Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1897-04-29
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.

Senator sBilly Mason made
his maiden speech this week. 1t
wasn't a long one, nor was 1T
upon new subject, but it shook
up the senate and drew applause
from the galleries. Mr.. Mason
spoke in favor of his resolution
directing the committee on rules
to report rule providing for the
closing of debate, and for the
previous question. He started off
by saying that it was agreed on
all sides that the q. S. senate
was a great body, that being the
view particularly of those within
the body and on its ply roll; but
that everyone knew also that it
was the only legislative body in
existence incapable of doing busi-
ness. He expressed the hope that
he would be forgiven for these
reflections, as he was still in the
kindergarten class, and recog-
nized that he was threshlng over
old straw, and added that he in
tended to keep at it for the next
six years. He declared that every
one knew that while we profess
to be a government by the people,
when we reach the highest body
of the government there is rule
Of the minority. He said that as
soon as a man entered the senate
doors his energies we're directed to
retaining power in the old way,
and added with emphasis: II
want to deliver a message FROM
the people before the hope of
power possesses me" His reso-
luton was by vote of 81 to "a
referred to the committee on rules
---todie.
While there was some disap-
pointment among the politicians
over the giving of two such juicy
plums as the first and second
deputy commissioners of pensions
to men already in the pension bu-
reau, it was an example of real
civil service reform and will
doubtless make Commissioner
Evans task an easier one than it
would have been with deputies
who we're not familiar with the
work of the office. The gentle
men promoted were Mr.. James l.
Davenport, of n. H., who entered
the office during the Garfield adj
1niristration, and Capt. l.. Nj.
Kelley, Of Ill, who was chief OF
the certificate division during the
Harrison administration.
Senator Perkins, of Cal, is
taking an active part in the fight
that is being made to abrogate
the Hawaiian treaty. The finance
committee has been asked to put
a clause abrogating it in the
Dingley tariff bill before it is re-
ported, and Senator Mills has
given notice of his intention to
move its abrogation in open senate
if the committee doesn't provide
for it in the tariff bill. Three
years ago the question of abroga-
ting this treaty was voted on by
the senate, the vote being IL for
and 81 against abrogation, but it
is claimed that circumstances
have changed since then. Under
the treaty all the sugar produced
in Hawaii comes in free of duty.
The value has steadily increased.
In 1892 it was SS,OO0.OoO, last
year it was S12, ZOO, 900. This
represents the amount of money
we pay the sugar growers on the
islands. In the new tariff bill
sugar is $50 ton. AS we remit
that duty in favor of the Hawaii
ans, it means that we present
them with a bounty of $50 tor
on all the sugar they produce.
There is no reason why we should
make this discri nination in theil
favor. While the value of ouf
purchases from them has increas.
ed at the rate of ST, ,O00,0 900 year
our exports last year to them were
only $500, 900 greater thanin 1892
This is the nub of the whole mat
ter, SO far as Our imports and ex-
ports are concerned. The oppo
nents of abrogation say that to dc
so would lose this government
the naval station at Pearl Islan6
Harbor, but when the matter was
last up in the senate Secretary
Sherman, then a member of the
body, said: ''We have paid anc
uoubly paid for that harbor. We