Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1897-03-02
THE D0INGs OF THE LAST WEEK
 OF CONGRESS.
Everybody Ready to Give the Ex. piring Administration a Kick Down the Hill.-Spicy Gossip from the
 Nations Cap
 itol.
Special Correapo ondence.


 WASHINGTON D. C. Feb. 2S The closing days of Congress are being very indnstrioasly occupied prinei- pally, on the work necessary to complete the appropriation bills. The House is well up with it's work, but the Senate is much behind.
 The past week has been notable for killing off some good and some vicious measures. Among the former was House Bill 9lSS, authorizing a nonpartisan commission to consider and recommend legislation to meet the problems presented by labor, az rieulture and capital. This bill by close vote was postponed, which meant it's death.
 The so-called Loud bill for the regulation of the postal service, met it's death i'll the Senate. This bill provides for great innovations in the pres mt law regarding second class matter, and a most pernieious fea- ture of the bill is that it gives each postmaster he right to osubstantially destroy every country newspaper, which he may not agree with; this he can do by holding up it's circula- tion, and refusing to mail until he has investigated it's subscription list &c, The bill is i'll the interest of the Metropolitan dailes and contrary to the interest of the country press.
 Much qualification, especially among the Republicans. has been eX- hibited over the statement of Gov. Bushnell, of Ohio, that he will ap- point Hon. Marcus A.Hanna, ,as U. $. Senator, in the place of Senator Sherman, who has resigned, to be- come Secretary of State. Those who do not believe in Mir. Hanna's political ideas, recognize his great abilities as campaign manager and politician. In d conversation your correspondent had with Mr. Hanna, speaking of the prospects of good times, he said, "that all American citizens wanted the same thing, they want a prosperous, happy people, and that the administration of Mir. Mckinley will give us return of the good times of former years" He said, "that the people must not ex- pect this transition instantaneously but must give the new party a chace to recover from the hard times which had been tbrust upon the country by bad management, but that in time, and in much less time than one would suppose it possible, the tide would turn, and better times would be assured" ;"
 The tension between the United States and Spain is becoming tightly drawn, on account of the brutality of the Spaniards toward the American citizens now prisoners in Spanish dungeons. If anything were lacking to complete the dis graceful and cowardly administra- tion of MT. Cleveland, and MT. Olney. his Secretary of State, their action alone ill disregarding the rights of American citizens is enough to send their administration down with time as the worst this country has ever seen. Mir. Mckinley, with Mr. Sherman at the head of the State Department, will give the country an American administration and whether or not all cur people may agree with them in politics, it is to be hoped and it is believed, that the cowardly, un-American system of the Cleveland administration will be repudiathd and discontinued. Much excitement has been caused i, from the fact that Consul General Fitz Hugh Lee, is of the old Virginia stock and is an American citizen ] with American instincts.
 The Grand Army Of the Republic. District of Columbia jurisdiction gave the parting administration of MT. Cleveland a friendly kick, closing with the following words: "There ] will soon be change and may God speed the parting.
 l The Postoffice Department has had | $50,0 1000 appropriated to it for the purpose of investigating and pre-
 venting the frauds perpetrated by
 the railways in carrying the mail
 The custom has been to make four years contract with each railway, lby weighing the mail for one montl