The Holly chieftain., 1897-12-17
concaEsslo,sAL ssorEs.

hoping that Representative DinKley IL
! true prophet when be says there will
be . surplus Of ten million dollars during
the next fiscal year. have their doubts
about 1t.
is possible. of course. that the.
house committee on banking and cur
rehcy, which has been given permission
70 sit during sesaious Of the house. viii
report . financisl bill at this session Of
congress. but the best informed men in
congress do not regard 1t a at Ill pro-
babls. In the first place, about half the
members Of that committee have bills
Of their own. each differing radically
from all Of the others, and In the second
place, there il . general belief that II
the administration concludes it to be
Wise TO force financial bill Of any sort
through the house, i yill have it re-
ported from the ways and means COM
mittse. Secretary Gags will separate
his reconm endstions into several bills,
which will probably b. introduced in
the house and senate - feelers. both Of
the congressional and public pulse.
The democratic senators ars already !,
with two exceptions. solidly, opposed to
the annexation Of Hawaii, and the
house dempcrats are going to declare
against annexation at cancus to be
held this week. Still the sdvocates of
annexation say that it 10 certain to be
accomplished at this session. A lobby
plentifully supplied with money. is
working hard against annexation. and
its agents will stave off settlement as
long as possible, If they cannot defeat
it, Is their pay will stop as soon as the
question is settled either way.
It has become apparent that the fight
on the civil service law is no trifling
matter. even II 1t is being conducted
against the wishes Of the president.
Leading republican Representatives have
attacked the law ON the floor Of the
mouse, when they had to strain q point
to do 30. and sixty odd republican mem
bers of the house who oppose the law
a. 1t now stands met in caucus to dis
cnss the best way to conduct their fight
against 1t. That was at least fifiy more
than were supposed to be willing to be
counted as publicly hostile to the law.
and has had an alarming effect upon
those who stand BY the law. and have
generally been disposed tc poke fun at
all talk of fighting It.
History does NOT repeat itself with
more certainty than certain phases Of
session Of copxfess. O9e Of these
phasss - -, = but acril - ds;
,ate which EVER iails 70 precede the
passaes of the regular pension appro-
pristion bill BY tbs Mouse. Somehow
everybody knows thai these little sharp
sentences have got tobs spoken; conss-
|quently they do not attract the attention
they deserve, sconcertipg as they do
the expenditure of more than one-third
Of the governments income. The fact
is, - most people in Washington know,
that the average congressman Is mbr-
tally afiaid Of the pension question, and
desires to see the bill disposed Of a
soon as possible, and II he makes any re-
marks at all they are Of general nature
about the ''saviours Of the country" etc
1t is the exceptional fellows who make
the little debate interesting, There
may have been years when some strong
republican did not furnish these gentle
men with ready made srguments, but
they are not recdiled just now. This
wear it was Gen. H. v. Boyntop's Wig
orous newspaper attack upon the pres
ent law and their abuse that was used.
This question must, sooner or later. be
thoughtfully considered The present
appropriation exceeds sl4l, ,00O. 900, and
there is a general belieftbat IL is eight
or ten million below what will be spent
by the Pension Buresu during the next
fiscal year.
Ata caucus Of the democratic mem
bers of consf ess on Tuesday night their
po@ition on the important snbjects be-
fore this session Of congress, was rel
forth by passing the following resolu-
tions:
Resolved. That It is The sense Of this
caucus that the democratic members Of
the bonse of representatives ought to
resist all efforts. direct Or indirect, te
veiire the greenbacks and treasury
notes.
Resolved. second, That We are op.
posed and will resist all attempts to ex'
tene the privileges to national banks. OF
to reduce the taxes which they pay.
Resolve. thiri, That We favor the
early consideration and passags Of the
senate resolution recognizing that {
condition Of war exists in the island Of
Cuba between the government of Spain
and the Cuban people.
Resolved, fourth: That We favor the
early enactment Of Just and wise bank
ruptcy law.
There il considerable doubt abou
Marx Hapna's election to the United
States Senate. II Is clsimed that there
are ~ anti Hspns republican votes Ii
the Ohio Legislature. Ifthis 10 true he