The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1897-11-05
Washington Letter.
From our regular Correspondent

IllS week, TO remain until he casts his
vote Tor the republican ticket, but he
Is spending considerable time lust
now in obtaining information from
members of the Cabinet and in dis
cusslng with them matters that will
be treated in The message. All of the
members of the Cabinet have furnish
ed him with the substance of their an
nual reports, none of which are vet
completed.
The administration is not devotinr
any time to the consideration of the
answer OF the new Spanish Ministry
TO Minister Woodiord's proposition,
the 1ull text of which is now on its
way to Washington, because the sub
stance OF 1t has been known for some
time and it has been fully determined
10 grant the new Spanish ministry a
reasonable time in which to try to put
Its new policy into effect in Cuba.
The only thing that may change this
program is the manner in which the
Spanish reply deals with the efforts
which have been made by this govern
ment to prevent the departure of fill
clustering parties for Cuba. If the
tone of the answer is what Spanish
publications have indicated it to be.
1t Will be promptly resented by the
administration. More than $4,000
OOO has been spent by this government
IN efforts to prevent fillibustering and
to live up to its international obliga-
tlons to Spain, and no intimation that
this government has been negligent
will be tolerated from Spain. It is
thought that such talk appeared in
the Spanish papers solely for its effect
at home, and that nothing of the.sort
will be found in the official communi-
cation.
When really good idea is made
known the average person Of intelli-
gence wonders why it,had not been
thought OF before An idea of that
kind was laid before the Cabinet bv
Secretary Gage, and at once net with
general approval. The government
issues three kinds of paper money.
and the notes of each den omination
OF each series have different designs.
which are not only confusing, but
which are taken advantage of by that
class OF swindlers who make a practice
OF raising notes and passing them in
crowded places or upon ignorant and
unsuspecting persons. Secretary
Cages idea is to adopt one design for
all the notes of the same value Of the
three kinds Of notes issued, and to
make that design so simple and dis
tinctive that it will be impossible to
HIio1dhC d OIo uolIdf IlOte lOI Il ten or
two for twenty, etc. The change,
will probably be put into effect as soon
as the necessary plates can be prepar-
ed, will be welcomed by the handlers
of money in banks and business estab-
lishments, to whom the pictorial silver
certificates now in use are a source of
much worry.
The resignation of Gen. w. w. Duf-
field as Superintendent of. the Coast
and Geodetic Survey has been asked
for on the ground OF his general in
competency to fill the position into
which Mr. Cleveland put him for no
other reason than to please Don
Dickinson. Charges against Gen Duf-
field were filed early in the present ad-
ministration, and he would doubtless
have been asked to resign before, had |
it net been for the influence of his
brother, who is prominent Michigan
republican.
Senator Platt was in Washington
Saturday, but he said that his visit
had no special political significance.
He spent half an hour with President
Mckinley and told him and his other
Washington friends that things were
looking more favorable every day for
the election of Gen. Tracy to be the
first Mayor of greater New York, and
that he was absolutely certain be
would win by plurality of between
ten and twenty thousand.
Capt. Charles O'Neill. Chief of the
Bureau of Ordinance of the Navy De-
partment, is opposed to the establish
ment of a government plant for the I
of armor plate for our fighting
vessels. He says in his annular report
to Secretary Long: "The Bureau is
of the opinion that the government
can purchase armor more cheaply |
than it can make it. The Bureau re-
CARDS the making OF armor as proper
adjunct to great commercial steel
plant Foreign practice confirms the
view, and even should the department
acquire plant of its own, the chances
are that it would be alta great cost,
and that it would lie idle part of the
time and thus suffer great deteriora-