Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1897-03-19
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Thomas B. Reed, of Maine, Re-
Elected Speaker.
The Chicago Lake Front Case-The TariG
BIN WIN BE Protective.-The Admiu-
istration VIII Go Slow ON Appoint-
ments - Civil Services Rules.

ments - Civil Services Rules.
CBrom Our Regular Correspondent
Washington, March 15.-Hon.
Thomas b. Reed, of Maine, has for
the third time been elected Speaker
of the House, a position which, in
honor and influence is second only
to that Of the Presidency. There
was no opposition Ia the Republican
caucus to the denomination of Mr..
Reed or of any of the other officers
of the House in the last Congress.
1t was in the cases of all of them,
except Mr.. Reed, simply one good
term deserving another, while in bis
case it was two good terms although
not consecutive ones, deserving
another. Republicans are naturally
proud of big Tom Reed and his re-
cord as Speaker. He has had 10
face some very difficult and intricate
parliamentary situations, but he has
never even in single instance
failed to force from them credit for
himself and for the Republican
party. Although partisan uDon
all purely political questions, no
Speaker has ever had more, and few
as many, warm personal friends
among his political opponents. IN
starting in upon this extra session
Of Congress, the country and 5be
party is TO be congratulated that IKE
work of the House will be directed
by 50 experienced a parliamentarian
as Mr.. Reed.
A scandal of large proportions may
be shown upln connection with Il g
acts Of Judge Lamoreux, Mr.. Cleve-
lands Commissioner of the Unite
States Land Office, in what is known
as the Chicago lake front case.
Secretary Bliss has set aside a deci-
sion of Lamoreux in favor of certain
parties and ordered a rev hearing
of the case. Elk Secretary Carlisle,
who is now the attorney of the
parties whom Lamoreux tried to
favor, may be mixed up in the scan
dul, as it is limited that he was in-
terested in the case while a memL er
of Mr.. Cleyeland's S cabinet, Lamor-
eux rendered his resignation and
left Washington several days before
the close of the Cleveland admin
stration, but his resignation has not
been accepted and present indica-
tions are that it will not be, bot that
he will be dismissed. Some very
valuable Chicago real estate is in
volved in this case.
1t might be supposed from the
concerted yelping from the Demo-
cratic free traders at The now COM
pleted tariff bill, that they are
really surprised to find that Chair
man Dingley and his Republican as
sociates have made protection bill,
just as the country last November
directed the Republican party to do.
They are pretending that they ex.
pected the rates of duty in the new
bill to be much lower than they are.
The new bill is a Republican mea-
sure from beginning to end, intended
to supply the $50, ,00O,O 900 annual de-
ficit in the Government receipts,
and at the same time to give idle
American working men profitable
employment by restoring the
American market, the best in the
whole world, to our own manu-
facturers and producers from whom
it was taken largely and presented
to foreigners by the thrift enacted
by Democrats. Whether the tcr.ff
bill will become a law in its preeol II
shape is a matter beyond telling, at
it is a bill that every Republi, q
will gladly note for just as it ST. Is
and no matecial changes are likely
to be made before it passes Ule
House. If changes are made in the
Senate, it viii be because they are
necessary to get votes needed to P4ss
it, and not because Of any Republi-
caa objection to it, President Nc
Kinley would gladly sign the b d
just as it is ,and have his admin.
stration stand or fall upon its work
ings.
President McKinley's rule re-
quiring the Congressional delega-
tlons to unite in recommending men
for Office, while disappointing to a
few individuals, is on the whole a
good one, and one that makes it
well-nigh impossible to make bad
appointment. The few appoint
ments made up to this time have
been pre-eminently good The de-
cision ON the part of the administra-
tion to go slow in making appoint
ments will also commend itself tc
the people at large, who are much
more Interested in seeing the DOliey