Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-03-24
Washington Letter.
From our Regular Correspondent

endorsing the men to be appointed to
Office from that state, Notwithstanding
numerous requests from prominent
Republicans to make exceptions there
to. He has fully made up his mind
that the rule is good one, and it's
perfect fairness cannot be questioned
by anybody. He feels that the sena-
tors and members are better qualified
to decide who ought to be appointed
among the applicants from their state
than he is, and intends to insist upon
their doing it.
Taken all in all there is less howl
ing from the Democrats on account of
the new tariff bill than was expected
and there is much less fault-finding
among Republicans than there was
when the Mckinley bill was first re-
ported to the house. The Dingley
tariff bill will be taken up by the
house next week and pushed through
without any necessary delay.
Secretary Wilson is already in
numerous ways proving the wisdom of
President Mckinley in selecting a
practical farmer for the head of the
| agricultural department. He knows
what the interests of the farmers are,
and to what extent the general govern
ment can serve those interests. One
of the first requests made of Presi-
dent Mckinley by Secretary Wilson
was that care should be taken in
making the selections for United
! States cOnsuls in the agricultural
sections of the world to get men famil-
lar with agriculture, in order that
they may be able to make reports that
will be of practical benefit to the
| American farmers. Mr.. Wilson thinks
the right sort of consuls could get
valuable information for grain grow
ers from portions of Europe and in
South America, and that the culture
Of the sugar beet would increase more
rapidly if we had careful reports of
an intelligent study of their culture in
Germany, France and Austria.
Postmaster General Gary announced
this week that after mature consider
alton the administration had decided
that all pOstmasters should be allowed
| w OSA
they gave cause for their removal
This matter was before the president
and cabinet and all sides of it was
discussed before a conclusive decision
was reached, the idea being that it
was of more Importance that the
country should know exactly what
policy would be followed than that
any particular line of policy should
be adopted. And this is one of the
very best Of the many good features
introduced by this administration.
Instead of trying to mystify the public,
President Mckinley tries to keep it
informed of his intentions, and as soon
as thing has been determined upon
it is made public. This has been the
rule ever since the first member of
President McKinley's cabinet was Sc
lected. That it is a good rule cannot
be doubted.
The credentials of the three gentle
men appointed to the senate by the
respective governors of Oregon, Ken
lucky and Florida are now before the
committee on privileges and elections,
and the three gentlemen have been
granted the freedom of the senate
chamber. While nobody knows what
the committee will decide to do or
how soon it will act, the general in
preston is that the committee will not
be in hurry, and that the Kentucky
and Florida legislatures are likely to
/ be given a chance to settle two Of the
cases. The Oregon case will turn upon
the construction placed upon the assem-
bling of members of the legislatu! e
! and their failure to organize. If coz
/ strued as ameeting Of the Legislature,
Mr.. Corbett would have no chance at
| all; otherwise, he has chance, but
| it isn't any too good at best owing to
recent precedents.
1t has been SO long since members
! of the cabinet took the trouble to go
to the capitol to confer with members
of the house and senate on public
J matters that the visit of Secretary
! Sherman to the Senate Foreign Rela-
tions committee, for the purpose of
discussing and getting the opinions of
the senators on certain matters con-
nected with the foreign policy Of the
new administration, was regarded by
! some as an innovation. It was mere
! ly a resumption Of the cooperative
relations that ought to1exist between
the executive and legislative branches
of the government. Attorney General
! McKenna has also been a visitor to
the senate this week.
The senate has adopted a resolu-
ton offered by Senator Frye, asking
! for information as to the extension Of
! civil service rules over river and har-
Dor work. Senator Frye said his in
formation was that engineers in
/ charge Of work, no matter how press
| ing the need or how remote from
! Washington, are under those rules
compelled to apply to the civil service
commission for every laborer they
wish to put to work, and that it was
interfering with all manner of public
work and was absolutely stupid and
absurd. That is the way it will strike
most people, too