Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1897-12-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.
The Civil Service Rules Mat
ter.
Patent Omce-The Sealing Business-
Relief for KIondlkers - McKenna's
Confirmation.
WAsnMaToN. De-. 10. 1s97.

! Confirmation.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 1897.
President Mckinley will, accord
ing to trustworthy though unof1i-
cial information, shortly meet the
objections that exist, in and out Of
Congress, against present condi-
tions in the civil service, by issuing
an executive order making material
notifications in the blanket extern
sions of the civil service rules made
by Mr. Cleveland during his last
year in Office. While the opposition
on the part of Republicans in Con-
gress doubtless was a factor in this
matter, it is we'll known that the
President has had it in mind ever
since his election. 1t will be re-
membered that he said in his annual
message: '"There are places now in
the classified service which ought to
be exempt and others are not classi-
fed, may properly be included.
shall not hesitate to exempt cases
which l think have been improperly
included in the classified service. !"
just when this order will be issued
or the full extent of the modifica-
ton has not been fully determined,
but it will not be surprising should
the order be issued before e. reas-
sembling of Congress, on Jan. 5.
Senator Hanna has gone to Ohio,
to remain until the legislature elects
his successor. Just before leaving
Washington, he said: "The stories
sent from Ohio that a number of
the Republican members of the
gener raj assembly will desert me if
am not successful on the first ballot
seem to me absurd. Every Repub-
lican county bp' four has instructed
its legislators for me the party is
pledged to me through the action
of the Republican State Convention
at Toledo, and [ am unable to sec
what can stand in the way of my
election ?"
Notwithstanding the numerous
reforms brought about in the prac-
tice before the United States Patent
Office, as a result of the long inves-
tigation conducted by Acting Com
missing Greeley with such striking
ability, there are some abuses con-
nected more or less directly asso.
out every ten persons who know
of them, which have not yet
been reached. But Mr.. Greeley is
more than anxious to do so, and is
now investigating numerous com.
plants against patent solicitors, who
have obtained money from inven.
tors nnder the pretense of getting
foreign patents for them and selling
them, knowing that no valid foreign
patents could be obtained for them
and that there would therefore bt
nothing to sell.
Uncle Sam rubbed it in on Johr
Bull in the bill dealing with oper
ser sealing, which has passed botl
branches of Congress and only needs
the Presidents signature to become
a law, and that it will probably get
! Canada, backed by England, ha!
played the hog right through in thil
sealing business, by refusing to join
the United States in efforts to pre-
vent the speedy destruction of al
, the seals by agreeing to q cessation
! of open sea sealing for even a limited
time, and the Canadians doubtles
chuckled with joy, when this bill
which prohibits open sea sealing b.
the citizens of the United States wa
introduced in the Senate, because o
their belief that it would leave then
a monopoly of the taking of seals il
1 the open sea. But they will no
l chuckle, nor will their English sup
porters, when they learn the puT
port of a section of the bill that wa
kept quiet while the measure wa
pending before Congress. That sec
{ ton absolutely prohibits the bring
ing of the seal skins into the Unite
q States from any source. When it
remembered that the United State
/ furnishes the largest and best mark
! ct in the world for seal skins an
that the business of supplying tina
market has been partially monopC
: lized as to raw skins by Canada, an
= entirely as to dyed skins by England
y the full significance of what Uncl
Il Sam has done to John Bull become
apparent.
= The act for the relief of thos
u Americans who are in the Klondil
n gold regions, and who, it is b
'- lieved, will be in pressing need {
y lood before spring, was as prompt
signed by President Mckinley as
J. was passed by Congress, and it no
t only remains TO get the relief to IL
1t sufferers in order to make it effe
;. tive. This is in the hands of Seer
1t tary Alger, and if success is pOss
it BILE, he will achieve it, as his syn
pathy for the Klondikers is of Il
le active kind-so active that he offerG
a. weeks ago to advance the money o.
is of his own pocket to send relief
20 any practical way of doing so cou
d be pointed out. Secretary Alg
will go to Ottawa to secure the c
IN operation of the Canadian authO
N tiles in relief operations.
The fact that the Senate did n
act upon Attorney General McKe
~ mas nomination to the bench of &
,o Supreme Court before the rece
- hasn't the significance some perso
are trying to give it f; in fact, it h
no significance. The nominatl
did not go to the Senate until tV
days before the recess and there W
v no time for the judiciary committS
which never acts hurriedly up
nominations of the Supreme Coz