Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-12-11
WASHINGTON LETTER.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

VI 'he hlut1ors tuht Will occupy Srent
deal of time this Congress is the civil
service law. Members are coming
back to Washington full of plans for
either repeating the law or changing
it so as to make it more in harmony
with the feelings of their constituents.
While beyond doubt the merit system
is now firmly established us part of
the policy of both the great parties, it
is useless to deny that there is II grow
ing discomfort over the law among the
masses. Pressure has been brought
to bear upon congressman, and is
bound to show itself in both branches.
The advocates of repeal have strong
leaders in both Senate and House,
Senator Gallinger in the former and
Gen. Grosvenor in the latter, and they
have many stunch supporters. Some
ever reaches direct vote, the law will
be repealed by a very comfortable ma
jority. The friends of the law, how
! ever, will never allow this to be done
without II fierce battle. The 1ece 1t
! change in administration and the cam
paigns in the various states have
brought this subject more prominently
before the people than heretofore.
The greatest cause OF complaint is,
that, after all, the offices were filled
with Democrats.
MAY DELAY ACTION-It is evident
that while an attempt will be made to
precipitate the Cuban question upon
Congress at once, there is substan-
tial number of members in both
branches who will listen to the advice
of the President and urge delay. Ef-
forts will be made to postpone action
until at least after the holidays, and
so far as the House goes, this can be
done, for the matter will be in the
hands of the foreign affairs committee.
and they can hold it until they are
ready to report. In the Senate, how
ever, the question is likely to make
its appearance at any time, and it is
safe to predict that discussions upon
it will be frequent during the early
days of the session. If, however, the
conditions shown to exist by the Presi-
dent in his message are such as to as
sure the senators that Spain will be
able to carry out it's reforms, these
discussions will not go beyond talk.
As Congress is already organized, the
committees in the House, having been
appointed, and those in the Senate
having been at work for several
months, ii is more than likely that
the financial question, as we'll as Ha-
waii, the immigration bill and other
matters of domestic interest, will come
up Immediately, and so divide atten-
tion with Cuba.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE - The
president has finished his message,
and it is now in the hands of the pub
lie printer, being put in type, so as to
bo reedy Cor Oonsroee whom it meets.
The printing of the presidents mes
sage is very momentous affair. The
greatest secrecy is maintained, so that
no intimation is given to the public as
to its contents. But one copy is given
in person to the public printer, and
he guards it as most precious treas
ure. 1t is locked up in his strongest
safe, and only the most trusted of the
compositors are allowed to work upon
it. The 'copy' is cut up in small
pieces or "takes," and is so divided
that it cannot be pieced together or
united to give any one man an idea of
the subject. After it is put in type,
the galleys and proofs are as carefully
guarded as bullion in the treasury.
The President revises his own proofs
and makes what corrections are neces-
sary, and it is held until the last mo-
ment before it is put upon the press
and printed. The day the message is
sent to Congress, printed copies are
distributed among the members, and
although the original typewriter
messages are sent to the Senate and
House, the senators and members
generally follow the reading from these
printed copies.
MRS MCKINLEY's DRIvE-One of
the pleasant features at the White
House every morning is the appear
ance of Mrs. Mckinley for her morn
ing drive. She generally starts about
10 o'clock, and the fact has become SO
we'll known now that large crowds al
ways gather on the wide piazza or in
the big vestibule to watch her as she
enters the carriage and drives away.
Mrs. Mckinley always greets these
visitors with pleasant bow and
smile, and often stops to speak to the
little children who come with their
mothers to see the first lady of tho
land. Mrs. Mckinley takes her drive
in the morning, while the president
usually goes out for his exercise in the
afternoon. 1t has become quite
familiar sight to see the president
ride through Washington, and he al
ways makes the occasion of his after
noon ride an invitation to some friend
to accompany him.
The EFFECT OF PARDONs-Presi-
dent Mckinley has just added another
to his remarkable list of pardons of
bank wreckers and embezzlers. Glenn
ency in the present case is extended
to F. w. Griffin, assistant cashier of
the Northwestern National bank of
Chicago, who speculated, lost, and
then took $50, 200 of the bank money
in vain attempt to recover his
losses. He was given the lowest sem
tence allowable under the law-five
years. imprisonment, and now gets
out after serving less than half his
term. President Mckinley may not
be trying to belittle such crimes, but
his already astonishing list of pardons
like this one is calculated to have just
that effect.
THEIR PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN-The
president and Mrs. Mckinley have
both had their photographs taken dur
ing the last few days. This is the
first time in ten years that Mrs. Nc
Kinley has been photographed.
A philosopher remarks in the Colum-
bla MOI Herald that "A man is
known by the comDany he keepS. 1t Is