San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-09-09
CAPITAL GOSSIP.
Chiefly Concerning The Dfngley Tar
iff Law and it's CONSTRUCTION.

Washington, Sept. 9.-Other Of
ficials are just as deeply interested in
the suit brought against Postmaster
General Gary and First Assistant
Heath, by John G.. Woods, supt. of
mails in the Louisville, Ky. post
office, to determine the right heads of
departments have to remove officials
in the classified civil service,as are the
gentlemen directly concerned. A tenn
porary restraining order, fOrbidding
the removal of Wood was granted re-
turnable last Saturday. and directing
the postmaster general and his first
assistant to show cause why it should
not be made perpetual. The hearing
was postponed one week from that
date. A test case is to be made as
both sides wish to have the matter
definitely settled by a decision of the
United States Supreme Court, so no
matter how the case may be decided,
an appeal will be taken, and when the
case gets on the docket of the SUI
preme Court, Attorney General Nc
Kenna will move TO have it advanced
for early hearing. 1t is also ex-
pected that the case will be so handled
in the Supreme Court as to get a de-
cision that will cover other points of
the civil service law than the one
directly presented by this case. 1t is
highly desirable that heads of depart
ments should know the exact extent
of their authority over their subor-
dinates.
NJ. Patenotre, the French Ambassa-
dor, has been consulting with Secre-
tary Sherman with view TO securing
reduction in some of the duties i'm
posed by the Dingley tariff upon pro-
ducts of France, by n commercial
agreement between the two coun-
tries.
The articles upon which he is es-
pecially DESTROYS of getting reduced
duties are brandy, champagne, still
wine and vermouth, and paintings,
drawings and statuary, and the re-
auctions asked for will average about
% per cent. The president has au-
thority to grant these reductions with
out the fOrmality of a treaty. when
ever. in his judgment there are salts
factory reasons for doing so; all that
is needed to put them into effect be-
ing proclamation by the president.
ne DlISltl idIll dlSO piONiuCs lol
reciprocity treaties, but they must be
ratified by the Senate and approved
by the House after they are nego-
tiated. before they become binding.
This is the first time the House of
Representatives has been recognized
as a part of the treaty-making ma
chinery of the government
Those who are offering to sell the
information 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 eXpli-
cit language: mo person has any in
formation of importance to applicants
concerning examinations which can
not be obtained without cost from the
commission. All claims to the con-
trary, therefore, are misrepresenta-
tions.'
Naval officials believe that the
sending of the battleship Indiana to
Halifax 10 be locked will, after all,
be a good thing. because they think
it will convince Congress of the neces-
sity of providing for ample docking
facilities of our own. 1t is hoped that
it will not be necessary to send any
more war ships to Halifax to be
locked.
In deferance of complaint made
by the Swiss minister, Secretary
Sherman has written a letter to the
Governor of Iowa, quoting the follow
ing provisions from the treaty be-
tween the United States and Switzer-
land: mo higher impost, under
whatever name. shall be exacted of
the citizens of one of the two coun-
tries residing or established in the
other than shall be levied upon the
citizens of the country in which they
reside, nor any contribution, what
ever. to which the latter shall not be
liable. The Swiss minister claims
that Iowa has laid tax upon the pre-
MUM income of European insurance
companies greater than the tax i'm
posed upon the premium income OF
American insurance companies, ana
that the same is a violation of the
treaty rights of Switzerland.
Attorney General McKenna will
make public his opinion of the con-
struction that should be placed upon
the clause of the Dingley tariff law,
imposing discriminating duties, when
Secretary Gage has asked for, just as
soon as he prepares it. 1t is not true
that he has delayed the opinion to
await the return of President Mckin-
ley. 1t is too important matter to be
disposed of offhanded, even TO stop
the senseless clamor for an imne-
date decision which certain enemies
of the Dingley law are, making. No
interests will suffer by little delay.
TO THE LADIES OF SAN ANTON
10: am canvassing for the sale