The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1897-12-03
Washington Letter.
From our regular Correspondent

loi years HAS palC
more difference to the opinions o
members OF his party than Mai. Nc.
klnley does, and no President has
ever taken more pains to ascertain the
opinions of his callers upon public
matters. While there is no question
OF public importance upon which
President Mckinley has not we'll de-
fined opinion of his own, he invites
the freest expression of the opinions
Oh others and is not so self-opinion-
ated as not 10 be sometimes convinced
that his own are erroneous. Just now
he takes every opportunity of drawing
out the opinions of his callers on mat
ters OF which his annual message to
Congress will treat. While his mes
sage, which will be long one, has
been all blocked out, what he hears
between now and when the final re.
vislng is done may make material
difference In portions of it.
Ii there isn't an arbitration treaty
between Great Britain and the United
States before the adjournment of this
session of Congress, it will not be the
fanlt OF President Mckinley, as he in
tends to send new treaty to the Sen
ate early in the session, drawn to meet
the expressed objections to the one
that was rejected by the Senate at the
last session.
Representative Dolliver, of Iowa
whose prominence IN republican
councils makes his opinions upon leg
lslatlve matters of value, passed
through Washington on his way home
where he expects to eat his Thanks.
giving dinner, from an Eastern trip
In reply to the question as to whe:h
he thought currency legislation prob
able at this session of Congress, he
said: II doubt if bill can be framed
that will meet with the approval oi
both He uses of Congress. 1t is not
unlikely, however, that the House will
take up legislation in line with the
recommendation of the Presidents
message. These, take it, will be rea-
sonable and conservative, and strictly
along the line of the record and plat
form of the republican party" Mr.
DOlliver says he thinks the early an.
nexation of Hawaii absolutely certain
and regards that and the settlement Of
the Union Pacific Railroad debt as
among the Administrations most
creditable work. His opinion of Con
gress taking the Cuban question up
as advocated by democrats and anti
administration newspapers, is worthy
of more than passing thought. He
said: eff the combined wisdom OF
the Executive and the State Depart
ment is not equal to solving the Gu
ban problem, I do not believe it would
help matters to throw it into a Con-
gressional joint debate"
Attorney General McKenna is pre-
pairing the papers that will be neces-
sary in foreclosure proceedings against
the Central Pacific Railroad, which
will, in January next, owe the U. S.
Government nearly $53,000,00O, so
that no time will be lost in case the
Company defaults, as it is expected
it will do. If foreclosure proceedings
are taken, they are likely to include
the Western Pacific Railroad also.
The conclusion of the members of
the Executive Committee of the In
dianapolis Financial Convention of
last winter, which has been holding a
monetary conference in Washington
for sometime past, not to make their
report public until after President Nc
Kinley's message and Secretary Cages
annual report have been submitted to
Cong, ess, probably means that the
measure which the committee will
recommend to Congress will be in the
main along the same lines as the
financial recommendations that will
be made in Secretary Cages annual
report and endorsed by President Nc
Kinley. In statement just issued by
this Committee, much more confidence
is expressed in the passing of financial
legislation by this Congress than there
are indications in sight to justify.
President Mckinley doesn't believe
in the brass band method of announ-
eng in advance what he intends do
ing; he prefers to allow his acts and
accomplishments to speak for them
selves. He has done more to main
tain our natiopal prestige abroad since
the 4th of last March than his prede-
cessor did during his full term OF four
wears, and not the least o. his accom-
plishments in that line was securing
the release of 81 American citizens
from Spanish prisons in Cuba.
Mr.. C. nj. Dixon, well know mer-
chant of Pleasant Ridge, Fulton Co.