Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1897-03-22
WASHINGTON LETTER.


Hon. Thomas B. Reed of Me-, has
for the third time been elected Speak
er of the House, position which, in
honor and influence is second only to
that of the Presidency. There was
no opposition in the republican eau
Gus to the denomination of Mr.. Reed
or any of the other officers of the
House in the last Congress. Tt was
in the cases of all of them, except Mr..
Reed, simply one good term deserv
ing another, while in his case it was
two good terms, although not conse-
cutive ones, deserving another. Re-
publicans are naturally proud of big
Tom Reed and his record as Speaker.
He has had to face some very difficult
and intricate parliamentary situations
but he has not even in single in
stance failed to force from them cred
it for himself and for the republican
party. Although partisan of par
tisans upon all purely political ques-
tions, no Speaker has ever had more,
and few as many, warm personal
friends among his political opponents.
In starting in upon this extra session
Of Congress, the country and the
party is to be congratulated that the
work of the House will be directed by
so experienced a parliamentarian as
Mr.. Reed.
A scandal Of large proportions may
I.
acts of Judge Lamoreux, Mr.. Cleve-
lands commissioner of the U. S. Land
Office, in what is known as the Chica-
go lake front case. Secretary Bliss
has set aside a decision of Lamoreux
in favor of certain parties and order
ed a new hearing of the case. Elk
Secretary Carlisle, who is now the at
torney of the parties whom Lamo-
reux tried to favor, may be mixed up
in the scandal, as it is limited that he
was interested in the case while
member of Mr.. Cleveland's cabinet.
Lamoreux rendered his resignation
and left Washington several days be-
fore the close of the Cleveland admin
istration, but his resignation has not
been accepted and present indications
are that it will not be, but that he will
be dismissed. Some very valuable
Chicago real estate is involved in this
case.
It might be supposed from the con-
certed yelping from the democratic
free traders at the now completed
tariff bill, that they are really sur
prised to find that Chairman Dingley
and his republican associates have
made a protection bill, just as the
country last November directed the
republican party to do. They are pre-
tending that they expected the rates
of duty in the new bill to be much
lower than they are. The new bill is
a republican measure from beginning
to end, intended to supply the $780,
600, 900 annual deficit in the govern
ment receipts, and at the same time
to give idle American working men
profitable employment by restoring
the Ameri can market, the best in the
world, to our own manufacturers and
producers from whom it was taken,
largely and presented to foreigners
by the tariff enacted by democrats.
Whether the tariff bill will become a
law in its present shape is a matter
beyond telling, but it is bill that ev
cry republican will gladly vote for
just as it stands and no material
changes are likely to be made before
it passes the House. If changes are
made in the Senate, it will be because
they are necessary to get votes need
ed to pass it, and not because of any
republican objection to it. President
Mckinley would gladly sign the bill
just as it is and have his administra
ton stand or fall upon it's workings.
President McKinley's rule requir
ing the Congressional delegations to
unite in recommending men for office,
while disappointing to few individu
ais, is on the whole a good one, and
one that makes it well nigh impOs-
sible to make a bad appointment. The
few appointments made up this time
have been pre- eminently good. The
decision on the part Of the admins
tration to go slow in making appoint
ments will also commend itself to the
people at large, who are much more
Interested in seeing the policy inaug-
urated that will restore the prospect
ty of the country than in seeing who
shall get the very few Offices at
course most republicans wish to see
all the places under the government,
not covered by Civil Service Rules,
filed hY good renuhlicans men who