San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-10-29
McKINLEY's MESSAGE.
He Will Write it After the Ohio EIec-
ton

ton.
Washington, Oct. 29.-(Speciai)-
President Mckinley win not begin the
work of writing his annual message
to Congress until after he returns from
Ohio, where he will go the last of this
week, to remain until he casts his vote
for the republican ticket, but he is
spending considerable time just now
in obtaining information from mem
bers of the Cabinet and in discussing
with them matters that will be treated
in the message. All of the members
of the cabinet have furnished him with
the substance of their annual reports,
none of which are yet completed.
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 by
Secretary Gage, and at once met with
general APPROVAL. The government is
sues three kinds of paper money, and
the notes of each denomination of each
series have different designs, which
are not only confusing, but which are
taken advantage of by that class of
swindlers who make 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 is
sued, and to make that design so sim
pie and distinctive that it will be i'm
possible TO mistake a dollar note for
ten or two for twenty, etc. The
change, which will probably be put
into effect as soon as the necessary
plates can be prepared, will be well
l. ,f In
banks and business establishments, to
| whom the pictorial silver certificates
now in use are source of much wor-
| ry.
The resignation of Gen. W. w. Duff
| field as superintendent of the coast
! and geodetic survey was asked for on
| the ground of his general incompe-
| tency to fill the position into which
Mr.. Cleveland put him for no other
reason than to please Don Dickinson.
Charges against Gen. Dufheld were
| filed early in the present administra-
| ton, and he would doubtless have
been asked to resign before, had it
not been for the influence of his
brother, who is a prominent Michigan
Republican.
Senator Plat 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 he
| would win by a plurality of between
\ ten and twenty thousand.
Capt. Charles OfNeil, Chief OF the
Bureau of Ordinance of the Navy
| department is opposed to the estab-
| lishment of a government plant for
| the making of armor plate for our
| fighting vessels. He says in his an
nual 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 regards the making OF ar
| NOR as proper adjunct to a great
commercial steel plant. Foreign prac-
tice confirms this view, and even
should the department acquire plant
of its own, the chances are that il
would be at a great cost, and that it
would lie idle a part of the time and
thus suffer great decoration, and
that the expense and difficulty of OPP
Grating it, when needed, would more
than offset any advantage gained by
such ownership"