Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1897-12-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS OF THE MONITOR.
Wushinqton, Dec. 9th. 1897.

w CJSfCCiLHtOis Ice. QUIZ LCOS'
The great sympathy for the bereave-
ment of President Mckinley tinged
the assembling of Congress with I'M
usual sadness, which not even the
great interest felt in the strong mes
sage of the President could dissipate.
There were the usual crowds in the
galleries of both House and Senate,
but the sorrow expressed in the faces
of Senators and Representatives was
reflected in the faces of the visitors
above them. There is something IN
the death of ones mother that appeals
to the sympathies of others as does
the death of no other relative.
Had President Mckinley followed
the example of his immediate pred
ecessor, who rarely finished one of
his messages to Congress until the
day before Congress met, his message
would not have been ready, but he
completed the message a week ago,
and did not have that on his mind
while travelling to the bedside of his
stricken mother, from which he re-
turned to Washington to perform the
duties incumbent upon him at the
opening of the session of Congress.
AS soon as these duties were perform
ed he started for Canton again, to
perform a more painful duty, carry
ing with him the sorrowful sympa-
thies, of the whole country.
Three P's, patriotism, peace and
prosperity, form the keynote of Pres
ident! McKinley's annual message to
Congress. His treatment of the an
nexation Of Hawaii, the Cuban and
other foreign questions, including
that of commercial reciprocity, is
patriotic to the core, without the
Sigh test trace Of jingoism, and his
treatm of the financial and other
dom este questions is that of man
who only desires that which will con
tinue and increase the prosperity the
country is now beginning to enjoy.
In addition to getting first class
man to fill the important position of
Attorney General, President McKin-
ley's choice of Gov. John w. Griggs,
of n. j., to fill the vacancy in the Cab
i net that will be made by the nomina-
ton of Attorney General McKenna
to succeed Justice Field, who retired
from the U. S. Supreme Court last
week, after having served there long
er than any Of his predecessors, is
considered to be a good political
that will aid materially in
keeping New Jersey in the republican
column, and the wish is general that
Gov. tGriggs will accept the rendered
portfolio. :,
The activity in certain quarters In
efforts to make the public believe that
there is doubt about the annexation
of Hawaii, indicates that some money
is being spent for the purpose of Gre
ating anti annexation sentiment. If
SO, it is being thrown away, as annex
alton is absolutely sure to come be-
fore the close of this session of Con-
gress. Two thirds of the Senate are
ready at any time to vote for the rat
ifcation of the annexation treaty, but
power of the opponents-not more
than twenty at the .outside-to delay
the vote Shonld it become apparent
that this power is being used for fill
clustering purposes, annexation will
be secured by legislation, which will
only need a majority vote.
The more conservative element in
Congress is strongly in favor of max
ng this session as short as possible.
This sentiment was voiced by Repre-
sentative Heatwole, of Mimi, when
ne said: SIN my opinion this Congress
should get through it's routine work
oy May LIST, and adjourn. The small
sst amount of legislation will be of
he greatest benefit to the country,
and if we can finish and go home by
hat date, a good many millions of
our counurymen will rise up and call
IS blessed" Speaker Reed says he
sees no excuse at present for making
he session a very long one.
Nothing of more general benefit to
he morals of the country has been
lone lately than the official announce
nent of the Post Office Department
hat the mails would hereafter be
closed to newspapers that print miss
ng word contests, or any other kind /
If advertising matter containing
chance Or lottery schemes. Some of .
he most daring swindling of the age
las been conducted by this class of
advertisers, all of which violated the
pirit, if not the letter, of the anti
ottery law.
1NTTI IITI hmm hmm : II TIII a IIIu 1TIOIK