Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-06-02
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION:
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2. 1897.
VI aShington Letter.
From our Regular Correspondent

From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, May IS. 1S97.-The
Republican senators greatly disap-
pointed the Democrats by deciding to
vote as a unit upon all questions af-
fecting the tariff, settling their differ
ences in private. This was a good
decision in other ways, too, 1t places
the shaping of the amendments in the
hands Of majority of the Republican
senators. Senators Platt, of New
York; SpoOner, of Wisconsin, and
Perkins. of California, have been
chosen by Senator Allison, chairman
of the Republican caucus, to act with
the Republican members Of the finance
committee as a steering committee to
decide for or against each proposed
amendment to the tariff bill. Sena-
tors who are dissatisfied with the de-
cisiOns Of the steering committee may
appeal to the Republican caucus, it
being understood that they will vote
as the caucus may decide. Not only
will this program result IN making a
better tariff bill, but it will material
ly lessen thelength Of the tariff debate,
because under it the Republicans will
at all times present a solid front in
support Of the steering committees
recommendations, which are to be
made from day to day as the debate
progresses. The bill is now being
considered by paragraphs.
There are no new Cuban develop
ments this week, and none are expect
ed until Mr.. Calhoun returns from
Cuba, which will probably be within
two weeks. Some of the Democrats
who are now claiming that the Dem
ocrats are the only friends of Cuba
may wish they had not committed
themselves quite so far when they
learn the policy that President Nc
Kinley intends putting in force
They may then do as they have done
towards the proposed increase in the
internal revenue tax on beer, tobacco,
cigars and cigarettes. When the
amended tariff bill was reported to
the senate the hair-trigger Democrats
asserted that the insertion of these
internal revenue features in the bill
was an attempt to steal Democratic
thunder. But, 10 and behold when
the Democratic senators met in eau
Gus they vOtedUunanimOusly in favor
of attempting to have ali the proposed
internal revenue amendments struck
out of the bill. Consistency never
did cut any figure with the Democratic
party, and nobody need be greatly
surprised in the near future to see
the Democrats who are now abusing
President Mckinley for being IN
friendly to Cuba abusing him still
more for being too friendly to Cuba.
Among the important nominations
sent to the senate this week by Presi-
dent Mckinley were those Of Exon
gresham COnger, of Iowa, to be min
lister to Brazil; Charles Burdett Hart,
a we'll known West Virginia news
paper man, to be minister to Column
bia; John @. Thompson, of Illinois,
to be assistant attorney general, and
James Edmund Boyd, of North Caro-
lima, to be assistant attorney general.
Land Commissioner Hermann this
week reversed the decision made by
Commissioner Lamoreux just before
the close of the Cleveland administra-
tion in the Chicago lake front case.
It will be remembered that this deci-
sion was held up because of suspicious
circumstances, amounting almost to g
scandal, and rehearing ordered.
Property valued at So, 600, 900 was
involved in this case.