The St. Johns herald., 1897-10-02
WASHINGTON LETTER.
An Estimated Deficit in the
 Payment of Pensions.
From Our Regular Correspondent.

| From Our Regular Correspondent
 WASHINGTON, September 26, 1897.
 In view of the officially estimated de-
 felt in the payment of pensions for the
 current fiscal year there may be some
 emphatic talk on this subject at the com
 ing session of congress. Lest some of
 your republican readers should say that
 this idea of pension deficit was con-
 cocted by the opponents of the admnis-
 tratiOn, the following language used by l II. Clay Evans, commissioner of pen- sions. is given: Il estimate that the to-
 tai payment for the year will not exceed
 $147 ,500,00o, and the appropriation for
 the year is $141 ,263 .S80. :" Mir. Evans
 speaks of this probable deficit of six
 and quarter millions of dollars as in-
 differently as though he were talking of
 purchasing pint of peanuts, and when
 his attention was called to the probabil-
 ity that the failure of the new tariff 10 produce the estimated amount of reye- nue might cause congress to object to passing deficiency appropriation bill
 r.- .!.-.v-... '~ --ro ..,v.v. fl.e r-r~hli- can plan for meeting sGch contingency bv saving. .'f5 there ~' .r.I he lr .r- expected falling off in the revenue, the pension payments might be curtailed towards the end of the year."
 The home rule plank of the republican national platform cuts no ice when it comes to providing for cousin of MT. Mckinley, as was shown by the an nouncement that Frederick F. McKin- ley, of New Mexico, has been appointed receiver of public moneys at Guthrie, Oklahoma A cousin of the vice presi- dent was also provided with an office, but not quite so big an office as he ap- piled for. This was Edward F. Hobart, who aspired to be governor of New Mex ico, and who was appointed receiver of public moneys at Santa Fe.
 Indian Commissioner Jones hasn't re signed, and is not likely to do so vOlun tarlly, although Boss Hanna's man has been appointed assistant commissioner over the protest of Jones. This is an- other straw showing the uselessness of republican objections to the carrying cut of any of Hanna's wishes.
 Ex-Secretary Hoke Smith passed through Washington a day or two ago, and he was fairly bubbling over with satisfa, ton at the bright prospects ahead of the united democratic party, | which always wins. He thinks the sue cess of the democrats in Greater New York is certain, and that it will start wave of party harmony that will result in the election of a democratic house next year and of democratic president in 1900.
 All the talk about General Fitz Hugh Lee remaining at home and taking part in the Virginia camnai-n was settled good and all, when General Lee, in def erence to request of Mr Mckinley made during long conference batwee" the two men al the White House. agreed | to resume his duties as United States consul general to Cuba as soon as the leave of absence upon which he came home expired, winch will be early lh October General Lee is mum about the situation in Cuba, but his opInIons' as we'll as rhe drift of his sympathy, are pretty we'll known, and it is not believed that he would have agreed to return to Cuba had he not been given to under stand that some action WAS soon to be taken by this government that will put an end to the present deplorable condi- ton there.
 Sos, Tlatt is using all his wi { g to get AIr. Mckinley to take s.des agaInst the candidacy of Seth Low for mayor of Greater New York, and he is very sly about it, too. He is trying to convince Mir. Mckinley, and has almost sue ,eeded, that if he doesn't help to kill the aspirations of Low, he will have him to fight as d candidate for the pres ,Iential nomination at the next republi- an national convention. MT Mckinley s somewhat of a politician himself, and will not do all that Platt wants hIm to do without exacting loyalty from