The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-03-18
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON. March Is. ts9

WASHINGTON, March 10, 1897.
Hon. Thomas B. Reed, of Maine !
has for the third time been elected |
Speaker of the House, a position |
which, in honor and influence, is |
second only to that ofthe Presidency. |
There was no opposition in the Re |
publican caucus to the denomination |
of Mr.. Reed, or of any Of the othSf
officers of the House in the last Con-
gress. 1t was in the cases of all of |
them, except Mr.. Reed, simply one
good term deserving another, while |
in his case it was two good terms, |
although not consecutive ones, de- |
serving another Republicans are
naturally proud of big Tom Reed and |
his record as Speaker. He has had to
face some very difficult and intricate
parliamentary situations, but he has
never even in single instance failed
to force from them credit for himself
and for the Republican party Al
though partisan of partisans upon
all purely political questions, no
Speaker has ever had more, and few
as many, warm personal friends
among his political opponents. Ia
starting in upon this extra session of
Congress, the country and party are
to be congratulated that the work OF
the House viii be directed by so ex-l
perienced a Yarliamentarian as NJ.
Reed.
4 scandal of large proportions may
be shown up in connection with the
acts Of Judge LamoreuX, Mr. Cleve-
lands commissioner of the United
States Land Office in what is known
as the Chicago lake front case. Sec
rotary Bliss has set aside q decision in
favor of certain parties and ordered
new hearing Of the case. Ex-Secretary
Carlisle, who is now the attorney of,
the parties whom LamoreuX tried to
favor, may be mixed up in the scan
| dal, as it is limited that he was inter
ested il the case while member of
Mr.. Cleyeland's cabinet. LamoreuX
rendered his resignation and left
Washington several days before the
close of the Cleveland administration
but his resignation has not been ac-
copied and present indications are
that it will not be, but that he will
be dismissed. Some very valuable
Chicago real estate is involved in this
case.
1t might be supposed from the con-
certed yelping from the Democratic
free traders at the now completed
tariff bill, that they are really sur
prisad to find that Chairman Dingley
and his Republican associates have
made 4 protection bill, just as the
country last November directed the
Republican party to do. They are
pretending that they expected the
rates of duty in the new bill to be
much lower than they are. The new
bill is a Republican measure from
beginning TO end, intended to supply
the 1900, 600 annual deficit in the
government receipts, and at the same
time to give idle American working
men profitable employment by re-
storing the American market, the
best in the whole world. to our own
manufacturers and producers from
whom it was taken largely and pre-
sented to foreigners by the tariff en-
acted by the Democrats. Whether
| the tariff bill will become law in its
present shape is matter beyond
telling, but it is a bill that every Re
publican will gladly vote for just as it
stands and no material changes are
likely to be made before it passes the
House. If changes are made il the Sen
ate it will be because they are neces-
sary to get votes needed to pass it land
not because Of any Republican objec-
ton to it. President Mckinley would
gladly sign the bill just as it is and
have his administration stand or fall
upon its workings.
President Mckinley's rule requiring
the Congressional delegations to unite
in recommending men for Office, while
disappointing to few individuals, is
on the whole a good one, and one that
makes it well nigh impossible tomake
a bad appointment. The few APP
pointments made up to this time have
been pre-eminently good. The
decision on the part OF the admins
tration to go slow in making appoint
ments will also commend itself to the
people at large, who are much more
interested in seeing the policy inau-
gurated that will restore the prosper
ity OF the country than in who shall
get the comparatively few offices at
President McKinley's disposal. OF
course most Republicans wish to see
all the places under the government
not covered by civil service rules,
filled by good Republicans, men who
are in sympathy with the party prin-
ciples and policy, and they all will be
in the course of few months, but for