The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1897-12-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.

Washington, November 90, 1897.
Republcan conferences are the order
o the day, as Senators and Represent
atives arrive in Washington. Presi
dent Mckinley, having flushed his an
nual message to Congress and got it into
the hands Of the printers. is devotlng
a considerable portion of his time TO
comforting with prominent members Of
the party as 10 the legislation oi the ses-
sion. He is particularly anxious that
whateyer party measures are brought
before Congress shall have the united
support OF republicans, and he Is losing
no opportunity to impress that idea up
on those with whom he talks. While
not expecting that all his recommenda-
tons, financial or otherwise, Will be
favorab' Y acted upon by Congress, he
believes that by good management,
some Of them can be put through.
There are reasons for the belief that a
sufficient number of Senators will under
certain circumstances vote with the re-
publicans in the Senate to pass several
bills that will greatly strengthen the
administration and benefit the country.
I 1t is not deemed eXpedient to specify
these measures at this time, but just
wait and see if the President does not
| justify his reputation as a harmonizer.
| 1t is refreshing alter reading the
numerous jingo schemes advanced just
! -. 10, I'm,
uagc in the annual report of the Sec
! rttarv Oi the Navy: 'AddItions TO our
! fleet may be hereafter necessary to
| bring it up, III case of an emergency, to
an extent commensurate with the grow
! Ing necessities of the country, cspccl-
! ally in viaw of the DEVELOPMENT Of
! Alaska, which is a continent in Itself,
| and Of the possible annexation Of isl
and5 in the Pacific. On the other hand,
! it is a mistake not to recognize that our
naval power has more than doubled
within the last few years; that the case
| Of any emergency beyond our present
resources is the very rare case; that I'M
! til it comes ships will be gradually
! taken OFT Of commission and put into
reserve in or,ier to reduce running eX-
penscs; and that a due regard is neces-
| sary to the relation o! tie National eX-
| peuditGrcs to the National revenues
! The department therefore recommends
that the authorization Of new ships by
the coming Congress, be limited to one
battleship for The Pacific coast, where,
after the five now under construction
are completed, there will be only two,
while on the Atlantic there will be
seven; and also to Il few torpedo boats
and torpedo boat destroyers, both of
which are comparatively Of little cost,
and more of which are desirable in or
der to bring this swift, mobile. AMI
handily effective arm of the service up
to its place in the general scheme for
coast defense"
Senator Pritchard, of North Carolina.
| Chairman. of the committee that Is,
under Senate resolution, investigating
the workings of the civil service law,
SAYS the committee viii resume work
| during the first week Of the session of
| Congress, paying particular attention to
the internal revenue service, and that
It's report Will probably be submitted to
the Senate early in January. Senator
| Pritclard Will not attempt to say what
| the renort of the committee Will be, fur
! thcr than that he thinks it will prob
ably recommend modification OF exist
ing rules. but his personal opinions,
which he freely gives, are believed to
be about " hat are held by a majority OF
the committee, and probably are in line
| with the report that Will be made. He
said: a too broad extension Of the
civil service law is calculated to weight
it down and render il uapopullr, there
! by cndan-ering It's continuance. a
good principle to adopt would be that a
! scholastic examination is proper to de-
! tcrmine the fitness of persons for cle,i
cai positions, but such a test is not suit
able 10 determine the fitness Of man
to fill position where the duties are
executive. The idea that the law Is
I Sol l VI biStIhtN ~ tONCI IhNi : liIAIi- 10
Very unpopular"
| EN-SDeaker keifcr, Of Ohio, is renew
ing Old acquaintances IN Washington.
| He SAYS he ism t in active politics, hut
] tries To know what's going on. OF Ohio
matters he says: Senator Hanna VIII
/ Toe elected, if he lives; no possible com
I hinatiGn can be made to beat him" and
1 of the silver question: 1T is very
eticte question IN my section. 1t is sei-
! dom that you hear any mention of the
subject in Ohio, and out in Nebraska,
! whore | visit my oldest son OCCASION
I ally, | observe that there Is really but
! little interest taken III the Is to Idea
/ 1t is true that the republicans were
/ beaten this year in Nebraska, but it was
/ merely Il rcbukc administered by the
voters on account of the conduct of for
,ncr republican state officials. Later,
You will see Nebraska getting back into
the republican column and the same
/ will be true of Kansas, where the furore
cyer free silver, has, l think, perman-
! emily aLatcL.'
If Nr. Thorn mad tod bis story first
he might have been spared i shocking
death.
The aged mother OF President Ne
kinney has been stricken with paralysis
aud is not expected to recover.
Our own Reichsrath will soon be in