The Springfield herald., 1897-03-26
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
ITEMS ABOUT THE PRESIDENT.
The New Tarin Bill of Benefit Chiefly to
to the Neutrality-suspicious. Notes.


pondent of the Chicago Record writes
his paper as follows:
Senator Mason says that President
Mckinley is the incest man he ever
knew, and that he can deny request
SO pleasantly and graciously that you
are glad he did not grant it. Every
body speaks of the Presidents great
good nature. He has not lost his
temper once. so far Us l can learn. He
smiles and keeps silent unless he has
something particular to say.
The men who were nominated TO
office by President Cleveland toward
the end of his term, and We're not con-
firmed by the Senate will not be re
appointed unless there are special
reasons for so doing. They We're Sc
lected by President Cleveland. and
We're Democrats. President Mckinley
prefers to make his own choice, and
will appoint none but Republicans.
The tariff bill is not popular except
with few members. whose conStit-
uents are interested in securing the
highest degree of protection. 1t is the
same old thing. The rates have been
fixed to satisfy the clamor of the man
ufacturers without considering the in
terests of the consumer, and. al
though the duties on agricultural
products have been increased in Il cor
responding degree to mollify the
farmers, they will not be satisfied.
Representatives of doubtful districts
remember the tidal wave of 80 and
distrust the consequences of adpoting
this measure. The more it is eX-
amined the worse it seems. With the
exception of few schedules the rates
are quite as high as and in some cases
they are higher than the Mckinley
law of 1890, and the arguments and
objections that applied to that meas
ure apply with even greater force to
this. The committee started out to
make revenue bill in which the dut-
les We're to be rs moderate as those of
the existing law, except in few
cases where that did injustice. But it
has gone back to high protection rates
without regard to their unpopularity
and unmindful of the fact that they
have been twice repudiated by the
people.
The reciprocity in the tariff bill is n
humbug. 1t will be impossible for
the secretary of state to negotiate n
treaty of consequence with any nation
upon the basis presented there. In
agine Horace Porter. our ambassador
to Paris. walking up to the President
of the French republic and asking
him to make II treaty exchanging GIN
=
There is no Use of asking Il foreign
government to make treaty of reci-
procity unless we offer something ii
wants. something that will be for its
advantage, or is demanded by the in
terestS of its people. and there is not
government on earth that would not
laugh at every item proposed In Mr..
Dingley's bill II Is one of the adyant-
ages and benefits of reciprocity that
1,,-t lion. .fnt, 1,n of hn
United States may receive articles
that they need at low rates of duty.
If customs concessions are to be made
Mt all. they must be such as will bene-
fit both parties to the agreement.
There is only one black man in the
House of Representatives, and his
name is White.
Mr. Palmer. the grand chamberlain
attached to the court of her gracious
majesty, Queen Liliuokalani. who is
now sojourning at the Cairo hotel. CON
tinues to address notes to the Presi-
dents secretary asking for an inter
view, but gets no satisfaction. Mr..
Palmer and her majesty have both
been informed that she will have to
take her turn with the other callers.
but that does not seem to satisfy them.
Senator Tillman says: Il do not an
ticipate anything from this admins
tration except an increase of taxation.
The Republican party is divided on
every other question"
The secretary of the Senate raised
laugh to-day when he read Il pension
bill: For the relief of William j.
Bryan
There are 14S new men in the pres
ent congress. which is an unusually
large percentage. OF these sixteen
have formerly served. The remaining
132 have never been in Congress be-
fore.
silver Dick" Bland of Missouri
came back to Congress to-day to re-
new his fight for silver, and was the
most conspicuous of all the newly
elected members of the house. except
the venerable Mr. Holman of Indiana,
who has also been returned by his pa
tient constituency. Both of them have
been prominent figures in the past.
Both have hobbies. and have come
back to ride them Mr.. Bland says he
| will renew his fight for silver tO-mor-
row morning, or as soon as he gets an
opportunity, while Mr.. Holman will
look after the economies, so far as his
influence goes.
The Hon Ki Gudger of Buncombe
county. North Carolina is a candidate
for minister to Brazil. and Senator
Pritchard, who indorses him, says that
Notwithstanding his extraordinary
name. he possesses all the qualitica-
tions desired for n diplomatist.
Secretary Wilson has asked the pres
ident to select for consulates in the ag-
ricultural districts of the world men
who are familiar with that science, so
that the government may obtain intel
| ligent and valuable reports of the pro
gress and improved methods intro
| duced there for the benefit of Ameri-
can farmers.
| The Presidents pet idea of n com
mission of practical men to revise the
currency system of the United States
and prepare bill for presentation at
! the next session of Congress does not
meet with much encouragement at the
| capitol. The senator's and representa-
| tiveS who have made n study of iinan-
cial problems consider themselves
quite as competent TO prepare such a
| measure as any outsider the President
| can select. and unless both Houses of
| Congress are represented in such an
organization its recommendation will
| have little weight.