The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-12-03
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGToN, ID. c., November 29th.

WASHINGToN, ID. c.. November 29th.
MIR. EDIToR-"Wa ak into my parlor,
says the spider to the fly; walk into my
National Bank scheme says the auminis
tration to the Southern democrats. rs
fast as the Southern democrats arrive in
Washington they are buttonholcd ly
! agents of the administration, who try to
convince them what boon it would be
| for that section and for portions OF the
West, where banking facilities are def
cient, if National Banks could be estab-
| iished in small towns with Il capital OF
| $4,000, were allowed to issue currency
| to the par value of bonds deposited with
| the government, and the tax on that cur
rency was made merely nominal. After
| talking up the advantage of plentiful
supply of currency at home, to meet the
| home demand, they try to get the South
ern democrats to pledge themselves to vote
| for bill embodying these amendments to
| the National Banking laws. 1t is shrcwd
| game, and the arguments are plausible
constituents are at times Inconvenience
| bv the lack of sufficient currency to meet
| their needs and it is not surprising that
some democratic support for the idea has
| been secured. The administration hopes
to get enough democratic Senators to put
this scheme through the Senate, in CON
nection with other financial legislation,
about which care is taken to say nothing
| at this time, or if that is not feasible, to
nut through a bill with no other feature.
Anything that will strengthen the Nation
| al Banking system will strengthen the gold
standard policy.
Secretary Longs annual report contains
| several sentences that must have escaped
Mr. McKinley's blue pencil by accident
For instance, he speaks of possible an
| nexation of islands in the Pacific, as
though he entertained doubts about the
annexation of Hawaii, end he acknowl-
edges his fear of that growing Treasury
deficit by saying that in exp enditures tor
| tie Navy "a due regard is necessary to
the relation of the national expenditures
to the national revenues 1t is very diff
cult to reconcile the decidedly peaceable
tone of the Secretary's official talk about
only small additions to the Navy being
provided for by this Congress, and of his
intention to take war ships out of commits
sion in order to save running expenses,
with the action just taken by his depart
ment in placing large contract-the lars-
est since the WARRIOR ammunition and
guns.
Several hundred employees of the Treas
ury Department find it impossible to pre-
pare for Christmas in the proper joyous
spirit, owing to the fear that the ak Will
in the meantime fall upon their official
necks. The civil service law provides that
each state and territory shall have pro-
portonate quota of the employees OF the
Government Secretary Gage has just
had list prepared showing the residence
of the employees of his Department, and
has announced his intention to weed out
the pharmacies" This has been inter
preted by the employees to mean that dis
mssals are to be made among the resi-
dents of those states having more than
their share in order to give the places to
residents of states which have less than
their share. Should this be true, many
persons residing or claiming a residence
in nearby states will have to go, as the
nearby states all have more than theil
share. but the heaviest blow would fall
upon residents of the District of Columbia
which is legally entitled to only nine
clerks in the Treasury Department, bat
which has more than three hundred
There have been several scarcs of this sort
before, but it isn't the sort of thing that
the poor devils who have been in govern
ment employ SO long that they have forgot
how, if they ever knew, to make living
outside, can get used to. The odd thing
about it, if carried out, would be that ii
would catch many more republicans than
democrats, but not a few of them are pc
ltical hermaphrodites, making it thell
, business to always appear to belong to the
, party on top, without actually belonging
: to either.
Representative Hartman, of Montana
, takes issue with the republicans who are
irving so hard to create the impression
that the silver question is dead. He say:
, it is the livest issue now before the people
owing to the absolute failure of the VOL
, colt Commission; that last year thousand:
of republicans voted for Mckinley, be
: lieving that he would do something fol
silver, and now they know that he vii
} not. Mr. Hartman makes this prediction
for 1900: "There will be 2,500,0 900 free sill
: yer republican votes, 100000 populis
votes and 100000 democratic votes fol
the nominee who stands for the Identical
principles that MIR. Bryan stood for las
year"
t Representative Livingston, Of Georgia
, who is one of the best friends Cuba has il
Congress, doesn't think the outlook goot
for legislation favorable to Cuba. HI
) thinks there will be lot of talk but ne
, action.
MCKINLEY AND GAGE DIE.
FER.