The Press., 1897-04-15
Washington Letter.
Washington, April 18th, 1sg7.


 Representative Jerry Simpson did not succeed in making Speaker Reed appoint the house committees so that general could proceed while the house is waiting for the senate to act on the tariff bill, but by his continued protest he forced out the announcement from Rep resentative Dingley, the floor leader of the republicans, that in not appointing the committees, Speaker Reed was follow ing programme adopted by him and his party leaders, and virtual endorsement of that programme from Representative Bailey, of Texas, the democratic floor leader, who said that the democrats pre- ferred no ligislation on the part of the re- publicans to bad legislation, which they could not prevent if the republicans choose to put it through. These statements re- suited in clearing the atmosphere very much, so far as the house is concerned.
 Unless Postmaster General Gray changes his mind, there will be no changes made among the postmasters whose income does not exceed $1OO year, no matter how long the office has been held by the same person, except in cases where ma- jority of the patrons of the office, ask for 8 change. Mir. Gary has notified num- will be strictly adhered to. The result will be that the postmasters embraced in this classification will always be in politl- cal sympathy with majority Erof the pa- irons of their offices. That policy is fair enough to be made into binding law.
 The fact that some of those who were prominently identified with the Cleveland administration have picked up some very nice plums under this administration is not altogether pleasing to the politicians who have failed to pick up anything for themselves. EX-Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Dabney has been made chief statistician of the depart-.ent of agricul- ture at the salary of $4,5OO year, and Ex-Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Hamlin has been given a legal job in con- nection with the seal fisheries, for an in- u0uu1Go poI4Ou, at SOuPOAooIAOA OL about $15 day.
 Secretary Long has rejected the only bid-that of the Illinois Steel Company, to furnish armor for $26O ton, if they plate used by the government for the next twenty years-submitted under the act of the last congress, limiting the price to be paid for armor plate for naval vessels to $500 a ton, because he had no authority to make conditional contract, and the whole matter has been referred back to congress, and may result in the establishment of 8 government armor making plant, unless the Carnegie and Bethlehem companies recede from their present position or can persuade congress to raise the limit in the price to be paid for armor.
 It begins to look as though the vacan- cies in the senate committees would be filled. The new senators, who have no committee assignments, made so much fuss about it that something had to be ! the parties can have their way about these committee places. In fact, there has been combination agreed to by commit tees representing the populists, democrats and silver republicans under which the republicans are allowed three-tenths o the vacancies and the combination retains the rest, but this agreement has yet tc be ratified.
 If Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, who has been appointed Assistant Secretary ot Navy, doesn't kick up the biggest sort ot a shindig in that department, he will dis appoint all the Washington prophets Said one of these prophets: II cannot conceive Roosevelt as subordinate any where. He is an able man, although some consider him impracticable, and i he cannot have his own way, or a way that he regards as good as his own, there is bound to be trouble. Notwithstanding this sort of talk, which is general 1T Washington, it would be a good thing for the public service if Roosevelt could be made assistant to the head of ever. one of thegovernmentd departments. Ther is not single one of them that stir-ul would not benefit, although it migh made things disagreeable to few individ uals.
 The sudden death of ex-Senator Voor hees, of Indiana, removed a prominen figure in American politics. He wal nearly seventy years old and had been il hod hoo1th for covorn1 uoarc