Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-04-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From Our Special Correspondent
WASHINGTON, D. c., April Q. '97.

WASHINGTON, d. c., April 2, '07.
Chairman Dingley is receiving nu.
merous well deserved congratulations
on his having successfully carried out
the tariff program to the letter, and
the only regret is that there isn't a Re-
publican majority in the Senate to
hurry through the good work SO well
begun in the House. There isn't the
slightest doubt about the Senate pass
ing the bill, but there is about the ma
ture OF the amendments it NAV be
necessary 10 adopt to get it through
that body. Even admitting that the
amendments adopted by the House.
making the duties prescribed in the
Dingley bill go into effect April /, il of
douottu constitutiouality, it is still a
good thing, and will go far towards &C
compllshing its object-preventirg our
markets being overloaded with foreign
goods while the bill is being considered
in the Senate. The doubt will be sufi
clent to scare off the speculatively in
clined importers. There are reasons to
believe that the Senate may surprise
the country by ~disposing of the tariff
bill in q much shorter time than has
been predicted, A leading Democratic
Senator told a personal friend that he
saw no reason why the bill could not
be disposed of within sixty DAYS, and
would not be surprised TO see it done
in much less time.
The dinner given this week in honor
OF Oh irman Babcock, of the Republi.
can Congressional Campaign Commit
tee, was a notable event. Chairman
Hanna and many of the men who
helped to win the last campaign were
on hand to share in the rejoicing.
Judge j, Franklin Fort, of Newark, n.
j., was the POSTMASTER, with Chairman
Babcock seated on one side of him and
Chairman Hanna on the other. Over
their heads was a large plaster fac
slmile of a gold dollar. and above that
a gllded pillow, from the beam of which
hang a placard bearing the inscription:
The money of the plowholder should
be as good as the money of the bond,
holder.n
Senator Pritchard, who is Chairman
of the Civil Service Committee, which
has been directed by the Senate to in
vestlgate the administration of the
civil service law, says on the subject:
VI shall insist upon an honest and a
thorough inquiry. l do not believe
thatthe Republicans want to absolutely
wipe off the Civil Service Law from the
statute books. know that [ do not,
but l do believe that the administra.
ton OF the law can be corrected, and
to this end | will bend all nv energies.
believing that l will be supported by
the best people of the country | am not
in favor of allowing incompetent Der.
sons to remain in office under the pro
lection of the Civil Service Law. This
is done entirely too much | have
known cases where discharged persons
have had to be employed to prepare
their successors to fill their ~places.h
Senator Hansbrough will doubtless
receive the thanks of everybody who
opposes the introduction of nefar.ous
and demoralizing lottery methods into
the business world for having taken
a step towards checking the evil by
introducing a bill making it unlawful
for any person or firm engaged in the
business of procuring U. s. patents to
offer Or award 70 inventors OF others
any premium or prize in connection
with any alleged competition of in
ventors. The patent business is one in
which the U. S. Government is directly
interested, and if the men who act as
agents or middlemen between the in.
ventors and the Government-the pat.
ent attorneys and solicitors are not
honorable enough to conduct their
business on a plane above that of
gambling lottery, they should be COM
PEELED by law 10 do so. The title of
Senator Hansbrough's bill tells its W i.
story: "A bill to preventinventors and
theirs from being deceived and de.
raude by alleged patent attorneys"
A joint resolution has been offered
by Representative Heatwole, of Mimi
providing for the creation of a banking
and currency commission to investi-
gate and report to Congress at the regu-
lar session. President Mckinley some.
time ago expressed himself as favorable
to this idea.
Hon. H. Clay Evans, the new Com.
missioner of Pensions, is in Washing.
ton. His appointment, like all the
others yet made by President McKin.
ley, gives general satisfaction to Re-
publ!cans, and especially to his old
army comrades.
The selection of Frank w. Palmer.
of Illinois, to be Public Printer. while
in conflict with the Presi-
dents determination not to appoint to
the prominent positions the same men
who held under Gen. Harrison, except
under extraordinary circumstances, IS
not in reality. The extraordinary cir
cumstances in Mr.. Palruer's case were
his unexcelled record as Public Printer
and the number of prominent RepubIi.
cans, including Gen. Harrison, who
asked for his reappointment.
A caucus of Republican Senators
this week decided to attempt to fill the
the committee vacancies, and the as.
will be made by a commit
tee appointed by Senator Allison.
chairman of the caucus.