Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1897-04-10
THE NATION'S CAPITOL.
Current Comment from the Ma
TONS Headquarters.
!" From our regular correspondent. j

week passed Jne House, receiving
every republican vote, five democratic
votes and one populist vote, is now in
the hands Of the Senate Committee on
Finance. Every statement made con-
cerning changes in the bill by that
Committee is guess. Senators Alli-
son, Aldrich and Platt, of Conn, who
have been going over the bill as sub
committee, are not the kind of men to
announce their conclusions, even when
they have definitely arrived at them,
to the public, before making their
report 10 their colleagues on the Com
mittee. When the Committee decides
upon the amendments to the bill will
be time enough to praise or to criticize
its work. Until then your guess is as
good as anybodys, il you must have a
guess.
The honor OF being the first fourth
class postmaster appointed by President
Mckinley fell to John P. Kelly, of
White Cloud, Kansas. The delay in
making appointments of this class was
owing to the change of the Fourth
Assistant Postmaster General. Mr..
Bristow Is now occupying that position
and will proceed as rapidly as possible
to fill the $500 vacancies which have
accumulated since the new administra-
tion came in. There will probably be
an average of about so appointments a
day made until the work getsup to date.
Senator Elkins has for long time
been studying the question OF how best
to restore the old time prestige of
American shipping. AS a result of
that study, he made a very strong
speech in the Senate in favor of his bill
providing for the imposing of duties
upon imports in manner that will dis
criminate in favor of American ships.
President Mckinley seldom makes
promises in connection with appoint
ments, but he has made one that will
please every patriotic American, that
Is, to appoint young Phil Sheridan a
cadet to West Point as soon as he
reaches the age of eligibility, which
will be sometime next year.
Representative Grosyenor, of Ohio,
is a good lawyer, and the following
opinion from him on the decision of the
Supreme Court which so many persons,
especially democrats, profess to think
is opposed by the amendment to the
tariff bill making the duties imposed
by that bill go into effect April l, anC
upon the right of Congress to pass snct
an amendment, is both timely ant
interesting. After citing other misun
derstandings, Mr.. GrosYenor says
"Simply and solely what the Supreme
Court did hold was that the Wilson
law, which went into effect on the 2Stl
day Of August, and was said to talk
effect from the first of August, did no
repeal the Mckinley law until the da
it was passed, and how anybody coul
have had doubt about that is a mys
terry 10 me, but the Supreme Court di
not hold that the long line of retro
specify legislation in the Wilson la'
was not approved. That law bristle
with retrospective legislation. Viii;
key in bond and not in bond that ha
been manufactured and deposited i
the bonded ware house or was on tina
day deposited at tax of ninety cents
was Immediately raised to $l.10. New
\ bonds were required, the whole system
remodeled, but no lawyer in the U. S
ever disputed the power of Congress Il
pass just such an enactment. The bes
evidence of the popular estimate of thi
retroactive amendment is found in tn,
fact that the vast body of importer
who presumably have the very bes
legal advice at their command, hay
all accepted as conclusive that Congress
has that power"
President McKinley's appointment
have been uniformly good, and even hi
bitterest political opponent have foun
1t extremely difficult to criticize any c
them, and his appointment of Ma
Benz. Butterworth to be Commissione
OF Patents is commended by everybody
including democrats and populist,
This is just as it should be, for Ma
Butterworth as Commissioner c
: Patents is surely the right man in tn
: right place. He is an able lawyer an
statesman Of wide experience, and hav
ing been Commissioner OF Patents ono
before, and had service ON the Fl Hous
Committee on Patents, is thorough
familiar with the important duties
the position. He is quite large enoug
for Cabinet position, or for that maj
5 ter for the highest position in tn
q country. But there are few publ
= places In which man OF Maj. Butter
!. worth's equipment can do 80 much goo
1 as in the Patent Office. The practic
7 In, and especially out OF that Office.