The Worthington advance., 1897-05-20
Washington Letter.
(From Our Regular Correspondent.)

(From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, May 10, 1897.
President Mckinley, Vice Presi-
dent Hobart. and members of the
cabinet have gone to Philadelphia to
participate in the dedication of the
Washington monument. They will
return Saturday night. 1t looks now
as though the president would not be
able to accept any of the numerous
invitations which have been extended
| him to participate in Memorial Day
exercises away from Washington, and
that he would be with his comrades
at Arlington cemetery.
Cuban matters are rapidly coming
to head. The administration has
received information from Consul
General Lee and other U. S, officials
in Cuba which has been laid before
the members OF the senate committee
on foreign relations, and which it is
believed may result in definite action
on the part of this government.
Whether this action will be recogni-
tion of Cuban belligerency, as pro-
vided for in the senate resolution, Or
the absolute recognition of Cuban in
dependence, is matter that is ex-
pected to be speedily determined.
It is very plain that the Spanish off
cials have been deceiving this gov
ernment right along as to the condi-
ton of affairs in Cuba
Senator Aldrich says he will call
up the tariff bill in the senate on the
18th inst, in accordance with the
agreement made when the bill was
reported to the senate. but it is he
opinion of many senators that the
bill will not be taken up until later,
owing to objections that will be raised
by democrats on account of delay in
furnishing them with a comparative
statement of the estimated offect of
the amendments. It is now practi-
cally certain that the bill will have to
be changed to considerable extent
before it can be passed by the senate,
and it will then be further changed
by the conference committee before
the house will accept it. One of the
schedules that it is known will be
radically changed in the senate is
that dealing with sugar. It is also
almost certain that the clause declar
ing for the maintenance Of the Ha-
waiian reciprocity treaty which was
in the house bill, but was struck out
by the senate committee, will be re-
stored, as President Mckinley has
taken especial pains to impress upon
the minds of senators and represen-
tatives that nothing should be done
that would be likely to aleniate the
Hawaiians. It is certain that the
president favors the annexation of
Hawaii in some form, and probable
that annexation will he an accomp
lished fact in the near future.
Xxx
Probably the strongest endorsed
man who has been given an appoint
ment by President Mckinley is
Judge Albion w. Tourgee, the we'll
known author and speaker, who was
this week nominated to be .. S. con-
sui at Bordeaux, France.
*x*
Senator Quay has offered two
amendments affecting the civil SER
vice law, to the deficiency appropri
alton bill. One provides that depu-
ty collectors of internal revenue,
store-keepers and gaugers shall be
excluded from the classified civil SER
vice; also examining surgeons. The
other takes Indian agents out of the
| classified. service and authorizes their
appointment by the president, by and
with the advice and consent of the
senate. The amendments were re-
ferred to the civil service committee,
which is Investigating the whole sub
ect.
***
The senate committee on the cen
sus has reported favorably bill pro-
| viding for the taking of the twelfth
and subsequent cencuses, which.auth-
orizes the director of the census, an
official provided for by the bill, to
appoint all employees except the as.
sistant director. This is direct
blow at the civil service rules, which
is explained as follows in the report
accompanying the bill: "A majority
of the committee are of, the opinion
that the employees of the census office
should be appointed according to the
discretion of the director of the CEN
sus, and not by the method provided
by the civil service law and the exist
ing rules made in pursuance thereof"
X
/ Representative Hartman, of Mon
tana, while speaking against MIR.
Cleveland's sweeping forestry re-
serves order, was asked by Represen-
tative Lacey if he assumed that Pres
ident Mckinley would repeat the
mistakes of Mr.. Cleveland. He in
stantly replied: II don't think there
is any man on the face of the earth
such a blunderhead that he could
make the one thousandth part of the
mistake made by President Cleve-
land. I didn't support President
Mckinley, but, thank God, he is an