Middletown transcript., 1897-09-11

: A terested in {
!, NM% suit brougl
II MM T1JA against Postms
{ kHSs ter General Ga
II EN X3lf.E and First Assis
AA ant Heath,
E4T John G. Wood
Superinten d g I
of Mails in the Louisville, KY, Po
Office, to determine the right heads I
departments have to remove officials
the classified civil service, as are tt
| gentlemen directly concerned. A ten
porary restraining order, forbiddin
the removal Of Woods was granted re
turnable last Saturday, and directin
the Postmaster General and his frs
assistant to show cause why it shoul
not be made perpetual. The heariEI
was postponed one week from tha
date. A test case is to be made a
both sides wish to have the matter def
nitely settled by decision of the U. S
Supreme Court, so no matter how thl
case may be decided, an appeal will b.
taken, and when the case gets on th,
docket of the Supreme Court, Attorne,
General McKenna will move to have il
advanced for early hearing. 1t is alst
expected that the case will be so han
died in the Supreme Court as to get &
decision that will cover other points ol
the civil service law than the one
directly presented by this case. It il
highly desirable that heads of depart
ments should know the exact extent of
their authority over their subordinates
M. Patenotre, the French Ambassa.
dor, has been consulting with Secretary
Sherman with view to securing re.
duction in some Of the duties imposed
by the Dingley tariff upon products OF
France, by a commercial agreement be-
tween the two countries. The articles
upon which he is especially desirous OF
getting reduced duties are brandy,
champagne, still wine and vermouth,
and paintings, drawings and statuary,
and the reductions asked for will
average about 25 per cent. The Presi-
dent has authority to grant these re-
ductions without the formality of a
treaty, whenever, in his judgment there
are satisfactory reasons for doing SO !;
all that is needed to put them into
effect being proclamation by the Pre-
sident. The Dingley tariff also pro-
vides for reciprocity treaties, but they
must be ratified by the Senate and ap-
proved by the House after they are
negotiated, before they become bind
ing. This is the. first time the House
of Representatives has been recognized
as part Of the treaty-making machin-
cry of the government.
Those who are offering to sell the in
formation about examinations, etc.,
which the civil service commission
furnishes to all applicants therefore
free, have grown so numerous that the
commission has issued an announce
ment containing the following explicit
language: mo person has any infor-
nation of Importance to applicants,
concerning exam nations which cannot
be obtained without cost from the COM
All claims to the contrary,
therefore, are Misrepresentation.
Naval officials believe that the send
ing of the battle ship Indiana to Hall
fax to be docked, will, after all, be
good thing, because they think it will
convince Congress of the necessity of
providing for ample docking facilities
Of our own. 1t is hoped that it will
not be necessary to send any more
warships to Halifax to be docked.
In Difference to complaint made by |
The Swiss ministers. Secretary Sher-
nan has written a letter to the Cover
lor of Iowa, quoting the following |
provisions from the treaty between the |
j. S. and Switzerland "No higher |
mpost, under whatever name, shall be
'xacted of the citizens Of one of the
wo countries residing or established d |
n the other than shall be levied upon
he citizens of the country in which
hey reside, nor any contribution,
whatever, to which the latter shall not
10 liable. The Swiss Ministers claims
bat Iowa has laid tax upon the
remium income of European Insur.
nee Companies greater than the tax
imposed upon the premium income of
american Insurance Companies, and
hat the same is violation of the
resty rights of Switzerland.
Attorney General McKenna will
lake-public his opinion of the con-
ruction that should te placed upon
le clause Of the Dingley tariff law,
nposiDg discriminating duties: which
scretary Gage has asked for, just as
ION as he prepares 1t. It is not true !
lat he has delayed the opinion to
J await the return of President Nc
.inley. It is too important a matter
be disposed of offhanded, even to
op the senseless clamor for an inme-
ate decision which certain enemies of
10 Dingley law are making. No in
rests will suffer by little delay. !
The victories of Hoods
oyer all