bounty on
sugar, was a treaty violation. The
representatives OF all the continental
European nations are using that let
ter as basis for their protests and
threats Of retaliation, and there is no
hope from Congress.
Complaints against the postage
stamps turned out bx the. Bureau of
Engraving and Printing continue to
pour into the Postoffice Department.
These complaints are now mostly
against the stamps of higher denomi-
nation than two cents, and include
imperfect perforation. poor finish and
inferior designs Millions of the two
cent stamps had to be destroyed
because of inferior cumming before
that denomination became fairly sat
isfactory. Whether any of the stamps
of higher denomination, against
which the present complaints are di-
rected, will have to he destroyed, is
question not yet decided by the De-
partment.
The promotion Of Hon. J.C. Bur
rows to the Senate by the republican
legislature OF Michigan, gave his
friends in Congress much personal
pleasure, but when viewed from
! strictly party point OF view, the gap
his departure from the House will
leave in the front rank of the heav-
lest fighters, is not specially pleasing
to republicans, although there are
plenty of men more than anxious 10
take his place
The retirement of Representative
Burrows from the House will leave the
contest for the Chairmanship Of the
Ways and Means committee between
the great States OF New York and
Pennsylvania It is Gust omary, but
not obligatory, for the Speaker Of the
House to name as the chairman of
that important committee. the senior
member OF his party on that commit
ee. The custom was ignored. by the
present Speaker who jumped Mr.. Viii
son over the head of Mr. Springer and
made him chairman If Speaker
Reed follows the custom Representa-
tive Payne, of New York, will he chair
man of the committee. ii he desires
| to be; but somehow the impression is
strong among republicans IN the
House that Representative Dalzell, of
Pa, who is next to Mr.. Payne on the
committee, stands as good, if not
better chance to become its chairman.
1t would be highly improper for either
of these gentlemen to attempt to in-
huence the choice of the Speaker, but
their colleagues are free tn do what
they can in that direction, and the
good-natured rivalry between the
States to secure the craftsmanship pro-
misses to be interesting to everybody,
except Mr.. Reed, who viii have to
decide.
Overtures have been made by friends
of the administration to republican
Senators, to ascertain how much sup
port can be obtained on the republi-
can side of the Senate for the attempt
to kill the income tax by withholding
the appropriation to put it into effect.