The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-06-18

or retired lists by parties furnishing
supplies or materials of war to the Gov
ernment.
A special resolution authorized the
acceptance by the government of the
ram Katahdin, which failed to make the
speed requirements of the contracts, but
| which satisfied the department, being
largely an experimental craft. The ma
val reserve system was strengthened by
plan designed to draft vessels engaged
in the coastwise trade into the service
in time of war. An act was passed to
establish naval training station on
Yerba Buena (or Goat island), in San
Francisco barbor. The secretary was
empowered to accept certified checks in
lieu of bonds from contractors for naval
supplies.
No special legislation was contained
in the army appropriation bill Special
bills were passed, however, creating
the positions of chaplain (who will also
be professor of history, geography and
ethics) and gu assistant professor of the
same branches at West Point academy,
making the national military parks
fields for maneuvers by the national
guard or militia, and resolution ap-
| pointing General w. B. Franklin of
Connecticut, General Thomas ]. Hen
derson of illinois, Representatives
Steele of Indi,na and George l.. Beal of
| Maine members of the board of man.
ayers for the National Soldiers home.
1t may not be amiss to say that all the
western Req iblioan senators offered to
re-enact all or any part of the Mckinley
law, on con'ition that the other Repub-
lican senatols would do something for
silver and for the general interests of
| the west.
But all their overtures were met with
sullen resistance, Senator Sherman be-
ing especially irritated whenever any
body proposed to put the Mckinley bill
on its legs again.
In fact he declared that neither the
Mckinley bill nor anything ike it would
be considered seriously by any congress
for years to come, if ever. He appeared
to be satisfied that the people had had
enough of that sort of legislation for
half q century at least.
Of the many proposed changes in the
tariff laws, which became an actuality,
was the repeal of that clause of the Will
son act giving free alcohol in the arts
and manufactures, this being done on
the recommendation of Secretary Car
Isle and Commissioner of Internal Rev
enue Miller. This repeal met SO much
antagonism from members representing
manufacturing interests that it could
only be effected by coupling with it a
compromise scheme devised by Senator
Platt and Representative Russell of
Connecticut, for q congressional COM
mission to recommend legislation at the
beginning of the next session, by which
free alcohol can be secured under suffi-
cient safeguard for the government s
interests.
Although the house committee on
banking and currency devoted much
time to discussion of financial questions
it was able to agree OH but two-one to
permit banks to issue circulation to the
amout of the par value of the bonds de-
posted by them as security the other
for the organization of national banks
in the smaller towns, neither of which
was passed this session.
Foreign affairs naturally came in for
large share Of attention, and while
they divided with finances the inter-
est of congress and the country, there
was, after all, but little legislation re-
sulting, largely because this whole sub.
ject rests largely with the executive.
And yet congress did not go anything
like as far as it might justifiably and
properly have done in dealing with all
of the different phases of the question.
1t rather exhibited predisposition to
try to put the president in "a hole"
The first public resolution adopted by
congress, and that after one hours de-
bate in the house and few days in the
senate, was that authorizing the presi.
dent to create the commission to inves-
tigate the Venezuela British Guiana
boundary line.
The most exciting incident of the en-
tire session was that which attended the
crisis of the Venezuelan boundary dis.
pute-the qTick adoption by both the
senate and the house of Senator Hills
proposition to repeal the law forbiddina
ex-Confederates who relinquished com
missions in the United States army OF
navy to be again appointed to the service
The dairy interests of the country pre-.
vailed upon congress to enact the most
important measure for their protection
since the oleomargarine law, the "filled
cheese" bill, which regulates the manu-.
facture and sale OF adulterated cheese
and imposes heavy penalties for decep
tions.
The plans to bring about the Maher.
Fitzsimmons fight in the Indian terri
tory inspired the rapid enactment of Q
law imposing extremely severe penal
ties for prize fighting III the territories
and the epidemic of train-robberies in
the Indian territory brought about al
ironclad law against crimes of thai
class, or attempts at them. with the
| death penalty for any incidental loss o1
life.
And this is the entire record of the
congress which promised so much anC
did so little for the relief of the people
1t greatly resembled the late Ohio leg
islature that was so great on appropria
tions and so Insignificant in raising rev
enues and lessening the burdens of thu
taxpayers.
If any Republican wants to "poin
with pride" to either Of them let hin
take khe risk and do SO. w. A II.