Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-06-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular correspondent


While no formal action has been
taken as to the date of adjournment
it is easy for old-timers to see that
senators and representatives are ex-
pecting adjournment in a few days.
The senate voted down Senator
Dubois proposition for an additional
tax of 70 cents a barrel on beer.
The Cleveland democrats have
about abandoned open fighting
against the silver democrats, and are
now working secret schemes by
which they hope to be able to con-
troll sufficient number of the silver
delegates to the Chicago convention
to prevent the abolition of a free sill
yer platform. The general opinion
in Washington is that there is bound
to be bolt at Chicago.
The Virginia senators, neither of
whom was consulted before the NOM
ination was sent in, succeeded in get
ting an adverse report from the
finance committee on the nomination
of w. III. Fowle to succeed Gen. Fitz
Lee as collector of internal revenue
for the sixth Virginia district. AS
the adverse report was unanimous
it indicates almost toa certainty that
the senate will refuse to confirm the
nomination. The fight on Fowle by
the Virginia senators is merely an
undetermined fight on Fitz Lee, who
is his father-in-law, and whose name
is so powerful among Virginia demo-
Gratis that the senators dare not strike
him direct. The charge against
Fowle is incompetency. 1t may be
perfectly true, but why was it not
brought during the time he was in
charge of the collectors office as
Gen. Lees deputy? 1t is well known
that Gen. Lee was only the ornamen-
tai collector and that the work of the
office was directed by Fowle !;
also that Lee was named for collector
without consulting the Virginia sem
ators.
Chairman Picker, of the house
committee on invalid pensions, has
reported favorably to the house from
that committee service pension bill
This bill provides that every honor
ably discharged soldier and sailor
who served ninety days or longer
during the late war shall receive So
a month, and one cent month adj
ditional for each day exceeding
ninety that he served. Estimates
differ as to how much money would
| be required to put this bill into effect,
the most conservative putting it in
the neighborhood of $20,OO0,000 u year
The friends of the bill say there is no
intention to push it at the present
session, and that it has been reported
so as to allow the people chance to
discuss it and express their views
upon it before it comes up for final
action, at the next session.
| 4 it lluuSG IOliuN ttl Tue ItCCUulSllu-
alton Of the ways and means COM
mittee and passed the bill repeating
the clause of the tariff law which
| provided for the admission of alcohol
to be used in the arts and in manu-
features free of duty, by vote of l65
to 50, and it is expected that the
senate will also pass it before adj
journment. Treasury experts de-
clared the clause to be so drawn that
il could not be enforced, and no at
tempt has ever been made to en-
force it.
Controller Bowler has given no
indication Of an attempt to resist the
decision of the U. :. supreme court
whick knocked him off the pedestal
upon which he placed himself when
he refused to pay the money appro-
priated by congress for sugar boun-
ties, by deciding that the money
must be paid. After all Bowler isn't
the man to blame, He was ordered
to do what he did. Mr.. Cleveland and
Secretary Carlisle are the men who
have been sat upon by the supreme
court decision.