The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1897-01-15
Washington Letter.
From our regular Correspondent

WASHINGTON, d. C. Jan. 10th, 1896.
Mr.. Cleveland may or may mot send
the special message to Congress on
Cuban affairs, which report says he
has prepared during recess, but his
action in ordering the cruiser Vesuvius
and the dispatch Boat Dolphin to pro-
ceed to FLORIDA waters and join the u.
S. vessels already there in preventing
fillibustering, is notlfica ton to Con-
gress that the administration has not
in the slightest changed its attitude
towards Cuba. Conservative men in
the Senate will endeavor to privately
argue with those Senators who are
regarded as likely to make incendiary
speeches on the Cameron resolution,
in order to have them not speak at all,
or at any rate if they do speak, not to
use language calculated to excite the
country. There is no question that
the conservative men in both branches
of Congress, regardless of their person
al opinion about what should ulti-
mately be done by this government,
believe that as long as the matter has
been allowed to stand up to this time,
it will be wisest to leave it unacted
upon until the change of administra-
tion. And it is the opinion of your
correspondent that whatever the Sen
ate may do, the House will take this
view of the matter and will do nothing.
The fact most strongly brought out
by the first week of the tariff hearings
before the House Ways and Means
Committee is that, taken as a whole,
the men who have appeared before the
committee have taken a common
sense business view of the tariff, and
have asked for nothing that could not
be granted without violating the
announced intention of the committee
to make a moderate tariff bill-just
enough protection to give our manu-
facturers, producers and working men
the first call on the American market,
admittedly the best in the world.
Needless to say that Chairman Dingley
and his republican colleagues on the
Committee are pleased with the hear
ings as far as they have gone. 1t
would have been a waste of time for
anybody to have asked unreasonable
things, but it is none the less pleasing
that they have not done so.
The House reassembles with a pro-
CRANE mapped out for a weeks work,
outside of the appropriation bills,
which are being steadily pushed ahead
by the committee. Tuesday and We'd
nesday the Loud bill shutting novels,
books published serially and sample
copies OF newspaper out OF the privilege
OF being sent through the mail at
pound rates will be discussed and dis
posed of. The fate of the bill is in
doubt with the chances slightly in
favor of its being defeated by small
margin. Thursday the Pacific railroad
funding bill will be taken up, and
after four days discussion it will be
voted upon. The general impression
is that it will pass, although it's op-
ponents will make strong fight
against it, and are claiming that they
can defeat it.
While republicans in Congress have
nothing but good wishes to express
towards the trip Senator Wolcott has
undertaken for the purpose of ascer-
tanning what is thought in Europe of
the proposed effort to bring about
international bimetallism, which this
Congress will authorize, and which
will be made early in the administra-
ton of President Mckinley, they do
not wish the statement to go uncon-
tradicted that Senator Wolcott went
upon this errand at the request of the
republican caucus committee of which
he is chairman, or of President-elect
Mckinley. This contradiction can
best be given in Senator Wolcott's
own words: II am going solely at the
request of the Bimetallic League to
examine into the general sentiment
on the subject throughout the world,
and report to the League. / go in
formally and unoficially, and I de-
precate any publication which inti-
mates anything else. The League
desires to know before the extra session
OF Congress is called, exactly what the
situation is. l expect to be able to
return and make my report within two
months. / cannot say what my course
will be abroad, except that l will first
consult with the Bimetallic League of
Great Britain"
The republican Senators are just
human enough not to do anything to
prevent the silver democrats carrying
out their threat of hanging up the
nominations of gold democrats sent to