Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1898-01-21
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Information About Beet Su.
gar.
BimetaIlism - MoKenna's Confirmation
National Military Park - Behring Seal
Award-silver Sentiment Declining

Notes.
WASHINGTON, Jan. II, 1898.
Secretary Wilson'S report on SEN
ator Lodges resolution, which was
adopted by the Senate, asking for
full information as to beet sugar and
what, if any, foreign sugars it comes
in competition with, and what effect
if any, the importatirn OF Hawaiian
sugars has or could have upon the
beet sugar production of the United
States, is expected to knock out one
of the arguments which have been
used by the sugar trust lobby to
make certain senators, whose states
are large and increasing producers
of sugar beets, doubtful of the DO
licy of annexation, by showing that
no injury to the beet sugar interests
of this country will, or possibly can
follow the annexation of Hawaii.
1t is not surprising that senators
should. have been Temporarily caught
by the specious arguments of the
agents of the sugar trust against an
nexation, because of the injury it
might do the sugar beet industry in
this country. Secretary Wilson was
himself once doubtful on the sub.
! ject because he believed annexation
might injure the American beet
growers, but investigation convinced
him that it would not, and his facts
on the subject Will convince the
senators who have doubts. There
are hourly contradictory stories
around Washington as to the atti.
tude of senator's towards the annexa-
ton treaty but Senator Davis, who
is in charge of the treaty, is still
confident thatit will be ratified with
votes to spare
Senator WOlcott's speech bears
out Senator Chambers s recent state
ment that President Mckinley does
not regard as final the efforts made
by the Commission which visited
Europe in behalf of international BIZ
metallism, and that he does not re-
gard their failure to get England
committed as ending all hope for an
international agreement. Senator
| Wolcott believes that the visit of the
commission to Europe materially
advanced the idea of international
bimetallism, and that it will yet be-
come an accomplished fact.
Attorney General McKenna's
nomination to the Supreme Court
would have been confirmed last
week had not Senator Allen seen in
it an opportunity to secure little
notoriety for himself. When Sena.
tor Hoar presented the report of the
Judiciary Committee in favor of
Judge McKenna and asked that a
vote be taken, Senator Allen was the
only objector and he consumed four
hours in making it plain that his
only object was to draw public at
tentiUn to himself. He first asked
for a postpOnement of two weeks,
but was in the end satisfied to get
the vote postponed until next Fri
day. There is nothing uncertain
about Judge McKenna's s confirma-
ton. At the outside, there isn'
likely to be more than six votes cast
in opposition, and it is possible that
there will be none.
Representative Jenkins, of Wis
consin, has introduced bill provid-
ing for the establishment of a Ma
tional Military Park, at Appomat-
toX, Va, and for the erection of a
Peace monument upon the spot
where the agreement to cease hosti-
lities was executed. There are sew
eral bills of this nature, including
that providing for making Nation
al Military Park of the Vicksburg
battlefield, and the general senti-
ment in Congress is favorable to
them, but they are all likely to be
shut out at this session under the
general rule that no bill carrying an
appropriation for a new project
shall be passed by the House, until
the receipts of the government ex-
ceed its expenditures.
Notwithstanding the use of a
whole week in the discussion of
civil service matters, the House has
made a good business record since
, the reassembling of Congress. 1t
has passed the Legislative, Execu-
tive and Judicial Appropriation
Bill, the Urgency Deficiency Appro-
priation bill, and is now considering
the Diplomatic and Consular Ap.
. prapriation bill.
Whatever may be the personal
opinion of President Mckinley as to
the justness Of the damages awarded
to British subjects for osses alleged
to have been sustained by reason of
, our seizure of their sealing vessels
in Behring sea, by the Arbitration
Commission acting under the treaty
, of 1896, he knows that we are in
honor bound to pay them, so he has
q sent a special message to Congress,
urging the early appropriation OF
S473, 1926, in order that they may
be paid and the matter closed.
The reports brought to Washing
ton by trustworthy men do not
= square with the claims of the silver
? Democrats as to the increase of sill
Q yer sentiment. On the contrary,
Q they show a heavy decrease in sill
, yer sentiment. For instance, Ex-
. Senator Moody, of S. D., says of his
state Though Bryan carried the
state in 1895, by a slender majority,
he Willneyer be able to do so again