Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-12-25
CIVIL SERVICE RULES
To BE Modified BY President McKin-
ley Sealing Up the Seals.
From our Regular eorroapondent-l

Att|fN Set tNft1t"A StftNahDbANntf
WAsHINGToN, Dec. 20. President
Mckinley will, according to trustwor-
thy though unofficial information,
shortly meet the objections that exist.
in and out Of Congress, against pres.
ent conditions in the civil service, by
issuing an executive order making
material notifications in the blanket
extensions of the civil service rules
made by Mr. Cleveland during his
last year in Office. While the oppo-
sition on the part OF Republicans in
Congress doubtless was a factor in
this matter, il is we'll known that the
President has had il in mind ever
since his election. II will be remem-
bered that he said in his annual mes
sage: There are places now in the
classified service which ought to be
exempt and others not classified, may
properly be included. shall not
hesitate to exempt cases which
think have been improperly included
in the classified service. = Just when
this order will be issued or the full
extent of the modification has not
been fully determined, but it will not
be surprising should the order be is
sued before the reassembling of Con-
gress, on Jan. S.
Senator Hanna has gone to Ohio,
to remain until the legislature elects
his successor Just before leaving
Washington, he said: 1.-THE stories
sent from Ohio that number of the
Republican members Of the general
assembly will desert me IL / am not
successful on the first ballot seems to
me absurd Every Republican county
but four has instructed its Legislators
for me; the party is pledged to me
through the action OF the Republican
state convention at Toledo, and am
unable to see what can stand in the
way Of my election.
Uncle Sam rubbed it in on John
Bull in the bill dealing with open sea
sealing, which has passed both
branches of Congress and only needs
the Presidents signature to become
law. and that it will probably get
Canada, backed by England, has
played the hog right through in this
sealing business, by refusing to join
the u. S. in efforts to prevent the
speedy destruction Of all the seals by
agreeing to a cessation Of open sea
sealing for even limited time, ard
the Canadians doubtless chuckled with
joy, when this bill which prohibits
open sea sealing by the citizens OF the
IT, S. was introduced in the Senate,
because of their belief that it would
leave them monopoly Of the taking
of seals in the open sea. But they
will not chuckle, nor will their En-
glish supporters, when they learn the
purport of section of the bill that
was kept quiet while the measure was
pending before Congress. That sec
ton absolutely prohibits the bringing
of seal skins into the U. S from
any source. When it is remembered
that the U. S. furnishes the largest
and best market in the world for seal
skins and that the business ofSupply-
ing that market has been partially
inonopolized as to raw skins by Cana
da, and entirely as to dyed skins by
England, the full significance Of what
Uncle Sam has done to John Bull be-
comes apparent.
The act for the relief of those Amer
leans who are in the Klondike gold
regions, and who, it is believed, will
be in pressing need for food before
spring, was as promptly signed by
President Mckinney as 1t was passed
by Congress, and it now only remains
to get the relief to the sufferers in
order to make it effective. This is in
the hands Of Secretary Alger, and if
success is possible, be will achieve it,
as his sympathy for the Klondikers is
OF the active kind---so active that he
offered weeks ago to advance the
money out of his own pocket to send
relief if any practical way of doing so
could be pointed out. Secretary
Alger will go to Ottawa to secure the
cooperation OF the Canadian authori-
ties in relief operations.
The fact that the Senate did not act
upon Attorney General McKenna' S
nomination to the bench OF the Su-
preme Court before the recess hasn't
the significance some persons are try