Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-05-19
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From Our Special Correspondence

President Mckinley, Vice President
Hobart, and members of the cabinet
have gone to Philadelphia to partici-
pate in the dedication of the Washing.
ton monument. They will return Sat.
urday night. 1t looks now as though
the President would not be able to &C
cept any of the numerous invitations
which have been extended him to par.
ticipate in Memorial Day exercises
away from Washington, and that he
would be with his comrades at Airing.
ton cemetery.
Cuban matters are rapidly coming
to a head. The Administration has
received information from Consul Gen,
eral Lee and other United States off.
Gals in Cuba which has been laid be
fore the members of the Senate Com.
mittee on Foreign Relations, and which
it is believed may result in definite &C.
ton on the part of this Government.
Whether this action will be recogniza.
ton of Cuban belligerency, as pro.
vided for in the Senate resolution, or
the absolute recognition of Cuban in
dependence, is a matter that is expect.
ed to be speedily determined. 1t is
very plain that the Spanish officials
have been deceiving this Government
right along as to the condition of af.
fairs in Cuba.
Senator Aldrich says he will call up
the tariff bill in the senate on the 18th
inst, in accordance with the agree.
ment made when the bill was reported
to the Senate, but it is the opinion of
many Senators that the bill will not be
taken up until later, owing to objec-
tons that will be raised by Democrats
on accounted delay in furnishing them
with a statement of the estimated of.
feet of the amendments. 1t is now
practically certain that the bill will
have to be changed to a considerable
extent before it q be passed by the
Senate, and it will then be further
changed by the Conference Committee
before the House accept it. One of the
schedules that it is known will be
radically changed in the Senate is that
dealing with sugar. 1t is also almost
certain that the clause declaring for
the maintenance of the Hawaiian reci-
procity treaty which was in the House
bill, but was struck out by the Senate
committee, will be restored, as Presi
dent Mckinley has taken especial
pains to impress upon the minds Of
Senators and Representatives, that
nothing should be done that would be
likely to ALLEVIATE the Hawaiians. 1t
is certain that the President favors the
annexation of Hawaii 10 some form,
and probable that annexation will be
an accomplished fact in the near
future.
Probably the strongest endorsed man
who has been given an appointment
by President Mckinley is Judge AL.
bion w. Tourgee, the we'll known
author and speaker who was this week
nominated to be United States Consul
at Bordeaux. France.
Senator Quay has offered two amend
ments, affecting the civil service law,
to the Deficiency appropriation bill.
One provides that deputy collectors Of
internal revenue, storekeepers, and
gaugers shall be excluded from the
classified civil service; also examining
surgeons. The other takes Indian
agents out of the classified service and
authorizes their appointment by the
President, by and with the advice and
consent of the Senate, The amend
ments were referred to the civil SER
vice committee, which is investigating
the whole subject.
The Senate Committee on the Census
has reported favorably a bill providing
for the taking of the twelfth and sub
sequent %censuses, which authorize the
Director of the Census, an official pro,
vided for by the bill, to appoint all
employees except the Assistant Director.
This is a direct blow at the civil service
rules, which is explained as follows in
the report accompanying the bill: "A
majority of the committee are of the
opinion thatthe employesin the Census
Office should be appointed according
to the discretion of the Director of the
Census, and not by the method pro.
vided by the civil service law and the
existing rules made in pursuance
thereof"
Representative Hartman, Of Mon.
tana, while speaking against Mr.. Cleve.
lands sweeping forestry reserves order.
was asked by the Representative Lacey
if he assumed that President McKin.
ley would repeat the mistakes of Mr..
Cleveland. He instantly replied: II
don't there is any man on the face of
the earth such q blunderhead that he
could make the Que thousandth part of
the mistakes made by President Cleve.
land. didn't support President McKin-
ley. but, thank God, he is an American
President, and the first one we have
had in four years"
A new policy has been adopted in the
handling of business in the Pension
Bureau that means much to many ap
plicants for pension. Under thir policy
the applications for original pensions
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