The Press., 1897-05-06
Washington Letter.
washington, May Sd, 1897

Washington, May Sd, 1897.
 Tariff history is repeating itself. The senate made the Mckinley tariff, by at taching about 800 amendments to the original bill the senate made the Wilson tariff, by attaching few less amendments than 1t had put upon the Mckinley bill, and if the DingIey bill becomes a law in anything like the shape in which the finance committee have sumitted it, the senate will have another tariff bill to it's credit, notwithstanding the constitutional provision that all revenue bills shall originate in the house. In the number of amendments added tht D.rgley bill breaks all records, the number ex- ceeding one thousand.
 The civil service law is being attacked from all directions, and very noticeable attack was that made by Representative Corliss, of Mich, in a speech made at the annual banquet of the alumni of Co., lumbia University, of which he is mem- Der. He started out by saying that the university was largely dependent upon the number of young men who come to Washington as department clerks, and take up courses of study after office hours, but that the civil service law was shutting of this supply and filling the departments with lot of worn out human machines He then said: "In my judge ment the civil service was system de- vised by some ingenious minister under monarchial government to protect the king against the wrath of the people. Under such governments the long con- tinued distribution of the political patron age made the people envious, and this system was no doubt devised to prevent revolution, but in republican form of government, where the voice ofthe people is supreme, this civil service law becomes a most obnoxious and arbitrary restrict ion of human liberty. The house of re- presentatives is the most direct represent alive body of the people in this country. If the civil service law is wise why not apply 1t to this branch of our government? How many of the older members of con- gress, now holding the most important experience, can successfully pass civil service examination for the position of messenger boy? In my judgement there is not one of them who would not rather retire to private life than to submit to such humiliating examinations.
 While it is known that President Me- Kinley favors the annexation of Hawaii and believes that it will be accomplished during his administration, there is no probability that any steps towards annex ation will be publicly taken by the ad- ministration until after the tariff bill gets through congress, unless it becomes necessary to hurry up annexation in order to forestall any efforts that Japan may feel disposed to make for the purpose of buIdozing Hawaii. MT. Mckinley has fully determined that 80 far as his control extends nothing shall get before congress that would be likely to detract attention from the tariff bill until that measure. has been disposed of.
 Should Justice Field live until the 18th day of next August, and the present state of his health indicates that he will live much longer, he will have served longe, on the bench of the U s. supreme court than any other man ever did. This ii has been his ambition to do, and it has kept him at work some years after he was for retirement on fully pay When that date has been passed he expects to retire.
 : The color line may be sharply drawn in the senate if President Mckinley insists upon standing by the nomination of W.J. Lyons, a coIored man, to be postmaster at Augusta, Ga. The entire Georgia de- legation in congress protested against this appointment and it Is understood that Postmaster General Gary stands with them in opposition to Lyons, who is the Georgia member of the republican com mittee.
 Treasury officials says they feel no un- easiness- concerning the new outflow of gold to Europe, which last week started off with over $7,OOO.0OO. They say that it is nominal and point to records for some years past to prove 1t, but there are prominent members of the administration who do not like it, and who will watch it's continuance with more or less alarm.