Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1897-09-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Especial ooRaEsFoNDHNcE OF. TdR MONITOR
Wnshinnton. Sept. Is. 1897.

campaigns, but it is expected that the
results in several states this fall will
show that it is a good thing and that
it will hereafter continue right along.
1t is certain that the documents now
being circulated by the National Com :
mittee can be handled with more ad
vantage in Washington than any
where else, and it is needless to say
that the machinery of the National
Committee makes distribution easier
and more thorough than it would
otherwise be. The National Commit
tee is not having anything to do with
m anaging the state campaigns; it is
IN erely looking after the proper dis
tribution of literature bearing upon
the national policy of the republican
party, leaving the management ex-
clusively to the state committees.
President Mckinley is back in
Wa shington, but will only stay a few
days. There are several more or less
pressing matters which he wished to
be discussed by the cabinet and dis
q osed of, and he also wished to have
a talk with Consul General Lee, who
is also in Washington, about matters
in Cuba. AS soon as these things are
done, he will go away again for a
short time. While it has not been
definitely settled where he will go, it
is probable that he will go to New
England and that he will stay about
two weeks. He is looking very well,
but he laughingly remarked that he
had not succeeded in getting much
rest while away from Washington.
He is too good natured to refuse to
see people who call on hir or to re-
fuse W ell-meant courtesies extended
to him. That's why he finds it diff
cult to get rest either in or out of
Washington.
The business of the Post Office De-
D artment is an infallible Indicator of
the business of the country. The
business of 80 Of the largest post offic-
es of the country has been found by
long experience to represent the bus
mess of the entire department, and
the business of those 80 offices was
eight per cent greater in August of
this year than in August of last year,
and five per cent greater than in July.
The Post Office officials are all ready
to testify that prosperity is right here.
Secretary Wilson having become
satisfied from the success of expert
m ents made that the camphor tree
W i'll thrive in Florida, and that we
c an grow enough to supply all the
camphor we use, has arranged to
have the tree thoroughly introduced
in that state, through the department
of Agriculture. He also intends to
specially encourage the growth of
the English walnut tree, which he
thinks will do we'll anywhere south of
the Potomac river. There is no long
er any doubt about the success Of
Sec rotary Wilson in making the De-
partment of Agriculture practically
assist the farmers of the country, by
pointing out to them feasible means
of increasing their incomes.
Secretary Gage has gone as far as
he has authority to go in his efforts to
save those who are rashly trying to
push into the gold regions of Alaska
from the starvation he has become
satisfied, from trustworthy reports
sent him, awaits them when they
reach there. Agents of the Treasury
Department have been instructed TO
stretch every law and regulation 20
its extreme limit to keep men away
from the Klondike until next spring;
also to use their powers of persuasion
upon the gold hunters and to show
them official communications showing
the ut ter inadequacy of the supply Of
food on hand to feed those who are
already in the Klondike regions dur
ing the coming long and hard winter.
Although this country has no reason
to e xpect trouble with Spain, or with
any other power, it is not unlikely
that the unsettled condition of affairs
in Cuba had something to do with the
decision of the navy department to
keep the North Atlantic Squadron,
which has recently been through a
very uccessful season of sea drill
target practice etc., together all the
winter and to keep the vessels COM
posing the squadron in the best sea
going condition. The squadron will
this week rendezvous at Fort Monroe
and will later go to New York The
fact that this government has this
strong squadron of fighting ships
ready to proceed to sea at a days
notice, will, of itself, have good eff
feet upon our foreign relations with
all countries, and the men and the