The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-04-15
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, April IL, /


President Mckinley returned from
his little outing much improved. The
weather was more or less disagreeable
during the entire time he spent on
the Dolphin, but he got what he went
after and needed most-rest. He was
at his desk to-day looking fresher
than for several weeks.
Jerry Simpson made an attempt to
prove that he was bigger man than
the entire House, but he only proved
himself a monkey. He thought, or
rather he thought that he thought,
that he could compel Speaker Reed
to appoint the committees and the
/ House to go ahead with miscellaneous
! business, although a majority had
decided that the legislation Of the
extra session should be confined [ to
passing the leftover appropriation
bills, and the tariff bill, both of which
the House has done. Jerry made the
| point of mo quorum to prevent the
House adi0urning from Saturday to
/ Wednesday, but Speaker Reed had
no difficulty in counting a quorum,
and Jerry found himself down while
the House adjourned. Whether he
intends to get himself knocked down
every time the House meets just fer
the notoriety there is in it, is YET. TO
be seen. 1t is evident that Speakcs
Reed regards Jerry merely as an
amusing little cuss."
Secretary Alger, under whose direc-
ton the 100000 appropriated last
week by Congress for the relief of
suffers by the floods in the Mississippi
valley will be spent, lost no time in
putting the machinery of the War
Department to work in order that
prompt relief might be extended,
wherever needed. 1t may be a hard
thing to say, but it is strictly true
that the Cleveland administration
was responsible for much of the dam
age done by the Mississippi river
floods, by it's policy of delay in spend
ing money appropriated by Congress
to strengthen and raise up the levees
along the Mississippi river at those
points where United States engineer
officers had reported the necessity of
such work. Reports are on file in the
War Department from engineer Off
GERS, made after Congress had appro-
priated the money, urging that con
tracts be made and the work pushed
on these leyees, but it was the Cleve-
land-Carlisle policy to hold back
appropriation as long as possible,
and these floods came before the
strengthening OF the leyees had been
completed. A number of the breaks
are at the points reported weak by
the engineers and ordered to be
strengthened by Congress. For all
damage done by these particular
breaks, the Cleveland administration
is clearly responsible.
President McKinley's announced
policy Of reinstating all ex-Union
} soldiers who were dismissed from
Office by the Democrats for no other
reason than their politics, is being
carried out in all Of the government
departments as fast as the heads of
the departments can get around to
the cases. In the cases OF the chiefs
of divisions, the Democrats are being
given better treatment than they gave
Republicans. They are allowed to
remain in Office, in a lower position,
instead Of being dismissed, as so many
Republicans were under the last adj
ministration.
4 Republican Senator speaking of
the talk in regard to the appointment
Of Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, to be
assistant secretary of the Navy being
likely to make trouble, said: 'Roos-
evelt may make trouble in the Navy
Department, but if he does it will be
in the interest Of the administration
OF its affairs, just as he has made
trouble for the law breakers of New
York city who had long enjoyed police
protection. ! notice that in all the
trouble stirred up by Roosevelt, he
has always had the support of those
who believed in showing up and re-
forming wrong doing wherever found
and | am willing to stand behind all
the trouble he makes in the navy
department"
Mr.. Cleveland's order reducing the
number of pension agencies, which
was to go into effect on the first of
next September, will never go into
effect, Pension Commissioner Evans
has ascertained by investigation that
instead of saving money as Mr.. Cleve-
land claimed, it would cost more to
support the consolidated agencies.
He said on the subject: while /
have no authority to speak for the
President, | have excellent reasons
for believing that his order will not
go into effect, and that the eighteen
| pension agencies will remain as they