Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-04-28
Washington Letter.
From our Regular Correspondent !

WOih duuOuS Tie orig IIldGOIS VI G10
story that there was even a remote
probability that any number of Re-
publican members of the house would
join with Jerry Simpson and the kick
ing Democrats in an effort to compel
Speaker Reed to appoint the commit
tees and to have the house meet daily
and take up general legislation.
The story once started was widely
exploited by lobbyists and their
newspaper organs, they being natur-
ally opposed to a continuation of the
present policy which leaves them
without occupation or remuneration,
and probably found some believers.
1t is well known to every intelligent
man around the capitol that the adop-
ton of the policy to confine the legis-
lation of the house to acting upon the
appropriation bills that failed at the
last session and the Dingley tariff
bill was the result of numerous con-
ferences participated in by every
prominent Republican who was at
the time in Washington, and that the
policy is to-day approved by at leas
nine of every ten Republican senators
and representative and by President
Mckinley and his entire cabinet.
When a majority of the Republicans
in the house desire change it can
easily be had. Speaker Reed has
publicly announced his willingness to
obey the orders of a Republican eau
Gus at any time, but ne will pay no
attention to attacks made by a combi-
nation of Popullsts, Democrats and
handful Of disgruntled Republi-
cans. 1t isn't his policy that is being
carried out. but that of the Republi-
cans of the b0ase.
The indications are that the D1ngley
tariff bill VIII be reported to the SEN
ate about the first week in May. The
subcommittee which has been care
fully going over the bill, working
night and day. has nearly completed
its work.
Den Dickinson got a straight
knockdown this week that he will not
! forget for some time to come Post
master General Gary asked for the
| resignation of Bernard GOode, of
Michigan, superintendent of the
dead letter Office, because he consid-
cred him incompetent. Goode was
! protege of Don Dickinson, who put
him in the Office during the Cleve-
land administration, and Dickinson
tried to get him kept by putting in
the claim that he was, like himself, a
gold Democrat. Some of the Michi-
gan Republicans knocked the pins
from under Don by telling him that
they knew all about how good gold
Democrat he had claimed to be; also
all about his secretly working to
up the sponge, and his incompetent
protege made way for D. P. Liebhardt,
who had been pushed out of the same
office to make room for him.
Unless President Mckinley decides
to pardon him, E. r. Chapman, the
New York broker who refused to an
swer questions put to him by the
senate committee that investigated
the charges that senators had specu-
lated in sugar while the Democratic
tariff bill was before the senate, will
have to serve thirty days in the
United States Jail at Washington. A
decision of the United States supreme
court has closed all other methods of
his escaping Imprisonment. Three
other men, two newspaper correspond
ents and one broker, are under in
dictment for the same offense. If
President Mckinley declines to inter-
fere in Chapman's case, the others
will be speedily tried, but if Chapman
is pardoned it is expected that the
other cases will be noll pressed.
Pension Commissioner Evans is be-
ing warmly congratulated on the Sc
lection of his first and second deputies
from among those who are thoroughly
familiar with the practice of the office.
The first deputy commissioner is
James l.. Davenport, of New Hamp-
shire, who has an honorable war rec
pension bureau for sixteen years; the
second deputy is Capt. Leverett M.
Kelly, of Illinois, who has a splendid
war record and who was chief of the
certificate division during the Harri-
son administration. Commissioner
Evans has announced his intention to
restore every old soldier with good
record for efficiency who was dis
missed from the pension bureau under
the Cleveland administration.
Hon. Theodore Roosevelt is acting
secretary of the navy, Secretary Long
having gone to Boston on private
business with the intention of not re-
turning to Washington until after the
dedication of the Grant monument in
New York next week
| HuStiSfOr6