Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1897-01-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2sth, 1896.

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. To-
morrow it will be the cotton schedule,
in which there is an impression that
no extensive or very marked changes
will be made by the new tariff bill,
and on Wednesday the sugar and mo-
lasses schedule will be dealt with. AL
though it was expressly stated in the
notification of these hearings that
written or printed arguments would
receive the same attention from the
committee that would be given to
those orally delivered, the most of
those interested seem to have pre-
ferred sending representatives di-
rectly to the committee.
The Inauguration preparations are
going merrily along and an enormous
quantity of work has already been
done. The executive committee ask
ed that guarantee fund of $4,000 be
contributed by citizens of Washing
ton, and without doing any personal
soliciting, checks aggregating $780,
600 are already in the hands of the
treasurer Of the committee. 1t has
practically been decided that the In
augural 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 regi-
ment, the 23rd Ohio.
1t is daily becoming more certain
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 fifth Congress, which will
soon be in session, to take any such
action, even were there much strong
er reasons therefor than have yet
been brought forwards; 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
could come Of precipitatipg action
that might give the new administra-
ton foreign war to handle, instead
of being able to devote all it's ability
and energy to the restoration of do
Znestic prosperity.
Speaking of Cuba, not a little
amusement has been the result of the
announcement of what is oftenest re-
ferred to as 'Money's fool trip" Re-
preventative Money, who is also Sen
ator elect from Miss, has gone to
Cuba with the avowed intention of
telling Gen. Weyler that he is there
as member of the House Committee
on Foreign Affairs, and asking to be
but in a position where he can obtain
personal knowledge of the whole stu
alton. 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. Weyl-
er will be just as one sided as if he
had remained in Washington and ask
ed the Spanish minister to give it to
him. Such visit by a member of
Congress who is also member Of the
House Committee which must deal
with any Cuban legislation, while not
exactly Illegal, can hardly fail to
strike most people as lacking in good
taste. A copy of the first dispatch
sent to Consul General Lee by Secre-
tary Olney, after he heard about Mo-
ney's visit, would make Interesting
reading. Moneys applying to Gen.
Weyler for information, in his official
will at once cause the Span
lard to understand that Congress does
not trust the information the State
Department has received through it's
Consular officers in Cuba, and that
the same interference will be drawn
by others is certain.
Very few Senators and Representa-