Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-01-02
TARIFF HEARINGS.
Inauguration rIatters Cuban Affairs
rIoney's Fool Trip.
From our regular correspondent. ]

committee opened the tarin hearings,
which are to be continued for two
weeks, today IN the Ways and Means
Committe Room at the Capitol, the
first days hearing being DEVOTED to
the schedule which includes spirits.
wines, and other beverages. Tomor-
row 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
nolasses schedule will be dealt with.
Although 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 preferred
sending representatives to talk direct
ly to the committee.
The Inauguration preparations are
going merrily along and an enormous
quantity of work has already been
done. The executive committee asked
that a guarantee fund of $4,000 be
contributed by the citizens of Wash
ington, and without doing any per-
sonal soliciting, checks aggregating
500, 600 are already in the hands of
the Treasurer of the Committee. 1t
has practically been decided that the
inaugural ball shall be held in the
Court ofthe 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 Fran
els shall have been reached. Some
striking novelties in the way of illumi-
nation are promised by the sub-com-
mittee in charge of that branch of the
ceremonies. Among the latest appli-
cations for accommodations are those
of fifty members of the r. B. Hayes
Club, all of whom were members of
Major McKinley's old regiment, the
23rd Ohio.
1t is daily becoming more certain
than 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 probability.
They feel that it would not be Just
either to President Mckinley or to the
| Fifty-hfth Congress, which will soon
tbe in session, to take any such action,
even were there much stronger reasons
therefor 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 pre-
cipitating action that might give the
new administration foreign war to
handle, instead of being able to devote
all its ability and energy to the re-
storation of domestic prosperity
Speaking OF Cuba, not little
amusement has been the result of the
announcement of what is oftenest re-
ferred to as Moneys fool trip"
Representative Money, who is also
Senator-elect from Mississippi, has
gone to Cuba with the avowed inten-
ton of telling Gen. Weyler that he is
there as a member of the House Com
mittee on Foreign Affairs, and asking
to be put in a position where he can
obtain personal knowledge ofthe whole
situation Money made his living as
a lobbyist in Washington too long to
be called 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.
Such visit by member of Congress
| who is also a 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 Con-
sui General Lee by Secretary Olney,
after he heard about Moneys visit,
would make interesting reading, or l
miss my guess. Moneys applying to
Gen. Weyler for information, in his
official capacity, will at once cause the
Spaniard to understand that Congress
doesnt trust the information the State
Department has received through its
L. - I. -. 4 l.