Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1897-02-19
LETTER.
The Inauguration Preparations
Are Being Pushed to
Completion.
Increase by the Senate
The Tax ON Cigarettes Asked to I3e
Made ProbiBItive-A New
York Custom House.

Work upon the street stands from
which a portion of the spectators
will view the parade, which promi-
ses to be the handsomest, if not the
largest, ever seen, has been started,
and the Inauguration committee has
begun the distribution of fifty
thousand paper flags and fifteen
Thousand portraits of Mckinley and
Hobart, to be used by the residents
along the route of the parade to as
sist in decorating their houses
These are given away by the Com
mittee. So general is the sentiment
in favor of having the West Point
and Annapolis Cadets take part in
the parade that it seems probable
the joint resolution, offered in the
Senate by Mr.. Frye, and in the
House of Representatives by Mr..
Baker, of New Hampshire, request
ing the President to order the
cadets and their bands to Washing
ton and appropriating the money to
pay their expenses, will go through
1t is known that Mr.. Cleveland
favors having the cadets in the
parade and that he will gladly issue
the order if Congress will adopt the
resolution
The Democrats are already be-
ginning their howl about the total
amount of the appropriations that
will be made by the fifty Fourth
Congress. II is true that the total
of the appropriations for the two
years will exceed 81, 900, 900, 900, but
the Democrats would show more
wisdom if they would point out a
single appropriation made, or to be
made in the short time remaining of
ths session, that is not needed, or
that the government will not get
full value for, instead of yelling
"extravagent appropriations" like
a lot of parrots. The Senate is not
a Republican body-would that it
were-yet it has not only approved
all of the appropriations made by
the House, but has in nearly every
bill increased them Besides, it
should not be forgotten that a con-
siderable amount of the money APP
propriated by this Congress was
made necessary by continuing con-
tracts made by the last Democratic
Congress for River and Harbor inn
provements, public buildings and
the increase of the Navy. Chair
man Cannon, of the House Commit
tee on Appropriations, correctly
stated the situation when he said
that contracts previously made had
to be observed that Congress could
not allow unfinished public buildings
to remain exposed in all kinds of
weather, and that the pension laws
could not be ignored. In short, that
no appropriations have been made
that were not necessary for the con-
duct of the government and the pre-
servation of its interests. Mr.. Can
mons idea of economy in public ex-
penditures are so rigid that he has
offended many personal friends by
refusing to sanction propositions for
appropriations which have come
before his committee. There is no
item in any appropriation made by
the fifty-fourth Congress that any
Republican need be ashamed of the
appropriations are all needed and
the money isall to be spent among
the people and for the people.
lis about settled that the arbi-
tration treaty will not be voted upon
at this session, but will go over to
the extra session of the Senate. that
will meet March 4th, and remain in
session until the extra session of the
full Congress meets. This has
been made necessary by the oppo-
sition to the treaty in the Senate.
Representative Woodman, of Iii
nois has asked the House Ways and
Means Committee to increase the re-
venue tax on cigarettes from so
cents to $50 thousand. Mr.. Wood
mans object is to stop the smoking
of cigaretts by children, which he
says is "a habit which is destroying
our youth, filling our insane asylums
and shrouding in gloom. by the de-
struction, mentally, morally and
physically of their young sons.
many of the best homes of our
land. Mr.. Woodman said in his
speech to the Committee: "As long
as boys can buy the death-dealing
article at cent a piece OF two for a