The Opelousas courier., 1897-10-02
Washington Letter.
From our Regular Correspondent.

| w ASHlNGION, IL. C.s OopL. 1U, lo0ts
In view of the officially estimated
deficit in the payment of pensions fol
the current fiscal year, there may be
some emphatic talk on this subject at
the coming session Of Congress. Lest
some of your Republican readers should
say that the idea of pension deficit
was concocted by the opponents of the
administration, the following language
used by II. Clay Evans. Commissioner
of Pensions, is given Il estimate that
the total payment for the year will not
exceed $147, 500, 900, a9sshe appropria-
ton for the year istx141 ,sr1.s s80.' Mr..
Evans speaks of r Il probable deficit of
six and quartf.ss millions of dollars as
inditferently - though he were talking
or.-.Ichse'ng pint Of keanuts.
and wfft--ss4iis attention dyas called to
the probab abiIity that the tGi!qre of the
new tariff to produce the estimate
amount OF revenue might cause Con-
gress to object to passing deficiency
pension appropriation bill for this year,
he gave away the Republican plan for
meeting such contingency by saying {:
"lf there should be an unexpected fall
ing of in the revenue, the pension pay
| ment might be curtailed towards the
! end of the year,
The Home Rule plank of the Repub-
lican National Platform cuts no ice
when it comes to providing fora cousin
of Mr.. Mckinley. as was shown by the
announcement that Frederick E. Nc
Kinley, of New Mexico, has been ap-
pointed Receiver of Public Moneys at
Guthrie Oklahoma. A cousin of the
Vice President was also provided with
an office. but not quite so big an Office
rs he applied for. This was Edward
Hnhorf uhn osnsrnl tn Io
of New Mexico, and who was ap-
pointed Receiver of Public Moneys at
Santa Fe.
Indian Commissioner Jones hasn't re-
signed, and is not likely to do SO volun-
tarily, although Boss Hanna's man has
been appointed Assistant Commission
or over the protest of Jones. This is
another STRAW showing the useless
ness of Republican objections to the
carrying out of Hanna's wishes, Ex-
Secretary Hoke Smith passed through
Washington day or two ago, and was
fairly bubbing over with satisfaction
at the bright prospects ahead of the
United Democratic party which always
wins. He thinks the success of the
Democrats in Greater New York is GER
tain, and it will start a wave of party
harmony that will result in the election
of Democratic House next year and of
Democratic President in 1900.
All the talk about Gen. Fitz Hugh
Lee remaining at home and taking part
in the Virginia Campaign, was settled
for good and all, when General Lee. in
Difference to request of Mr.. McKin-
ley, made during long conference be-
tween the two men at the White House,
agreed to resume his duties as U. S.
Consul General to Cuba as soon as the
leave of absence upon which he came
home expired, which will be early in
October. General Lee is mum about
the situation in Cuba, but his opinions
rs well US the drift of his sympathy are
pretty we'll known, and it is not be-
return to Cuba had he not been
given to understand that some action
was soon to be taken by this Govern
ment that will put an end to the pres
ent deplorable condition there.
Boss Platt is using all his wiles to get
Mr.. Mckinley to take sides against the
candidacy Of Seth Low for Mayor of
Greater New York, aud he is very ely
about it. too. He is trying to convince
Mr.. Mckinley, and has almost succeed.
ed, that if he doesn't help to kill the as
pirations of Low, he will have him to
fight as candidate for the Presidential
nOmlDatlOn at the next hepuOtlca0 Ma
tional Convention. Mr.. Mckinley is
somewhat of politician himself. and
will not do all that Platt wants
him to do, without exacting 10y.
atty from Platt in 1900. but present in-
dications are that he will join PIatt in
fighting Low, which will make it all the
easier for Democrat to be elected
Mayor of New York.
At last man has been found who is
willing TO acknowledge having had a
hand in the putting of Section 20 into
the tariff bill. while that measure was
in conference. 1t is Senator Elkins,
of West Virginia. who says that the
duties prescribed are in.
intended to shut ont freight now
brought into the y. S. by the Canadian
Pacific railroad. But it will also shut |
out much stuff brought by other trans
portation lines by rail and sea.