Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1897-01-02
WASHINGTON LETTER
REVISING THE TARIFF.
Preparing For the Inau-
guratlOn.
a FOOLS ERRAND.
Viii Sustain the President
in the house.
REVISING THE TARIFF.
A FOOLS ERRAND.
SENATORS ABSENT.
(From our Regular Correspondent

NCAOuA OuL hCB UldT NOIE6SpOQQ60G
WAsHINGroN, Dec. %, 1895.
Chairman Dingley. Of the House
Committee on Ways and Means and
the other Republican members Of
that committee opened the tariff
hearings, which are to be continued
for two weeks, to-day in the Ways and
Means Committee room at the Capitol,
the first days hearing being devoted /
to the schedule which includes spirits,
wines, and other beverages. To-mor-
row it will be the cotton schedule, in
which there is an impression that no |
extensive or very marked changes will |
be made by the new tariff bill, and on
Wednesday the sugar and molasses
schedule will be dealt with. Although |
it was expressly stated in the notifica-
tion of these hearings that written or
printed arguments would receive the
same attention from the committee
that would be given TO those orally
delivered, the most of those interested
seem to have preferred sending repre-
sentatives to talk directly to the COM
mittee.
PREPARING FOR MCKINLEY.
The Inauguration preparations are
going merrily along and an enormous
4aantity of work has already been
Gone. The executive committee ask
ed that guarantee fund of $50, 900 be-
contributed by citizens of Washington,
and without doing any personal solicit
ing, checks aggregating $50, 900 are al
- ~ L 4. a. n
the Committee. 1t has practically
been decided that the inaugural ball
shall be held in the Court of the Pen
sion Building, although the official an
Douncement to that effect will not be
made until the end of the red tape ne
cessary to be unwound in securing the
consent Of Secretary Francis shall have
been reached. Some striking novelties
in the way OF illumination are promis-
ed by the subcommittee in charge of
that branch of the ceremonies. Among
the latest applications for accommo-
dations are those of fifty members of
the r. b. Hayes Club, all of whom
were members of Major McKinley's
old regiment, the 23rd Ohio.
WILL NOT CONCUR.
It is daily becoming more certain
that the republican majority Of the
House regardless of the individual
opinion of members as to Cuba. will
not allow any action to be taken at
this session that is considered likely
TO make war with Spain probability,
They feel that it would not be Just
either to President Mckinley or to the
fifty-fifth Congress, which will so soon
be in session, to take any such action,
even were there much stronger rea-
sons therefor than have yet been
brought forward that nothing but
good can come of leaving the matter
where President Mckinley, whose pa
triotism and courage have both been
tested, can have some say about
it, while nothing but harm could come
of precipitating action that might give
the new administration q foreign war
to handle, instead of being able to de-
vote all its ability and energy to the
restoration ofdomestic prosperity.
GONE TO CUBA.
Speaking of Cuba, not little amuse-
ment has been the result of the an
nouncement Of what is oftenest referr-
ed to as Moneys fool trip" Repre-
sentative Money, who is also Senator
elect from Mississippi, has gone to
Cuba with the avowed intention of
telling Gen. Weyler that he is there
as a membero of the House Committee
OH OTolku AlhlLbs anu achlAlk W Dc
put in q position where he can obtain
personal knowledge of the whole stu
alton. Money made his living as
lobbyist in Washington too long to be
called fool, but he ought to know
that any information he obtains
through the assistance of Gen. Weyler
will be Just as one-sided as if he had
remained in Washington and asked
the Spanish minister to give it to hi in
hxre Of
who is also a member of the House
Committee which must deal with any
Cuban legislation, while not exactly
illegal can hardly fail to strike most
people as lacking in good taste.
CONSUL GENERAL LEES EXPECTED RE
PORT.
A copy of the first dispatch sent to
Consul General Lee by Secretary Olney
after he heard about Moneys visit.
would make interesting reading, or
miss my guess. Moneys applying to
Gen. VIEWER for information, IN his
official capacity, will at once cause
the Spaniards to understand that Ton
0ress doesn't trust the information the
State Department. has received through
its Consular officers in Cuba, and that
the same inference will be drawn by
others is certain.
SHUTTING OUT SAMPLE COPIES.
Very few Senators and Representa-
tives are now in Washington, but the
state of business in both House and
Senate makes it likely that most OF
them will be on hand when Congress
reassembles. The Loud bill. shutting
out books and samples copies of news
papers from pound rates in the mail
will be the first business in the House
.v.G nil Ho unfan Ian 9TH Then
comes four days for the Pacific Rail-
road Bill. it is supposed that the
Cameron Cuban resolution will be at
once taken up in the Senate, bat it is
not certain.