Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-09-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS. !

The PRESIDENT rREsUMES--The busi-
ness of the federal administration is
resumed. 1t is true that the presi.
dent and his official family will not be
gathered permanently in the National
capitol before the first of next month /;
but at the first cabinet meeting just
called, the future policy of the govern
ment on various subjects of progress
sive Importance was discussed in the
light Of the summers developments,
and the department chiefs placed once
more in intimate touch with the presi-
dents opinions and purposes. 1t is
at this point that the constructive
work Of the administration actually be-
gins. What has gone before, in the
passage of the Tariff bill and the dec
laration of financial and foreign views
was largely preparatory-the creation
of solid foundation for national adj
vanooment. ns it were. The country
is now ready for enduring results,
based upon the favorable conditions
created during the first four months
of the new governments endeavor.
The people are breathing freely again.
On every hand threatened bankruptcy
has retired in confusion. Anx-
iety's furrows have disappeared
from the brows of men carrying
heavy burdens in commerce and
manufacture. The wage Garner
sees ahead the promise of steady EN-
ployment at good wages in place of
half-time and of shut-dOwns. The
land, responsive to the general happi-
ness, has given forth crops which as
tound the statistician. Money has re-
sumed its rapid march from hand to
hand. The seed of prosperity, sown
in July,is already bursting into bloom
throughout the entire surface of
American life, and nothing can
retard its sturdy development. Con-
fronted by such welcome condi-
tions as these, born of his earliest en-
deavors in the executive field, President
Mckinley returns to his work with
health reinforced, with the confidence
of the people in his administration in
creased, and with his political predic-
tions justified by time. With pros
perity at home assured, he will pro-
ceed toward solution of unsettled
questions in our foreign relations
which shall reflect credit upon his
official record and confusion upon the
American pessimist.
AN IMPORTANT WoRK-The next
Congress will have an important work
to perform in providing filter
x.,,,n,,u,n,3 g., lo,G, A %arrik ,,rio1
delegate to Congress will probably be
admitted and perhaps local Legisla-
ture organized. Land and mining
laws that will carefully protect the in
dividual and restrain the greed of great
combinations of capital are much
needed, for here is vast domain whose
resources are only beginning to be
exploited and many errors attending
the development of the West can be
avoided. The present law refers to
Alaska as "district," although
it already has several small cities
or towns. The governor, who
is appointed by the president. enforces
the laws, and when he can find no
law fitting the case, he is authorized
to borrow law from Oregon. OF
other civil officers there are about 18,
and 1S deputies besides. If the rush
to Alaska continues, it will soon need
n government as strong and elaborate
as New Mexico.
CHANGED Color AGAIN--Uncle Sam
has changed the color of his postage
stamps four times within the past
twenty years, and now the color of
the two-cent carmine stamp is to be
changed back to green, on the plea
that the carmine stamp is too fashy for
a government document, and green is
considered more dignified and proper.
The color of the new stamp will be the
same shade as that of the silver certif-
Gates and greenback notes. The princi-
pal saving in the use of green ink is due
to the fact that it is bought in large
quantities for revenue stamps and
notes, while red ink is bought in
small quantities for stamps alone.
Considering the fact that the green
postage stamp was driven out by the
public clamor against it only a few
years ago, it is odd that it should now
bob up again on the score of economy.
The handsomest two-cent postage
stamp ever issued by the government
was the brown one that preceded the
former green ones.
ACTION EAGERLY AWAITED The
queen regent has speeded the parting
and welcomed the coming guest. Ex-
Minister Taylor has abandoned the
court of Madrid and Minister Wood
ford has been formally received at
San Sebastian by the mother of the
boy king. With the preliminaries thus
perfected, President McKinley's in
tention in the matter of the Cuban
war of independence is awaited here
with eagerness if not with patience.
Meanwhile, one is impressed with
the queen regents parting words. to
Mr.. Taylor: "Do, pray, befriend Spain
when you go back to America. Does
not her majesty understand that the
best friend of Spain today would be
he who would relieve her of owner
ship in Cuba?
AN HONEST BALL PLAYER-A pro-
fessional ball player here the other
day was asked question of fac by the
umpire, and the player told the truth,
Notwithstanding that lie would have
helped his side. The leading edito-
rials in honor of this extraordinary
event that appeared in the local news
papers were abundantly justified.
This incident fills the baseball world
with hope.
REPUBLICANS TOO SHREwD-A recent
cabinet meeting here took up the
question of Union Pacific foreclosure.
1t is hardly probable that the conten-
plated sale of the governments int r
est at 60 cents on the dollar will be
indorsed. That was one of the pro-
jected acts of the last administration
which almost any Republican admins
ration would be too shrewd to indorse.