The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1897-05-21
W ashingt0n Letter.
From our regular Correspondent

New York on the AFTERNOON of Mon
day. the 31st inst, in time to also take
part in their exercises. On the 18th
INST, the President and his cabinet
will attend the dedication of the
Washington monument in Phila-
delphia.
Many republicans in both branches
of Congress are dissatisfied with por-
tions of the amended Dingley tariff
bill, last week reported to the Senate,
but they are not disposed to publicly
criticise the bill because they feel con-
fideut that changes which will be
made will remove most, if not all, of
its Objectionable features. The bill is
to be taken up by the Senate on the
18th inst, and pushed through that
body as rapidly as possible Many
changes are likely to be made before
it passes the Senate and still more be-
fore it gets out of the Conference Com
mittee. No fears are felt that the bill
will not be as good measure as can
possibly get through the Senate in the
absence of a straight republican ma
jority, when it finally goes to President
Mckinley for his signature.
Secretary Bliss, Pension Commits
sioner Evans, and Land Commissioner
Herman, each wrote letter to the
Senate committee tnat is investigat-
ing the workings of the civil service
law and rules, advocating curtail-
ment of the extension of the rules
made by Mr.. Cleveland. Secretary
Bliss said: "The chief clerk of this
department. ard the chiefs of divisions
should, in my opinion, be exempt
from the classified service. These Of
ficers occupy confidential relations to
the secretary, and on their briefs or
recommendation he is dependent to a
large extent for the proper conduct of
his office. I am of the opinion also
that the special agents, such as land
and timber inspectors, mineral land
commissioners, and particularly the
special Indian agents, and the ap-
pointment of such, should be more
directly under the control of the Sec
retary, who is responsible for their ac-
tions, and who must depend upon
them very largely for his knowledge
of affairs in distant regions" If it is
assumed that the dominant party
should shape the legislation of the
country in consonance with the poll
cies which it sustains, it has a right
to know that the chiefs of divisions.
who first shape recommendation as
they are called for through the various
divisions, are in perfect sympathy
with the party policies. The most
important legislation in Congress
emanates from these divisions in the
form of reports on measures pending
before Congress, and which are usual
lv first submitted to the heads OF de-
partments, and by them to the heads
| of bureaus, who in turn submit to the
chiefs of divisions" These are com
mon sense arguments. Another batch
of evidence showing the unblushing
partisanship practiced by the Cleve-
land administration under the cloak
of civil service reform was submitted
TO the committee at its regular weekly
meeting.
Speaker Reed was oneof the counsel
IN the case in which the U. s. Supreme
Court decided that pension examln-
ing surgeons were not government OF
ficials. This decision was made III
| 1878, but was either overlooked or lg'
nored by the Cleveland adminlstra
ton, which placed the boards OF ex
amining surgeons under the civil ser
vice rules. The closing words OF Mr
Reeds argument in the case were al
follows: "If party should CONTRACT
with the Commissioner of Pensions tf
furnish wood for the Pension Office al
80 ner cord, he would as justly nt
entitled to be. considered an officer O
tho limited States as civil surgeon
who contracts with the Commlsslonel
to make examinations of applicants
for nensions at 50. per head" Speak
mo Of this matter an old official said
ssTbere are many decisions on record
in the Interior Department that pen
sion examining surgeons are not con
s;dered federal officers. One OF thes'
| decisions is interesting, as 1T applies t.
the recently appointed referee at tn
} Pension Office, DIR. Raub. he was a
, one time pension examining surgeon
and received an appointment as post
| master. He appealed to the secretary
of the Interior for information ant
WAS informed that there was no VIOLA
t;on of law in his becoming post
master, as an examining surgeon wa
not a federal officer"
In referring to the Senate the olne
, dov as aNo Mans Land" Representa-
tive Cannon, Of ILL.,, gave !. a nam