The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1897-08-06
ashingtOn Letter.

Of old man hard times
'Tis ringing the knell;
Sweet music in its chimes.
The Dingley tariff bill has received
the signature of President Mckinley
and is now law, and the extra ses-
sion of the Fifty-fifth Congress, hav-
ing accomplished what it was called
together to do, has adjourned, and it's
members have gone home to hear what
their constituents have to say about
their work. So far as the republicans
are concerned, there is no fear of the
peoples verdict. They have done a
remarkable piece of work-one that
many considered impossible, because
of the lack OF republican majority in
the Senate, when President Mckinley
first announced his determination to
call an extra session to pass tariff
bill. Although there are some things
In the Dingley tariff law that would
be different if the republicans had had
a majority of their own in the Senate,
the law is distinctly republican and
consequently will protect American in
dustry in all its branches and will,
after the first six months of it's exist
ence, produce more money than will
be needed to run the government, thus
enabling President Mckinley to re-
sumo the republican policy of reduc-
ing the country's bonded Indebtedness.
If it were possible to make a man
like Senator Allen ashamed of any,
thing Senator Foraker's prompt refu-
tation of the charge made by Allen,
that the Mckinley vote in Ohio last
November was increased by fraud,
would have had that effect. AS it
was, Senator's vigorous prodding and
demands for proof and specification of
one single fraudulent vote cast in the
State of Ohio, at the presidential cleo
tion, drove Allen into corner from
which he was glad to escape by yield
ing to motion to 60 into executive
session. Senator Foraker made SEN
atOr Allen blush when he reminded
him that he was the first man to SLAM
der his native state (Allen was born in
Ohio) by such charges.
The giving away of coupons or GER
tihcates for premiums or prizes by the
manufacturers of Tobacco and cigar
cites will have to be stopped, as the
practice is prohibited by the Dingley
tariff law. Most people will regard
this as step IN the right direction.
The whole prize business is demoraliz-
ing.
Mr.. HI. M. Dougherty, of the Ohio
Republican State Central Committee,
was in Washington to see the Dingley
tariff bill become law and to confer
with the Ohio republicans in Congress
before adjournment. He says there
will be hot campaign IN the State
this year, but that he regards the cleo
ton of the republican State ticket and
Senator Hanna's return to the Senate,
as assured. He says the democrats
are merely blufing when they profess
confidence of winning.
The House made quick work of
meeting the recommendation of Presi-
dent Mckinley for a currency COM
mission. The special message was
read just as soon as Speaker Reed had
signed the Dingley tariff bill the COM
mittee on Rules reported special rule
giving one hour for the discussion of
Representative Stones bill authoriz-
ing the President to appoint a cur
rency commission, which had been
previously introduced, and at the close
of the one hours debate the bill was
passed. The Senate took an action on
the bill 1t was not expected that it
would.
So general is the interest in the dis
barment proceedings against John
Wedderburn & Co., charged with
fraudulent practices, now being con-
Quoted by the u S. Patent Office. that
nearly all of the leading legal and
technical journals of the country are
represented at the hearings. The
Patent Office claims to be able to
prove fraud in a number of cases.
Knowing that every day the tariff
bill was delayed was costing the coun-
try 100000 or more in duties, the re-
publicans allowed the opposition to do
most of the talking in the debate
which preceded the adoption of the
conference report. Senator Burrows,
who was member of the conference
committee, made a short speech de-
tending the restoration of the So duty
on white pine lumber, and replying to
aspersions cast upon him and incl
denntally upon the State of Michigan
by Senator Pettigrew. He said the