Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-04-14
Washington Letter.


WASHINGTON, April 8, 1897.-Presi-
dent Mckinley made new friends both
by his promptness in recommending
in a special message to congress that
an appropriation be MADE for the i'm
mediate relief of the food sufferers and
by his following it up with the an
nouncement that although all arrange
ments had been made for his departure
fromW ashington in order to get several
days needed rest he would not leave
until congress acted upon his recon-
mendation. The promptness of con-
gress in adopting unanimously in
both branches joint resolution ap-
propriating $780, 900 for the relief of
the sufferers from the floods in the
Mississippi river and it's tributaries
and the Red river of the north enabled
the president to get away on the day
planned. This was highly creditable
to congress, but detracted nothing
from the credit due President McKin-
ley for having said that he would not
leave Washington until he had signed
the resolution making an appropria-
lion Tor the HOOD sufferers.
Speaker Reedstook occasion during
the short time the house was in ses-
sion on Wednesday to answer some of
the criticisms Of his failure to appoint
the house committees. excepting those
necessary to transact the business for
which the extra session was called.
After calling attention to there being
$50 members in the house and the
time needed to know them we'll enough
to judge their capacities for commit
tee service, he said that the late James
q. Blaine when speaker of the house
had under similar circumstances de-
ferred selecting the committees.
Referring to the charge that he was
exceeding his authority, Mr.. Reed
said IF the house thinks that any
occupant of the chair is not carrying
out its wishes, is not acting as it's rep
resentative, the remedy is in the
hands Of the house at any time, and
the chair welcomes any act on the
part OF the house, whose representa-
tive he is. That was manful and
business-like, and it aroused much
enthusiasm on the Republican side of
the house.
Senator Hanna is not disposed to
interfere with the pleasure the Demo-
Gratis are pretending to feel because a
few municipal elections in Ohio were
carried by Democrats. Speaking on
the subject he said: There was real
ly nothing significant in the elections
at all. The questions at issue were
purely municipal and not national
1t is quite the thing for Ohio to swing
from one side to the other in these
local elections, and history has repeat
ed itself That is all. If a national
campaign should occur tomorrow,
Ohio would be in the Republican
column. / am quite sure that the re-
suit would have no affect on the cleo
ton of legislative ticket next fall"
The friends of Ma. or BENJAMIN
ButterwOrth, and that means every
body who knows him, who has again
been nominated and confirmed as COM
missioner of patents, a position he so
ably filled under the Arthur admins
tratiOn, are generally of the opinion
that it is the administration and those
who have business with the patent
Office, and not Major Butterworth,
who should be congratulated. The
Office of commissioner of patents has
never been filed by as big a man,
from all points of view, as Major
Butterworth is, and by this statement
of fact | mean no disparagement of
the other gentlemen who have held
the office; and it would not be sur
prising if the rumor that President
Mckinley intends to call him cup
higher" after he has reformed some
abuses connected with the practice of
disreputable patent attorneys, should
turn out to be true. Major Butter
worth's brilliant record as soldier
statesman and lawyer is too widely
known to need repetition by me.
Lawyers can seldom be persuaded
to express opinions for publication of
speeches made il court by other men,
bers of the legal profession, but it is
evident that Mr.. Bryan's argument
before the supreme court this week,
III IIIC ANCOI COhCt ctllIO6tu Cast. u1u uOG
make good impression upon lawyers,
however well it might have sounded
as a speech at a Democratic or Populist
mass meeting. If be knows any law,
he didn't make much use of know
ledge in that argument.
Blood and Nerves are very close