The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-12-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.
from Our Regular Correspondent.l


duties, and, although he naturally does
not feel inclined to work, the hard work
into which he has plunged is about the
best thug he could possibly do to take
bis mind off his grief He looks five
years older than he did two weeks ago,
owing to his anxiety and loss of rest
while watching at the bedside of his dy.
ing mother. His first work after re-
turning to Washington was to forward
to the Senate the large batch of recess
appointments He has had few Con-
gressional callers, owing to the gener.
al respect for his grief, the general dis.
position among Senators and Represen.
tatives being to defer their business with
him until the reassembling of Congress,
after the holiday recess.
Congress will take an old fastened
recess, adjourning from tomorrow, the
18th inst, until Wednesday January s
No time will really be lost, as the men,
bers of committees will make use of the
long recess to familiarize themselves
with the various bills before their re
spective committees and in deciding
Just what business outside of the regular
appropriation bills shall be taken up al
this session.
The caucus of the House Democrats,
held this week, was afraid to carry out
the will of the sugar trust lobby and try
to make annexation of Hawaii party
question. They could easily have done
80, as about three .fourths of them oppose
annexation, the orders OF the lobby, bu,
among those who favor annexation are
men whom the others did not dare at.
tempt to bind by caucus decree. They,
of course, declared themselves against
the Presidents financial recmmenda
tions, and in favor of the recognition Of
Cuban beliglerency. They also adopted
an ambiguous resolution in favor of
"just and wise" bankruptcy law, which
leaves them free to oppose any bank.
ruptcy bill.
Hon. A. P. Greedy, Acting Commis
sioner of Patents, who made reputa
ton as fearless and honest judicial and
executive officer by his able conduct Of
the investigation that led to a partial
purging of the Patent Office bar and
many reforms in practice before that
Office, is now making another investi.
cation, the object of which is to break
up that class of crooked patent attorneys
who rob inventors by making pretense
of obtaining and selling foreign patents
on their inventions, knowing that
no valid foreign patents can not obtain
ei for them, and they can not be sold.
The designation of the committee
chosen by the conference of Republi.
can Representative" committee
on reform in the administration of the
civil service law"-who oppose a con.
tinuation of the present rules and classi.
fcatlon under the civil service law, to
draw up bill to meet their objections,
is of itself sufficient evidence that these
gentlemen are not opposed to real re
form in the civil service. 1t is only the
sham reform they wish to abolish. This
committee, composed of Representatives
Hepburn, of Iowa; Pearson, of N. O.,
and Evans of KY, believe that they can
construct bill that will be accepted
by majority in both branches of Con- |
gress and by President Mckinley. The |
same conference also appointed Repre-
sentatives Tawney, OF Mimi. Steele, of
Ind and O'Dell, of N. Y, a committee
to investigate the administration of the
civil service law and rules for the past
five years, and their report will be used
as an argument for the proposed change.
The moderation of these gentlemen has
greatly strengthened their position.
Secretary Gage tumbled over pile of
lies as high as the Washington monu.
ment when he appeared before the
House committees on Banking and
Currency, this week, and submitted
single bill emoodying all the financial
recommendations of his annual report,
together with the statement in their
favor. The committee will consider
this bill during the holiday recess, and
when Congress reassembles in January,
it will be able to determine whether any
agreement upon bill is likely to be
reached by the majority.
A gentleman, who has, he says, made
a complete poll of the Senate says
majority Of that body is opposed on
principle to grating the governor of
state the right to appoint Senator to
fill vacancies in cases where the state
legislature has had an opportunity
to elect Senator and has failed to
do 90. II this be correct, Mr.. Corbett
will not be seated, although it is practlc.
ally certsin that the committee on Elec
tions and Privileges will report in favor