The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-09-09
ouK wAsniyGroN LITTER.
WASHINGTON, Sept. s

To the Editor uf rhe Republican.
Other officials are just as deeply in
terested in the suit brought against
Postmaster General Gary and First
Assistant Heath, by John g. Woods,
Supt. of Mails in the Louisville, ny,
Post Office, to determine the right
heads of departments have to remove
officials on the classified civil service,
as are the gentlemen directly coacernS
ed. y temporary restraining orderi
forbidding the removal of Wood was
granted returnable last Saturday,
and directing the Postmaster General
and his first assistant to show cause{
why it should not be made perpetual.
The hearing was postponed one week
from that date. A test case is to be
made as both sides wish to have the
matter definitely settled by decision
of the I. S. Supreme Court, SO no
matter how the case may be decided.
an appeal will be taken, and when
the case gets on the docket of the
Supreme Court Attorney General
McKenna will move to have it advane-
ed for early hearing. 1t is also eX-
pected that the case will be so handled
in the Supreme Court as to get q
decision that will cover other points
of the civil service law than the one
directly presented by this case. 1t is
highly desirable that heads OF depaFt-
ments should know the exact extent
of their authority over their subordi-
mates.
NJ. Patenotre, the French Ambassa-
dor has been consulting with Secre-
| tary Sherman with view to securing
q reduction III some of the duties i'm
posed by the Dingley tariff upon pro
duets of France by q commercial
agreement between the two countries.
| The articles upon which he is espec-
tally desirious Of getting reduced
duties are brandy, champagne, still
wine and vermouth, and paintings,
drawings and statuary. and the
reductions asked for will average
about % per cent. The President
has authority to grant this if in
his Judgment there are satisfac-
tory reasons for doing so; all
that is needed to put them
into effect being a proclamation by
the President. The Dingley tariff
also provides for reciprocity treaties,
but they must be ratified by the Sen
ate and approved by the House after
they are negotiated, before they be
come binding. This is the first time
that the House of Representatives
has been recognized as a part of the
treaty-making machinery Of the gov
| eminent.
Those who are Offering to sell the
! information about examinations, etc,
which the civil service commission
furnishes 10 all applicants therefore
free, have grown SO numerous that
the commission has issued an an
nouncement containing the following
explicit language; mo person has
any information of Importance to
! applicants, concerning examinations
which cannot be obtained without
cost from the commission. All claims
to the contrary, therefore, are misrer-
reservations.
Naval Officials believe that the
sending of the battlsehip Indina to
Halifax to be locked will, after all, be
a good thing, because they think it
will convince Congress Of the necess-
ity OF providing for ample docking
faculties of our own. 1t is hoped that
it will not be necessary to send any
more warships to Halifax to be
docked.
In Difference to Il complaint made
by the Swiss minister, Secretary
sherman has written a letter to the
Governor of Iowa, quoting the follow
ing provisions from the treaty be-
tween the L. S. and Switzerland:
No higher impost, under whatever
name, SLGII DC cAtClpN Oh IllG cltiLtHS
of one OF the two countries residing
or established in the other than shall
be levied upon the citizens of the coun-
try in which they reside, nor any
contribution, whatever, to which the
latter shall not be liable. The Swiss
Minister claims that Iowa has laid a
tax upon the premium income of Eu-
rOpean Insurance Companies greater
than the tax imposed upon the prem
ium income of American Insurance
Companies, and that the same is u
violation of the treaty rights of
Switzerland.
Attorney General McKenna will
make public his opinion of the com
struction that should be placed upon
the clause of the Dingley tariff law,
imposing discriminating duties, which
Secretary Gage has asked for, just as
soon as he prepares it. 1t is not true
that he has delayed the opinion to
| await the return of President McNin-