Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-10-27
WASHINGTON LETTER. Err.
CFrOm Our Special correspondent,
wAsHIsaros. Oct. a2, 1897.


enterprising newspaper men who have,
by making use of an old interview
with Mr.. Gage just before he came to
Washington and q little guessing, at.
tempted to give the public In advance
the financial recommendations that
the Secretary will make his annual
report are a little premature, not to
use a harsher term. Especial care will
be taken by Secretary Gage to prevent
his financial recommendations becom-
ing public until his annual report has
been made.
Secretary Sherman put a stop to a lot
of nonsensical stories when he an
nounced his intention of going to Ohio
for the purpose of casting his vote for
the Republican State and Legislative
ticket, in the success of both of which
he is deeply interested.
Assistant Secretary Howell, of the
Treasury Department, who has direct
charge OF the Custom Houses of the
country, has just returned from a visit
of inspection to Detroit and Chicago.
He says he found business booming,
and added: 1.-THE total value of the
exports Of provisions, including cattle
and hogs, from the northern border
districts during the month of Septem.
Der were 81, 2S1, 243. against $973, 96S in
September 1896, and in addition there
was q large increase in the exports of
domestic manufactures over that of
September last year." That's what
protection is doing for the United
States.
II the charges which have been fled
with the Post Office Department
against Postmaster Mowry, at Charles
ton, s. c., are true, he has been making
public Office a private snap sure enough.
He has held the Office for about eleven
years, having been originally appoint
ed during the first Cleveland admins
tration aud left in office during the
Harrison administration because of the
failure of the Republicans of the city
and Postmaster General Wanamaker
to agree upon his successor. He re.
ceived his third commission during the
last Cleveland administration, and it
has about u year to run before it ex-
pires, but If the investigation now
being made substantiates the charges
made against him, he will probably
be summarily dismissed. One of those
charges is that eyer since he has been
postmaster he has had in force q set of
rules for the trifling ~infraction of
which fines have been imposed upon
the employees of the office, and that
these fines, which aggregate a large
sum, have been pocketed by Mr.. Mowry.
Hon. Eugene Hagan, who was Chair
man of the Sound Money Democratic
State Committee of Kansas last year,
and who is now visiting Washington,
paints this beautiful wUrd picture Of
things in his State: "Our people are
better off than they have been in
fifteen years. The banks have a pletho
ra of money and the farmers are no
longer worrying over the mortgage
question. They have been lifting their
mortgages with a rapidity unparal
leled. To use a slang phrase. Kansas
is on Easy Street. People have abso-
lutely nothing to say about the issues
over which they we're wrought up 40
fercely in 1895. l think that the ALI.
ance between the Populists and sill yer
Democrats will not be Of long duration.
Sooner OF later 1t will break in pieces
as a result of friction over the division
Of the offices. The conservatism of the
present Populist State Government
shows that the days of wild eyed radi.
calism in Kansas politics have passed
away former"
William p. Smith, United States
Consul at Hull, England, has made an
official report to the Department of
State that ought to be read by every
opponent Of protective tariff in this
country. This report says In part:
1.-THE fall Of 1897 recalls the fall Of
1890, when the Mckinley bill. put its
first crimp in English competition. 1
remember the staggering blow it re.
ceived when the bill had a chance to
reach out with a full swing, and what
a loud and terrific shout went up from
all parts of the Kingdom for retaliation.
But II the Mckinley bill foored Eng.
lish industries, in 1890, and held them
in subsection for three years, while our
manufacturing interests at home were
permitted to enjoy q brief period of
prosperity, the Wilson bill brought
them to their feet in a hurry again.
Its enactment was q boon and q bles.
sing to English labor. The bill might
have been appropriately styled an act
for the revival Of British trade. 1t lit
up the fire under many a boiler In
Yorkshire, and set In motion many
thousand looms that had lain locked
in disuse for years. 1t made the United
States the dumping ground for foreign
products, and tended to ~impoverish
American labor by lessening the de.
mand that sustained 1t, and diminish
ing the opportunities, that advanced 1t.
These statements are incontrovertible.
A comparison OF the exports for the two
periods will prove this"
THE COMMERCIAL TRIBUNE