Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-05-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From onr Regular Correspondent. }

Mckinney, bill, and il the D.ngley
bill becomes a law IN anything
like the shape in which the repu b.
lican members of the Finance
Committee have submitted 1t ia
the toll committee; the Senate will
have another tariff bill to liz
credit, notwithstanding the Con.
stitutional provision that all rey,
enue bills shall originate in the
House. In the nuI Der OF amend
ments added the Dingley bill
breaks all records, the number
exceeding one thousand. No date
has yet been agreed upon TO re.
port the bill to the senate, but
unless something not now expected
sh All occur to prevent it will he re
ported inside of ten days. 1t looks
now as though the hottest fight
over the tarIff would he between
republicans, instead OF between
democrats and republicans;
The clyll service law is being
attacked from all directions, and
very noticeable attack WAS made
by Representative COrIiss, of
.uich., in speech made at the an
nual baI qnet of the alumni of Co
lumbar University, of which he is
member. lie started out by say
ing that the prosperity Of he mi
yersity was largely dependent NJ
on the number OF young men who
came to Washington as Dep trt.
inent clerks, aud take up course,
Of study after Office hours, but
that the civil service law was shut
ting off this supply and alllng the
Departments With a lot of worn
out human machines. He then
SAL: 'Iu my judgment the civil
service Was system devised by
some ingenious minister under a
mOnarchla! government TO protect
the king against the wrath If the
people. Under such governments
the long continued distribution of
tue political patronage made the
people enviOus, and this system
was no doubt devised to prevent
revolution, bat in republican
form of government where the
voice OF the people is supreme,
this civil service law becom - Il
most obnoxious and arbitrary re.
stIlctlOn of human liberty. The
House Of Il pr esentatiyes Is the
most direct representa- i've bod,
Of the people in this country. If
the civil service law is wise Why
aot apply il to this branch of our
government How many Of the
older members OF Congress, NV
holding the most important posi-.
tons because Of their long service
and experience, could success
fully pass a civil service exAmina.
tlOl for The position of messenger
boy In my Judgment there Is not
one of them who weuId not rather
retire to private lite than to sui.
nit to such humilidting examina.
tiOus.'
While it Is known that Pfesl.
dent VI Knley flvOrs the an
nexation of ii aud believes
that it will be accomplished dun
log his administration. there is
no probability that any steps to-.
wards annexation will be publicly
taken by the administration until
after the tariff bill gets through
Congress, unless it becomes nee
e'sary to hurry up annexation IN
order to forestall any efforts that
j ipan may feel disposed to make
for the purpose pf buldoziug
Hawai-. Mr.. Mckinley has fully
determined that so far as his con.
trol extends nothing shall get be-
fore Congress that would be like
ly to detract attention from the
tariff bill until that measure has
been disposed of.
Should J lstice Field live until
the 10Th day of next August, and
the present state Of bis health in
dictates that he will live muc h
logger, he will have served longer
on the bench of the L. S. Supreme
Court than any other man ever
did. TdiS 1t has been his amblt
ion TO do, and it has kept him at
sOTk some years after he was
eligible for retirement on tull pay
When that date has been passed
be expects to rellre.
1t has often been remarked that
Opposites are attracted to each
other, and maDv examples of lis
iruthiulness have been seen II
the Srnate, but none more striking
than the close personal friendship
that has grown up between Sena'
tors Tillman, of =. g., 1.-THE pitch.