The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-02-18
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON. Feb. is. 1sc

which a portion of the spectators will
view the parade, which promises to be
the handsOmest, if not the largest ever
seen, has been started, and the inau-
guration committee has begun the
distribution of fifty thousand paper
flags and fifty thousand portraits jof
Mckinley and Hobart, to be used by
the residents along the route of the
parade to assist in decorating their
houses. These are given away by
the committee. SO general is the SEN
timent in favor of having the West
Point and Annapolis Cadets take
part in the parade that it seems prob
able the joint resolution, offered in
the Senate by Mr.. Frye, and in the
House OF Representative by Mr.
Baker, of n. H., requesting the Presi-
dent to order the cadets and their
bands to Washington and appropriate
ing the money to pay their expenses,
will go through. 1t is known that
Mr.. Cleveland favors having the ca
diets in the parade and that he will
gladly issue the order if Congress will
adopt the resolution.
The Democrats are already begin
ming their howl about the total
amount of the appropriations that
will be made by the fifty-fourth Con-
gress. 1t is true that the total of Che
appropriations for the two years will
exceed $4,000 100000, but the Demo
Gratis would show more wisdom if they
would point out a single appropria-
ton made, or to be made in the short
time remaining of the session, that is
not needed, or that the government
will not get full value for, instead of
getting extravagant appropriations
like lot of parrots. The Senate is
not Republican body-would that
it were-yet it has not only approved
all of the appropriations made By the
House, but has in nearly every bill in
creased them. Besides, it should not
be forgotten that a considerable
amount of the money appropriated
by this Congress was made necessary
by continuing contracts made by the
last Democratic Congress for riverl
and harbor improvements, public
buildings and the increase of the
Navy. Chairman Cannon, of the
House Committee on Appropriations,
correctly stated the situation when he
said that contracts previously made
had to be observed; that Congress
could not allow unfinished public
buildings to remain exposed in al
kinds of weather, and that the pension
laws could not be ignored. In short.
that no appropriations have been
made that were not necessary for the
conduct of the government and the
preservation of its interests. Mr..
CannOn's idea Of economy in public
expenditures are so rigid that he has
offended many personal friends by
refusing to sanction propositions for
appropriations which have come be-
fore his committee. There is no item
in any appropriation made by the
tifty-fourth Congress that any Re-
publican need be ashamed of; the ap-
preparations are all needed and the
money is all to be spent among the
people and for the people
1t is about settled that the arbitra-
ton treaty will not be voted upon at
this session, but will go over to the
extra session of the Senate, that will
meet March 4th, and remain in session
until the extra session of the full Con-
gress meets. This has been made nee
essary by the opposition to the treaty
in the Senate.
Representative Woodman,o of Illinois.
has asked the House Ways and Means
committee to increase the revenue
tax on cigarettes from 80 cents to $50
a thousand. Mr.. Woodman's object
is to stop the smoking of cigarettes
by children, which he says is "a habit
which is destroying our youth, filling
our insane asylums, and shrouding in
gloom, by the destruction, mentally.
morally and physically of their young
sons, many of the best homes of our
land" Mr.. Woodman said in his
speech to the committee: "As long as
boys can buy the death dealing arti-
Gle at cent piece or two for a cent.
so long will the evil continue. When
they are taxed so as to produce a
larger revenue, which tax will place
them out of the reach of school chill
dren, then, Mr.. Chairman, we NAV
look for a mitigation of the evil.
Then may be looked for protection
that protects. Then may we congrat-
ulate ourselves on having performed
one act the results of which the whole
nation, with one accord, will an
prove"
Representative White, of Chicago,
made quite stir at the last meeting
OF the House Committee on Public