The Press., 1897-01-21
washinKton Letter.
Washington, Jan. 18th, 1897.

There Is a wide difference of opinion In congress as to the wisdom of choosing Senator Sherman to be secretary of state under the coming administration. Mir. Sherman's temperament Is such that he has never been and could not.be popu- lar man, in the common acceptance Of the term popular" While everybody ad- mits hls extensive knowledge and experi- ence there are many men, even among his party associates, who doubt his success In handling our foreign relations, which of late years have seemed to grown more complicated and difficult all the time. His enemies, and he has many, say that he has made failure as chairman of the senate committee on foreign relations, and point out that only the other day that committee was criticised in an executive session of the senate an almost unheard of thing for the manner it had handled the Cuban question. The belief, which is general, that Mir. Sherman was virtually forced into becoming secretary of state by the exigencies of Ohio politics, will not add anything to his prestige.
 Senator Chandler, acting for Senator Wolcott, chairman of the republican eau GUS committee, has introduced the bill prepared by that committee, authorizing the president, after March 4, 1897, to appoin representatives to any interna- tional conference, called by the U. s. or any other country. with view to secur- ing by international agreement. fxity of relative value between gold and silver as money, by means of common ratio between those metals, with free mintage at such ratio." It will pass without op- position.
 Few harsher criticisms against an indi- vidual have appeared in a report from congressional committee than that In a report made by the senate Daval commit tee several days ago, on the cost Of mak- ing armor plate. This report says "The evil consequences likely to result from allowing navy officers to be interested in patients, or employed by the owners there of, are we'll illustrated by the facts which appeared to the committee concerning Commander Wm. M. Folger, late chief of the bureau of ordinance, navy depart ment, and his connection from beginning to end with what Is known as the Harvey process for face hardening armor for na- val vessels, and the various patents issued therefore" The report recites the assist ance given the Harvey Company by Fol ger in his official capacity, he says in plain words that 1t was given to get the lucra- tive employment from the company which Folger has had since he resigned from the navy. It also gives other instances of Folger's having been in private employ while in the navy. In 1874 he went to Europe as agent for the Gattling Gun Company, and drew a salary as such for two years. Later he was employed by the Simonds Rolling Machine Company, receiving as pay both money and stock in the company and afterwards by the Ameri- can Projectile Company
 Congressional interest Is greater In the settlement of the Pacific railroads ques- ton than 1t was before the house defeated the funding bill, but 1t Is doubtful whether the conflicting opinions can be sufficient ly reconciled to get any legislation. It all depends upon the house. The senate committee has unanimously agreed to Senator Gears bill, providing for 6 com mission of members of the cabinet to settle the indebtedness ofthe Pacific rail- roads, and determined how it shall be paid, with an amendment, offered by sena- tor Morgan, reserving to congress the right to regulate and prescribe charges made by those roads and all other rights it has under existing laws. This bill has been reported to the senate. but no effort will be made to push 1t until the house acts upon similar bill now in committee. If the house does nothing, the matter will be left for the executive branch of the government to deal with. The at torney general Is now working on the papers that will be needed in the proceed ings for foreclosure of the government mortgage.
 If the free homestead bill, which was last week passed by the senate, Is killed in the house committee on public lands, where 1t now Is, It's friends will blame Speaker Reed, and accuse him of being in sympathy with the eastern opposition to the bill. When the bill was originally reported from the house committee on public lands, 1t only provided for free homesteads in Oklahoma, and 1t required hard work to get the favorable report, which had only a majority of one in the committee. The house passed the bill as It was reported, but the senate has added amend ments extending the free home steads to all lands acquired from Indians. When the bill went back to the house, Speaker Reed referred 1t to the commit tee on public lands for consideration of the senate amendments.