The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-11-27
NATIONAL AFFAIRS.
WASHINGTON.

No President for years has paid more
party than Maj. Mckinley does, and no
President has ever taken more pains to
ascertain the opinions Of his callers upon
public matters. While there is no question
OF public Importance upon which President
Mckinley has not a well defined opinion of
his own, he invites the freest expression
of the opinions OF others and is not so self
opinionated as not to lie sometimes con
WINGED that his own are erroneous. Just
now he takes every opportunity of drawing
out the opinions OF his callers on matters OF
which his annual message to Congress will
treat. While his message, which VII he
long one has been all blocked out, what he
hears between now and when the final re-
vising is done may make material difference
in portions of it.
If there isn't an arbitration treaty be
tween Great Britain and the United States
before the adjournment Of this session OF
Congress, it will not he the fault of Presi-
dent Mckinley, as he intends to send a
new treaty to the Senate early i'll the SEES
sion, drawn to meet the expressed ohjec-
tons to the one that was rejected by the
Senate at the last session.
Representative Dolliver, of Iowa, whose
prominence in republican councils makes
his opinions upon legislative matters of
value, passed through Washington on his
way home, where he expects to eat his
Thanksgiving dinner, from an Eastern trip.
In reply to the question as to whether he
thought currency legislation probable at
this session of Congress, he said: 81 doubt
if bill can be framed that will meet with
the approval of both Houses of Congress
1t is not unlikely, however, that the House
will take up legislation in line with the
recommendations of the Presidents mes
sage. These, take it, will be reasonable
and conservative, and strictly along the
line of the record and platform of the Re
publican party" Mr.. Dolliver says he
thinks the early annexation Ct Hawaii alb
solutely certain and regards that aud the
settlement of the Union Pacific Railroad
debt as among the administration most
creditable work. His opinion of Congress
taking the Cuban question up, as advocated
by democrats and ant administration news
papers, is worthy If more than a passing
thought. He said: If the combined wis
dom Of the Executive and the State Depart
problem | do not believe it would help
matters to throw it into a Congressional
joint debate"
Attorney General McKenna is preparing
the papers that will be necessary in fore
closure proceedings against the Central
Pacific Railroad, which will in January
next, owe the L. S. Government nearly
$53, 600, OOO so that no time will be lost in
case the Company defaults as it is eXpected
it will do If the foreclosure proce edings
are taken, they are likely to include the
Western Pacific Railroad also.
Experts on the cultivation and market
ing of the export tobaccos of kentucky and
Tennessee are invited by Secretary Wilson
to write what they know on the subject, to
be used in series of tobacco bulletins to
be issued by the Department OF Agriculture.
Accepted contributions will be paid for at
the rate of $50 a thousand words, and
while no length limit is set, it is not de-
sired that any single communication shall
exceed ten thousand words.
The conclusion of the members of the
Executive Committee of the indianapolis
Financial Convention of last winter, which
has been holding a monetary conference in
Washington for sometime past not to make
their report public until after President
Mckinley S message and Secretary Cages
annual report have been submitted to Con-
gress, probably means that the measure
which the committee will recommend to
Congress will be in the main along the
same lines as the financial recommends
tions that will be made in Secretary Cages
annual report and endorsed by President
Mckinley. In statement just issued by
this Committee, much more confidence is
expressed in the passing of financial legis-
lation by this Congress than there are indi-
cations in sight to justify.
President Mckinley doesn't believe in
the brass band method of announcing in
advance what he intends doing; he prefers
to allow his acts and accomplishments to
speak for themselves. He has done more
to maintain our national prestige abroad
since the 4th of last March than his pre-
decessor did during his full term of four
years, and not the least of his accomplish
ments in that line was securing the release
OF 81 American citizens from Spanish pris-
ons in Cuba.
The HOmelieSt Man in ElktGn,