The Press., 1897-12-23
Washington Letter.
Washington, Nov. 20, Isg.

Washington, Nov 20, isg7.
 As party man who has followed his party oftener than he has led 1t, Presi- dent Mckinley finds himself confronted with some hard party nuts, one at least of which must be cracked before January 9th, when congress reassembles. This nut relates to the civil service, and con- slsts of a plain proposition submitted to the president by some of the leading re- publican senators and representatives, which may be briefed as follows: Will you in the exercise of your unprecedented authority, issue an order annulling all extensions Of the civil service rules made by your predecessor, and thus save the party In congress from the impending faotlonal llght2 There Is not the slight est doubt that the republicans in the house postponed the debate on the civil service section of the legislative, execu- tive and judicial appropriation bill until after the holiday recess solely for the purpose of giving the president an oppor- tunlty to take such action as would make that debate unnecessary. Notwithstand- Ing Mir. McKlnley's iat-footed declara- ton in his annual message in favor of present civil service conditions, many of his party expect him to do what has been asked of him they say that when he wrote his message. he did not realize the extent of republican sentiment against the wholesale extensions of the civil service rules made by MT. Cleveland. The men who asked Mir. Mckinley to do this, told him that If he failed to do so, the fight over civil service among the republi- cans In both branches of congress would make 1t impossible for the party to win In the congressional election next fall, and would probably result in the repeal of the entire civil service law, as the democrats in caucus decided that they would vote solidIy for repeal, but would net vote for any bill proposing modified tions which would only result in replacing democrats, now tn office, with republicans.
 Senator Teller and Wolcott led such a vigorous fight on the nomination of Chas. Bage Bryan to be minister to China, that his nomination, although made out, was not sent to the senate. Exactly why the Colorado senators made this fight Is un- certain; they say that Bryan has neither the judgement nor the experience to fill such m important position. Bryan's nomination Is credited to Illinois, but Senator Cullom and Mason, while not op- posing him, are not doing anything to help him.
 Those who know what's going on are predicting that another batch of dlsbarred attorneys will be the result of the inves- tlgation now being made by acting com missioner of patents Greeley of numerous complaints against so-called patent at torneys, who get money from inventors under pretense of securing and selling foreign patents of their inventions, when they know that 1t Is impossible 10 get good foreign patents on the inventions or to sell them. With Mir. Greeley's sue- cess in conducting to the desired issue the greatest and most important lnvesti- gation In the history of the patent office fresh In mind, his success in his new effort to raise the standard of morals of the patent bar is not doubted.
 Tho most important legislation, in fact, almost the only Legislation, excepting that for the relief of the Klondike gold hunters accomplished before tho Christmas re- cess, which will last until January 9th, was the bill prohibiting citizens of the U. s. killing seals in the open seas. If that was all tho bill did 1t would please the Canadians, who have refused all Invita- tions to join the U. S., Japan and Russia, ln stopping open sea scaling, but 1t goes much further. IL prohibits the bringing of sealskIns, in any condition, into the U. s., under penalty of conHscation. As this country Is tho best market for seal-skins, this law-the bill will probably be signed by the president before this Is read-will be likely to open the eyes of both Canada and England to the fact that this country means business.