The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1897-01-08

Washington Letter.
From our regular Correspondent


the other republican members of that
committee opened the tariff hearings,
which are to be continued for two
weeks. today 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 Tomorrow
it will be the cotton schedule, in which
there is an impression that no extern
sive 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 notifca-
ton of these hearings that written or
printed arguments would receive the
same attention from the committee
that wonld be given to those orally
delivered, the most of those interested
seem to have preferred sending repre-
sentatiyes to talk directly to the COM
mittee.
The Inauguration preparations are
going merrily along and an enormous
quantity of work has already been
done. The executive committee asked
that guarantee fund of $4,000 be
contributed by citizens of Washing
ton, and without doing any personal
soliciting, checks aggregating 100000
are already in the hands of the Treas
urer of the Committee. It has prac-
tically been decided that the Inaug-
ural ball shall be held in the Court of
the Pension Building, although the
official announcement TO that effect
will not be made until the end of the
red tape necessary to be unwound in
securing the consent Of Secretary
Francis shall have been reached.
Some striking novelties in the way of
Illumination are promised by the sub
committee in charge of that branch
of the ceremonies. Among the latest
applications for accommodations are
those OF fifty members of the R. B.
Hayes Club, all of whom were mem
bers of Major McKinley's old regiment.
the 23rd Ohio.
1t 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 a probability.
They feel that it would not be just
either to President Mckinley or to the
fifty-ffth Congress, which will so soon
be in session, to take anysuch action,
even were there much stronger rea-
sons therefore than have yet been
brought forward; that nothing but
good can come of leaving the matter
where President Mckinley. whose
patriotism 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 foreign war
to handle, instead of being able to de-
vote all its ability and energy to the
restoration OF domestic prosperity.
Speaking of Cuba, not a little
amusement has been the result OF the
announcement of what is oftenest re-
ferred to as moneys fool trip" Rep
resentative Money, who is also Senator
elect from Miss, has gone to Cuba
with the avowed intention of telling
Gen. Weyler that he is there as a MEM
ber of the House Committee on Foreign
Affairs, and asking to be put In posi-
ton where he can obtain personal
knowledge OF the whole situation.
Money made his living as a lobbyist
in Washington too long to be called a
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 him.
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 sample copies of news
papers from pound rates in the mail
will be the first business in the House
and will be voted on Jan. 9th. Then
comes four days for the Pacific Rail-
road Bill. It is supposed that the
Cameron Cuban resolution viii be at
once taken up in the Senate, but it is
not certain.
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