Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-04-07
Washington Letter.
From our Regular Correspondent.

!
| publican majority in the senate to
hurry through the good work so we'll
begun in the house. There isn't the
slightest doubt about the senate pass
ing the bill, but there is about the
nature of the amendments it may be
necessary to adopt to get it through
that body. Even admitting that the
amendment adopted by the house,
making the duties prescribed in the
Dingley bill go into effect April 1, is
OF doubtful cOnstitutionality, it is still
a good thing, and will go far towards
accomplishing its object-preventing
our markets being overloaded with
foreign goods while the bill is being
considered in the senate. The doubt
will be sufficient to scare off the spec
ulatively inclined importers. There
are reasons to believe that the senate
may surprise the country by disposing
of the tariff bill in a much shorter
time than has been predicted. A
leading Democratic senator told a
personal friend that he saw no reason
why the bill could not be disposed of
within sixty days, and would not be
surprised to see it done in much less
time
The dinner given this week in
| honor of Chairman Babcock, of the
| Republican Congressional Campaign
committee, was q notable event.
Chairman Hanna and many of the
men who helped to win the last cam
paign were on hand to share in the
rejoicing. Judge J. Franklin Fort,
of Newark, n. j., was the toast mas
ter, with Chairman Babcock seated
on one side and Chairman Hanna or
the other. Over their heads was .
large plaster fac-simile of gold dol
lar, and above that a gifted plow.
from the beam of which hung y
placard bearing the inscription: The
money of the plOw-holder should be
as good as the money of the bond
| holder"
Senator Pritchard, WHO'S chairman
of the civil service committee, which
has been directed by the senate to
| investigate the administration of the
civil service laws, says on the sub
ject: Il shall insist upon an honest
and thorough inquiry. | do not
believe that the Republicans want to
absolutely wipe off the civil service
laws from the statute books. I know
that do not, but | do believe that
the administration of the law can be
| corrected, and to this end | will bend
all my energies, believing that I will
be supported by the best people Of
the country. | am not in favor
of allowing incompetent persons re
naming in Office under the protection
of the civil service law. This is done
entirely too much. / have known cases
where discharged persons have ha0
to be employed to prepare their sue
cessOrs to fill their places"
Senator Hansbrough will doubtless
receive the thanks of everybody whc
| opposes the introduction OF nefari-
Gus and demoralizing lottery methods
into the business world for having
taken step towards checking The
evil by introducing a bill making !.
unlawful for any person or firm ell
gagged in the business of procuring
| United States patents to offer Or award
to inventors or others any premium G"
prize in connection with any alleged
competition of inventors. The paten5
| business is one in which the United
! States government is directly int. =
ested, and if the men who act as
| agents or middlemen between the i'll
ventors and the government II the
| patent attorneys ana s0Iicitors-are
not honorable enough to conduct their
! business on a plane above tat of u
! gambling lottery, they should lie
! compelled By law to do so. The title
Of Senior Hansbrough's bill tells is
own story: "A bill to prevent in
ventors and others from berg de-
ceived and defrauded by alleged
patent attorneys"
A joint resolution has been offered
by Representative Heatwole. OF Mia
nesota, providing for the creation Of
a banking and cu1 ency commission
! to investigate and report to congress
at the regular session. President
Mckinley some time ago expressed
himself as favorable to this idea
Hon. H. Clay Evan S, the new corl-
missioner Of pensions, is in Washing
! ton. His appointment, like all the
! others yet made by President McKin-
! ley, gives general satisfaction to Re-
! publicans, and especially to his old
army comrades.
A caucus of Republican senators
! this week decided to attempt to fill
the committee vacancies, and the as
signments will be made by commit
tee appointed by Senator Allison,
| chairman Of the caucus.
AN elaborate study of The New
! Administration at Washington. by