St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-04-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Things Very Quiet Just Now at the
Nations Capital.
Everything Awaits DingIey Tariff BlI--Inter-
view with Congressman nox-Secretary
Long-0ther New Englanders.
Especial to the CALEpoNiAN)

Especial TO the CALRDoNfAN)
These are dull days at the capital. The
house of representatives meets only
twice week--Wednesday and Saturday
and the sessions are short. Nothing is
done in the way of passing bills Unani-
nous consent must be given before any
measure can be taken up. Congressman
Jerry Simpson Of Kansas has his fight
Ing uniform on and obstructs all bust
ness. The prairie statesman is trying to
force Speaker Reed to appoint the com
mttees, and the speaker evidently in
tends to take his own time in doing so.
OF course, the speaker is sustained by
the Republican majority, and that ends
everything except Simpsons speeches.
Simpson raises the point Of no quorum
at the beginning Of each session, and
the speaker unperturbably counts the
members present and if there are suffi-
cient members in the chamber to con-
stitute quorum, Simpson is promptly
souelched for the time being. Next the
indefatigable Kansas man will arise to
question Of privilege and pitch into the
speaker hammer and tongs.
BY the death of ex- Senator Daniel
voorhees, of Indiana, one of the prom
inent characters of Washington has
passed away. For years, Senator Voor-
hees was the Democratic leader in the
upper house, and on many occasions his
eloquence awoke the dignihed senator's
on both sides to appreciatve applause.
During Mr.. Cleveland's first adminlstra-
ton, Senator Voorhees, was the execu-
tive's chief lieutenant in congress, and
he had many hard battles to fight.
David j. HIS famous attack on Cleve-
land was answered by Mr.. Voorhees,, and
his speech on that occasion was one of
the strongest heard in the senate in
many years.
New England's representatives are
rather quiet nowadays. They are
principally engaged in calling on the
president to see about appointments.
The ubiquitous office hunter makes
everybody miserable nowadays from
the president to the congressman's sec
rotary. Our senators pursue the even
tenor of their way, while waiting for
the finance committee to complete its
work on the tariff bill. Occasionally
they are stirred up by Mr.. Morgan of
Alabama with one of his Cuban speeches.
Mr.. Hoar usually replies to Mr.. Nor
cams violent passages, and the incident
closes for the time being.
Nothing startling Is on tapls in any
Of the departments. Secretary of the
Navy Long has settled down to hard
work and is now engaged in perfecting
a system of civil service for his depart
ment.
Secretary Long has sent to the COM
mandants Of every navy yard and sta
tion in the United States a copy of the
order he made March &c, relative to
marking efficiency Office habits, etc, of
employees. In the opinion of the sec
rotary, true civil service must permit
of removals in order to ensure good
work. Therefore, under this circular,
any person who falls below 20 per cent
in the rating will be dropped from the
public service. AS soon as Assistant
Secretary Roosevelt is settled in his new
office, he will, by direction of Secretary
Long, make thorough examination of
every navy yard and station in the
United States, devoting his attention
particularly to the condition of the en-
ployes, their efficiency, and framing reg
ulations for the correction of any abuse
that may be brought to his attention.
A committee from the New England
Manufacturers association is here to add
TO the protests against a duty on hides.
The Dingey bill takes hides from the
free list and makes them dutiabe, which
will, of course, increase the first cost of
shoes and other products of leather. 1t
is asserted however, that the duty Is
sure to remain in the schedules as 1t now
appears in the house bill
President and Mrs Mckinley returned
from their trip down the Potomac very
much improved in health. For few
days the executive was beyond the cry
Of the hungry office seeker and 1t must
have been great relief to him. A new
rule regarding visitors went into effect at
the White House Immediately after the
presidents return. Hereafter visitors
on personal business will not be received
by the president after / p. m, as he in
tends to devote afternoons entirely 10
public business.
The Democratic slogan for the cam
paign of 1900 was sounded the other dav.
The members Of the executive committee
Of the League Of Democratic clubs met
here and Issued an address to the Ameri-
can people. To say that the Dingley bill
is denounced but temporarily expresses
the arrangement of that measure. II is
declared "a monstrous bill which bur
dens the consumer with increased taxes
and benefits only trusts and monopolies
which now control the party In control of
the national government"
Occasionally the Cretan question turns
up here, but not officially. The Turkish
legation receives dispatches regarding
the situation but they contain nothing
Of any moment While the Cuban oues-
ton gets considerable attention from
newspaper correspondents not much is
heard on the subject outside of the sem
ate chamber. The nterminable and ex-
asperating Behring sea question is again
10 the fore as result of the appoint
ment OF ex-secretary of state, John
Foster, and ex-Assistant Secretary Of
the Treasury Hamlin as special commits