Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1897-04-02
WASHINGTON LETTER.
The Dingley Tariff Bill. The
Duties it Carries.
The Presidents Health.-Prizes for Patents.
The Democrats and the Trusts
Appointments - Vacancies In
g.vata rntp,nitteea

Appointments. -- Vacancies In
senate Committees.
(From Our Regular Correspondent
Washington, March 2g.-Chair.
man Dingley made short work Of
the juggling of percentage figures by
which the Democrats in the House
sought to make it appear that the
Dingley tariff bill, which will this
week be passed by the House
carried higher average rate OF
duties than the Mckinley bill did
Said Mr.. Dingley: "Notwithstand-
ing the fact that in this bill in every
schedule except earthen ware, glass,
tobacco, sugar, and think silk to
some extent, notwithstanding that
in every schedule except these the
present bill carries actual duty less
than was carried in the Act of 1890,
and Notwithstanding the fact that
iii many of the schedules it carries
duties substantially the same as
those in the present Democratic
law, yet if you convert these speci-
fic duties into advalorem percent.
ages, not taking into consideration
the changes of value between 1890
and 1896, you appear to have an in
crease of duties imposed, when, as q
matter of fact, the actual duties inn
posed are less"
No better refutatiOn could be
given of the mischievOus stories al
leging the physical breaking down
of President Mckinley than that
after n hard days work at his desk
he attended the dinner given by
the GIidiron Club in honor of the
President and his Cabinet and for
several hours enjoyed himself as
much as the youngest man present.
So many complaints have reached
Washington concerning the intro
ductiOn of lottery methods into the
business OF obtaining patents, that
Senator Hansbrough has introduced
a bill making it a misdemeanor for
any person or firm engaged in the
business of soliciting patents to con-
duct premium or prize scheme by
Offering inventors prize as an in
ducement for them to enter an al
legged competition of ideas. A SINH
lar bill will probably be introduced
in the House, thus giving both
branches of Congress an early op-
portunity to protect the United
States Government, which is practi-
cally a partner in the patent busi-
,.sI Ir~
tached to lottery methods.
The Democrats in the House are
now very sorry that they said a
word about trusts in their fight upon
the Dingley tariff bill They got a
fool idea in their heads that they
could frighten the Republicans by
yelling trust at them. They
know better now That line Of at
tack gave the Republicans an op-
rather to 10 the memory of the
public to the indisputable fact that
the trusts have been more numerous
and more grasping under the Demo-
cratic administration and tariff law
than ever before, and that the
Democrats made their last cam
paign solely in the interests of what
Gen. Grosvenor so aptly called "the
trust which controls monopoly of
what God gave-the silver trust.
The fact is also recalled that when
the Sherman anti trust law, recently
upheld by a decision of the United
States Supreme Court, was before
the House, the leading Democratic
members voted against its being
taken up for consideration, although
they did not dare vote against the
bill itself when it was put upon its
final passage. They found the trust
argument veritable boomerang
and about the only excuse they had
to offer was that they were not re
sponsible for Grover Cleveland.
The Senate Committee on Appro
priations, although not controlled
by Republicans, has endorsed the
action of the House in passing those
left over appropriation bills without
change, by reporting the agricul
tural bill to the Senate Just as il
passed the House, and will probably
do likewise with the other bills.
President Mckinley has told sew
eral gentlemen who We're applicant:
for the same position they held un
der the Harrison administration
that he would not appoint them, n'
matter how strongly backed the.
were, because he had made up hi
mind not to make such appoint
ments, except in cases where ther
might be some extraordinary cir
cumstances justifying a deviation
from the rule. This is not becau
he has not a high opinion of the ex
officials, but because he think
others shonld now have an oppor
tunity to share in the party hOnOrs
The vacancies in the Senate Com
mittees are worrying the oppositio
more than they are the Republican
although the latter are perfectl
willing that they should be filled
but so long as the opposition can
not agree to vote together and as
sumo the responsibilities of th
majority. the Republicans very na
turally object to allowing the Demo
Gratis who are only one faction {
the majority. to dictate how thos
vacancies shall be filed AlthOug
not in a majority, the Republican
were given the important chairman
ships Of the Senate during the lal
Congress, and they now insist upo
ff,a uaoa,.oioa bojnu fillad 40 aQ