The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1897-10-30
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.

! Washington, October 18th. 1897.
President Mckinley will not begin
the work OF writing his annual message
| to Congress until after he returns from
| Ohio. where lie Will 20 the last of this
week, to remain until he casts his vote
| for the Republican ticket, but he is
! spending considerable time just now in
obtaining information from members of
the Cabinet and in discussing with them
matters that will be treated in the mes
sage. All of the members Of the Cabl-
net have fu. nlshed him with the sub
stance of their annual reports, none of
which are yet completed.
The administration is not devOting
any time to the consideration of the
answer of the new Spanish ministry to
Minister Woodford's proposition, the
full. text of which is now on its way to
Washington, because the substance of
it has been known for some time and it
has been fully determined to grant the
new Spanish ministry reasonable time
in which to try to put its new policy in
to effect in Cuba. The only thing that
may change this programme is the man
ner in which the Spanish reply deals
with the efforts which have been made
by this government to prevent the de-
parture OF filibustering parties for Cuba.
If the tone Of the answer is what Span
ish publications have indicated it to be,
it will be promptly resented by the adj
minlstration. More than 100000 has
been spent by this government III efforts
to prevent flibustering and to live up to
the international obligations to Spain,
and no intimation that this government
has been negligent will be tole rated from
Spain. Ii is thought that such talk APP
pcared in the Spanish papers solely for
its effect at home. and that nothing of
the sort Will be found in the official
communication.
When really good idea is made
known the average person of intelll-
gence wonders why it had not been
thought of before. An idea Of that kind
was laId before the cabinet by Secretary
Gage, and at once met with general APP
proval. The government issues three
kinds OF paper money, and the notes of
each denomination of each series have
different designs, which are not only
confusing, but which are taken advant-
age of ty that class of swindlers who
make a practice of raising notes and
passing them in crowded places or up
on ignorant or unsuspectlng persons.
Secretary Cages idea is to adopt one
design for all the notes of the same
value of the three kinds of notes issued
and to make that design SO simple and
distinctive that it Will be impossible to
mistake a one dollar note for a ten or
two for a twenty, etc. The change,
which will probably he put into effect
as soon as the necessary plates can be
prepared, will be welcomed by the
handlers Of money in banks and bust
less establishments, to whom the pic
torIal simple certificates now in use are
Il source Of much worry.
The resignation Of Gen. W. ". DUFF
'NiNt ''7 u IA VI lL'N NptSl anu
Geodctic Survey has been asked for on
the ground Of his general incompetencv
To ill the position into which Mr.. C.cye-
land put him for no other reason than
to please Don Dickinson. Charges
against Gen. Duttield were filed early
in the present administration, and he
would doubtless haye been asked TO re-
sign before, had it not been Tor the IN
tluence of MS brother, who is a promi-
ncnt Michigan Republican.
Senator Piatt was in Washington Sat
urday, but be said that his visit had no
special political significance. lie spent
half an hour with President Mckinley
and told him and his other Washington
friends that things We're looking more
favorable every day for the election of
Gen. Tracy to be the first mayor of
Greater New York. and ;hat he was alb
Solutcly certain that he would win by
plurality Of between ten and twenty
thousand.
Capt. Charles O'Nci,l, Chief of the
Bureau OF Ordnance of the Navy De
partment, Is opposed TO the establish
mcnt of a government plant for the
making OF armor tor our fighting YES
selS. He says i'll his annual report to
Secretary Long; THE Bureau is of the
opinion that tue government can pur-
chase armor more cheaply than it can
make it. The Bureau regards the max
Ing of armur as Il proper ad junct to Il
great commercial steel plant. Foreign
practice confirms this view, and should
the department acquire Il plant of its
own, the chances are that il would be
at y great cost, and that it would lie idle
/ part of the time and thus suffer great
deterioration, and that the expense and
difficulty OF operating it, when needed.
would more than oil set any advantages
gained by such ownership"