Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-02-17
Washington Letter.
From our Regular Correspondent

been offered and SO much opposition
has been manifested that he doesn't
consider the outlook for disposing of
the treaty at this session particularly
good. In fact, it would not be surpris-
ing if he should quietly abandon the
effort and let the treaty go over to the
extra session of the senate which will
convene on March 4. There is much
that can be said in favor of such ac-
ton on his part. If the treaty were
temporarily dropped it would give the
senate more time to devote to num-
Der OF Important measures that ought
to be disposed of at the present ses-
sion. The extra session of the senate
would have more time to give to the
treaty, as it will have nothing else to
do except to act upon the nominations
of President Mckinley. The attempt
to keep the proceedings of the senate
in executive sessions secret has result
ed as usual-in the publication of the
substance of the proceedings daily
The last formality, but one needed
to make Hon. William Mckinley pres
ident and Hon. Garrett A. Hobart
vlce-president was gone through when
the senate and house assembled in
joint session. counted the electoral
votes, and officially declared the result
of the balloting in the electoral col
lege. This ceremony which took
less than an hour to complete, was
held in the hall of the house, Vice
President Stevenson presiding with
Speaker Reed seated on his right.
There was no excitement as the votes
Of the several states were read out by
the tellers. and the only marked dem
onstration was the round of applause
which greeted Mr.. Stevenson's an
| nouncement of the totals and the cleo
ton of Mckinley and Hobart.
Senator Chandler has been showing
his friends letter he has received
asking him to endorse the writer's ap-
plication for office under the coming
administration, from which the follow
ing is an extract: Il wish to be ap-
pointed to one of the following posi-
tlOns: United States consul, ambassa-
| dor to Denmark or Sweden and Nor
way, or United States revenue collector
| revenue agent, pension agent, super
intendent of the coast and geOdetic
survey, surveyor general of the United
States public lands, immigrant inspec-
tor, comptroller, register of the
United States treasury or collector of
customs"
The senate committee on naval
affairs have settled, SO far as it lies
IN the power of a committee, the long
/ drawn out controversy over the price
the government should pay for armor
plate for its fighting vessels, by decid-
ing that $4OO a ton shall be the price
and providing for the establishment of
a government plant to make the
armor, if the two companies having
plants refuse TO furnish it at the price
! stated.
The much amended immigration
bill has at last reached the White
house, and it is supposed that it will
in due time become a law, although
| Mr.. Cleveland threatened to veto it be-
fore the last amendments were added.
Considerable surprise is felt by
senators and representatives at the
attempt of Senator Allen to make a
sensation out of the movement among
some of the wealthy friends of Gen.
| Nelson A. Miles, commander of the
United States army, to raise fund
for the purpose Of presenting him
with a house in Washington, and
more at the action of Mr.. Allen in of
! fering a resolution prohibiting the &C
ceptance of any gift OF value by any
officer on the active list of the army
| or navy. This action on the part Of
Mr.. Allen is merely a bid for the sup
port of the anarchiStic element, which
hates Gen. Miles for his very prompt
action in putting down Chicago rioters
who were destroying property and in
terfering with the United States mails
When it is remembered that Gen.
Miles, like all of the commanders of
the army since the war, is poor, and
that Generals Grant, Sherman and
Sheridan were each presented with
residences by their civilian admirers,
it is difficult to see any harm in the
same being done for Gen. Miles, or
any necessity for law saying that it
shall not be done for any other officer
who is fortunate enough to have ad-
mirers who have money they wish to
dispose of in that manner. It is no
exaggeration to say that since Mr..
Allen entered the senate he has been
the author of more buncombe resolu-
tions and bills than all the rest of the
senators added together
Johnson Greek.
Hugo Walters, of Casselton, S. D..
visited at the home of bis father. in